Abigail Dixon has just arrived in Paris to take up the position of reporter for a major newspaper She is one of the lucky women at the time who were able to score a man s job due to family connections However she is still not able to report on news events and is sent off to cover couture Discovering a murder and becoming a suspect was not in her plans and it changes her whole life. The story is set in 1925 in Paris at one of the many exciting times in that city s history The author covers the history nicely with some name dropping of famous people.

Murder at the Paris Fashion House by Nancy WarrenSynopsis Paris 1925 When news reporter Abigail Dixon trades the Chicago newsroom for the Paris fashion scene she finds herself dazzled by the latest looks from Coco Chanel sipping champagne at the Ritz and interviewing a famous designer Stepping into his luxurious atelier on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honor Abigail is ready to swoon over the exquisite gowns The last thing she expects to find is her estranged stepmother lying dead on the fitting room floor and Abigail framed as the prime suspect. My Thoughts First and foremost a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley Storm Publishing and author Nancy Warren for providing me with a copy of this publication which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review Publication date is currently set for May 8 2024. Murder at the Paris Fashion House is the first book in the Abigail Dixon Mysteries written by author Nancy Warren On the cover it says A totally addictive 1920 s cozy mystery Well Hello ain t that the truth The 1920s Is there a exciting time period Honestly it s a PERFECT setting for a cozy Let s see why It s called The Roaring Twenties for a reason The Arts Music Fashion Prohibition Women gained unprecedented freedoms the right to vote short hair short skirts they drank they smoked and were sexually adventurous than previous generations During the 20s the economy surged and there was a huge growth in customer consumerism With the end of WWI in 1918 society was rebeginning and bursting with prosperity and freedom. Set in Paris the story opens in early 1925 Miss Abigail Dixon has arrived from the US to start a new job as a reporter with the Paris office of the Chicago International Post Abigail s Uncle had arranged the job through his newspaper connections Abigail wants to work real news stories hard news stories stories that end up on the front page of the paper not in the fashion columns But Abigail s new Editor has other ideas Women report on fashion and create stories for the society pages who s attending the which parties and what were they wearing So with that in mind Abigail s editor sends her off to report on the newest collection for renown couturier Monsieur Paul Joubert Abigail arrives at the couturier s fashion house and while she s not excited to be covering a fashion story decides to make the most of her situation But instead of covering the newest Parisian fashion Abigail finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when the body of Lillian Dixon is discovered in one of the changing rooms of the fashion house As Inspector Henri Deschamps begins his investigation Abigail is forced to come clean with the news that Lillian Dixon is her former stepmother Warren has interspersed her fictional characters with real people names like Belva Gaertner Nellie Bly and Coco Chanel all added an element of authenticity to the story The mystery has some good plot twists and turns and than a few red herrings thrown in I thought I knew where the story was headed I was wrong Miss Abigail Dixon is an extremely likeable protagonist Inspector Henri Deschamps is well written as a highly intelligent calm and dogged investigator He is also full of surprises. In the words of Chris Daughtry who was the finalist on the fifth season of American Idol this could be the start of something good NetGalley MurderattheParisFashionHouse NancyWarren 9781805081098 It was 1925 when Chicago newspaper reporter Abigail Dixon descended on Paris The sister newspaper to her uncle s in Chicago had offered her a job and she was champing at the bit to begin The editor told Abby she could report on Paris fashions which wasn t what she had hoped for But she would make a start with an interview of a famous designer As Abby entered the famous atelier on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honor she had no idea her life was about to change But finding her estranged step mother s body in a fitting room would do that having Inspector Henri Deschamps of the local police looking at her as a suspect did the restAbby was desperate to prove her innocence and to do that she had to find the killer But danger was all around her and while she became the story in Paris instead of the reporter she had to use it to her advantage Could she oust a killer And would she discover a motive Murder at the Paris Fashion House is the first in the Abigale Dixon Mysteries by Nancy Warren and I enjoyed it very much Abby was a strong although impulsive character who soon had a bevy of friends around her including the debonair Freddy and her room mate and details of the world of fashion This is a well written cosy historical mystery with a hint of future romance for further books in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book 9781805081098 Nancy Warren is a new author to me but she has written several cozy mystery series and this is the first book in her new series of Abigail Dixon Mysteries Set in 1925 Paris Warren does a great job of setting the stage this is the era of Ernest Hemingway Gertrude Stein Ezra Pounds and F Scott and Zelda were in residence while Coco Chanel was designing creations for the women of Paris and the world Post WWI Paris dazzles and sparkles but there is also an underside of murder and intrigue Chicago reporter Abigail Dixon is starting her new job with the Chicago International Post hoping to write hard news but is relegated to fashion and the women s pages Yet her first foray into fashion and an interview with the renowned couturier Paul Joubert results in murder And worse the victim is Abigail s own deeply detested stepmother Lillian Dixon Abigail herself is the prime suspect and her head literally is on the line unless she can solve the case. The novel starts out well giving us the cast of characters and there are many I kept on forgetting who was who and delving into why Lillian was in Paris and which rich man was she planning to snare as her next husband But the book definitely drags in the middle and then toward the end there is a huge rush with many clues and suspects quickly introduced and entire new motives unveiled I had several wait what moments on the way to the eventual conclusion. As the first book in the series the author does a good job introducing the city and several continuing characters I m assuming the very attractive and mysterious Inspector Deschamps will continue as a potential love interest but personally I found the plot a bit cluttered and unfocused I do however look forward to the next book in the series once Abigail settles into her life in Paris 3. I received an ARC from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review Thank you Storm Publishing 9781805081098 Great start to a new series Abby is smart savvy and loveable The setting is well written making you feel like you re in the ateliers of Paris or in the drawing rooms of the rich and famous The mystery was well paced and kept me guessing until the very end and the investigation was very creative using both the fashion house and the recent war to its advantage Looking forward to in this series I received a copy from NetGalley and StormPublishing for an honest review 9781805081098

Murder at the Paris Fashion House (Abigail Dixon Mysteries #1) By Nancy Warren

1805081098

9781805081098

English

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ebook

This book was previously published as Death of a Flapper A Chicago news reporter chasing her big break in jazz age Paris an exclusive with a renowned couture designer and a stepmother lying dead among the silk and sequins Paris 1925 When news reporter Abigail Dixon trades the Chicago newsroom for the Paris fashion scene she finds herself dazzled by the latest looks from Coco Chanel sipping champagne at the Ritz and interviewing a famous designer Stepping into his luxurious atelier on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honor Abigail is ready to swoon over the exquisite gowns The last thing she expects to find is her estranged stepmother lying dead on the fitting room floor and Abigail framed as the prime suspect With only her high school French to defend herself to the debonair Inspector Henri Deschamps Abigail must use her investigative skills to unravel a tangled web of family secrets and find the real murderer if she is to clear her name Aided by new friends including young news reporter Ernest Hemingway Coco Chanel and dashing Lord Frederick Abigail explores the elegant city of lights from the magnificent Notre Dame to the alabaster halls of Versailles in search of the clues that will solve this deadly mystery But over coffee and croissants one morning she reads a letter warning her that she is in grave danger and must leave Paris immediately As Abigail swaps her tr s dowdy two piece for a tr s chic silk chemise and a sharp bob to match can she keep her wits about her find the cunning couture killer and prove her innocence so she can stay in the city that s captured her heart Lose yourself in the gripping pages of this captivating and witty cozy historical mystery set in 1920s Paris Fans of Agatha Christie T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss will be utterly charmed by Murder at the Paris Fashion House Murder at the Paris Fashion House Abigail Dixon Mysteries 1 I m a huge fan of Nancy Warren s paranormal cozy mysteries and always appreciated the well rounded characters and the humour. This is a new series and I was to read the two novels one after the other as there s an evolution in the characters and the plot mystery gets better in the second one. The second one is a classic country house mystery and was well developed and solid Abigail is not happy to be there but she discovers a lot of secrets and is able to solve a complex mystery. Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC all opinions are mine 9781805081098 Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for this ARC This cozy mystery is set in the 1920 s in Paris France where a young Abby Dixon has come to pursue her journaling dreams Instead she is caught up in the murder of her step mother who also happens to be in Paris at the same time and the police suspect Abby was the one you did it Abby quickly has to use her skills as a journalist and try to free her name I loved all the characters especially Vivian and Freddy They stuck by Abby the entire time and I also loved all the fashion Abby becomes the it girl while getting to show off all of Joubert s creations and she rocked them I never figured out the killer I always guess wrong The ending made me wonder if there might be some room for a little bit of romance between Ms Abby and the detective in the future I hope so Would definitely recommend this one 9781805081098 Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy of this book The start of this book captivated me but after the main action happened the pacing of the plot dragged until the end I enjoyed the 1920 s mystery aspect but I found myself feeling bored while reading Overall a fun quick read but maybe not something to pick up if you re in a slump and trying to get back into reading 9781805081098 A fun and interesting cosy historical mystery introducing Abby Dixon as an American reporter newly moved to Paris and accused of murdering her stepmother at a Paris Fashion House The characters are enjoyable and a nicely paced plot plus a budding love interest mean I m looking forward to reading the next book I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review 9781805081098 Wow This was a complete shock to me I have read all of Ms Warren s previous paranormal mystery series featuring witches vampires and the like I ve enjoyed them all but they re very light hearted have a lot of humor and are just fun When I read that Ms Warren was now writing a historical mystery series with the first book set in Paris after WW I I was surprised I also expected it to be light hearted and have a vampire or two It doesn t This book features Abby Dixon who has just arrived in Paris from Chicago to write for an American newspaper there Abby is escaping her recent past which featured the divorce of her parents and then their subsequent deaths Abby wants to be a hard hitting serious journalist but instead is handed the fashion beat Soon after her arrival at a major Paris fashion house she stumbles onto the scene of a murder and quickly becomes the suspect When the Paris police decide Abby is their primary suspect she decides to prove her innocence. The book is sprinkled with some real characters of the time but they never intrude too much on the basic story The murder is complicated and I didn t guess the suspect Instead of being light hearted we see how nearly everyone in the book is still dealing with the aftermath of WWI suffering from a variety of horrors As for paranormal elements Abby s aunt claims to be a psychic and conducts a few seances over the course of the book But is she really a psychic or a fraud I really enjoyed this and have already ordered in the second in the series 9781805081098 Nancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of than 100 novels She s known for writing funny sexy and suspenseful tales She s an avid hiker animal lover wine drinker and chocolate fiend Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards She has won the Reviewer s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancys newsletter at site_link www. com groups NancyWarrenKn Nancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of than 100 novels She s known for writing funny sexy and suspenseful tales She s an avid hiker animal lover wine drinker and chocolate fiend Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards She has won the Reviewer s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancy s newsletter at site_link www:

Vivien An enjoyable historical cosy which I have no hesitation in recommending. With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review 9781805081098 First in a new series and I enjoyed it very much: good surprises Perfectly paced and thoroughly entertaining Chock full of secondary characters which were crafted as well as the main: I appreciated the description of Paris in the 20s and Abigail clever and witty I found the mystery than solid than usual but I enjoyed it, This was compelling and solid a well plotted mystery that kept me guessing: com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books knitting pets life site_link www. com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books knitting pets life site_link www.5 stars.Can t wait to read the next one.Recommended.NancyWarrenAuthor.facebook.NancyWarrenAuthor.facebook.com groups NancyWarrenKn site_link .