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Member Reviews

This is a fabulous story and one that spends some of its time in the past and the rest in the present day. Set in Paris, France as the war has ended and the POWs are returning, they are housed in a hotel to be interviewed, assessed and then to go on to live their lives. One of these is renowned artist Josephine Benoit.

Her granddaughter, Olivia, has returned to France. Josephine has made some shocking admissions. She killed someone. The murder took place in The Hotel Lutetia. The hotel is where the POWs from Auschwitz were brought, interviewed to see if they were genuine POWs and not collaborators.

The author has done a fabulous job mixing the past with the present. Josephine is elderly so there is some finger pointing towards her confused state being dementia. But, Josephine does have moments where she is completely lucid. Having Olivia as a psychotherapist gives her credence for what she is to discover as she delves into the mystery of her grandmother's past. Olivia is no stranger to psychotherapy either.

I really enjoyed the way the story from the present is interspersed with the historical accounts. The author has crafted a story with two timelines that work exceptionally well, and the flow between the two is seamless. Having a strong psychological thread to this story is what initially caught my attention. There are several sections of the story where the focus is on the psyche and how it can be used to help people overcome trauma.

This is one of those books that immediately grabbed me. I soon found myself getting to know the characters and found myself needing to know more. I didn't see the unveiling until the author revealed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and how the author has brought different tragedies together and worked them so well. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers that have historical events, family drama, intrigue and mystery, then this is one I would definitely recommend.

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I loved Anna O and enjoyed this book too. I murder mystery set in Paris in the present and post WW2. The flipping towards the characters got a little confusing at times due to the plot of the story, but it was easy to pick up again so not too much of an issue whilst reading. I just felt like I was left wishing for a little more.

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I read Anna O when it first came out and enjoyed that so, of course I was going to pick up this new novel. A novel with two timelines, a novel about love and betrayal - what is there not to like. Olivia is a psychotherapist and memory expert at Charing Cross Hospital and the mum to TJ. One day she receives a phone call from the French police telling her that her grandmother, the famous artist Josephine Benoit, is sitting below her most famous painting in the Hotel Lutetia confessing that she is not Josephine Benoit, but Sophie LeClerc and she murdered the real Josephine in 1945 in Room 11. Olivia knows that her grandmother’s memory is beginning to decline but to confess to murder! She immediately goes to Paris seeking the help of her own mentor and her grandmother’s therapist and life long friend, Louis. In 1945, after the end of WW2, the Hotel Lutetia was used as a place for survivors from Auschwitz to be assessed and one of the timelines is from this period which was fascinating. The other timelines are of Olivia in the present and Olivia sometime before. There are also a couple of other voices that we hear from. This novel which is a bit of a rollercoaster as we go back and forth is intriguing because memory is a real focus. Who are we without our memories? Especially for Josephine as she struggles with her declining memory when short term memories disappear but long term memories start peeking through. But are these long term memories real? There is the discussion about borrowed memories, recovered memories, planted memories. And beneath all of this lies secrets. Has Josephine revealed a long held secret? Olivia herself has a deep secret. But as the story gathers pace it seems that Josephine’s secret is one that someone didn’t want to come out. The setting is atmospheric and I enjoyed the pace of the novel with its twists and reveals. The setting of the Hotel Lutetia as the temporary home for survivors had an air of authenticity about it - a Google search told me that this was in fact part of the actual Hotel Lutetia’s history. The discussion that it raises about memory is interesting and one I will ponder upon in the future. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

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3.75 stars rounded up I think. The different viewpoint chapters and past/present flipping, means you constantly reevaluate as you read, trying to work out if Olivia’s grandma is telling the truth about having killed someone in room 11 of Hotel Lutetia in Paris at the close of WW2. When memories can and are edited each time we access them, and we can hide memories and recover them, what can we believe about this story?

I did suspect some of what had happened, though not all the details - which is always satisfying, as you’re partially right but still with some surprises! Recommended for people who like to guess and read different perspectives.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

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Psychotherapist Dr Olivia Finn travels to Paris after receiving a phone call about her Grandmother who has been found in a hotel claiming she is not Josephine Benoit but is actually Sophie LeClerc and she murdered the really Josephine in 1945.

Knowing her grandmother is suffering from dementia, Olivia believes her to be confused, until she gets to Paris and then doesn’t know what to think.

This is a mix of mystery thriller and historical thriller with chapters moving from the present day back to 1945.

The hotel itself is a great setting and I loved all the characters and the way the plot unravels.

I would love to read more from Olivia Finn as I don’t think her story has finished!

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Matthew Blake has outdone himself, this is a fantastic book . Fast paced and full of twists and turns and intrigue. I loved it and would recommend it

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After reading Anna O, I didn’t hesitate in picking up Matthew Blake‘s new book, I didn’t even bother to read the blurb and went in blind. And he didn’t let me down!

Olivia is on the school run when she receives a phone call to say that her grandmother, who has dementia, is in a Paris hotel confessing to a murder. A mad dash on the Eurotunnel leads to the unravelling of a chilling mystery.

The story is told in three timelines; the present, the recent past, and during World War II. There are elements of romance, however the main focus is on friendship, trust, and betrayal; but by who?

The characters were really well written; relatable, believable and all incredibly likable, which made it very difficult to try and fathom who the perpetrator was.

A fantastic plot, skilled storytelling and a fast pace make this a great read.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Matthew Blake and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book.

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I didnt find this story believable or the characters and I just really didnt connect with this book at all.

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Good story, but in order for A Murder in Paris to be a good novel, it needs a good dose of editing. There is nothing wrong with having a 250-280 pages novel that you cannot put down, vs slogging through 350 pages of repetition, repetition ad nauseam, that only makes one want to skip paragraphs and ultimately leave you feeling the novel was not that great!
I really loved the core story. For me, it was quite fascinating. Again, another side of the WW2 and the Holocaust that I haven't really considered. Plus I liked that the focus wasn't only on the past, but was instead shifting between then and now and the intergenerational impact. The POV switching between different character was another positive, for me. I felt it enriched the narrative, without making it hard to follow.
Now as I've mentioned in the opening of my review, there are a few phrases that have been repeated wayyyy too much. Sometimes even in the same chapter. Really not on... There's also a bit of predictability, but that's not necessarily a bad things, as some readers like it when they manage to intuit what's going on. I guess in this case, it does start to grate, when paired with the constant filler phrases. Plus I felt that the end left lots unsolved. While I am not against an open end, here there are just too many narrative threads left to the imagination: what happened with Louis after the reveal, what about Tom? What about the french policeman? etc A bit more development at the end would have been welcome!

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Murder in Paris is an absolute knockout, Matthew Blake has truly outdone himself. I adored Anna O, but this one? Even better. From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The pacing is relentless, the atmosphere intoxicating, and the psychological depth is brilliantly executed.

What really stood out to me were the characters, are flawed, relatable, and deeply human. I connected with them instantly, which made every twist land with even more impact. Blake has a rare talent for crafting people you genuinely care about, even as the mystery darkens and the stakes soar.

The novel explores memory and the human psyche with chilling insight, tapping into the brain’s complexity in a way that’s both suspenseful and thought-provoking. He paints Paris with a dark, mesmerizing brush, creating a backdrop that’s as compelling as the plot itself.

This isn’t just a great thriller, it’s a masterclass in storytelling. Gripping, intelligent, and full of shocking twists that kept me guessing until the final page. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Bravo, Matthew Blake. I can’t wait to see what you do next.

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Dr Olivia Finn is a psychotherapist and an expert in recovering memories. When her grandmother, a famous artist with dementia, walks into the Hotel Lutetia in Paris and tells police that she committed a murder there at the end of WWII, Olivia must try and work out how much is memory and what is fabrication. Was her grandmother an Auschwitz survivor, part of the French resistance or maybe an imposter who stole someone's identity?

The story is both multiple POV and dual timeline of 1945 and now, which means you get snippets of information to help you to piece it all together. I did find that I had to really concentrate on who was who for a while because of that, but it did make it harder to guess where it was ultimately leading and who Josephine actually was. The relationship with Olivia and Tom I thought was probably a bit of a stretch, but I can see how it was important to the plot. All in all it's a easy going mystery and an interesting insight into the events in France after the war ended, I just got a little bored of the repeated mentions of how Louis had saved Olivia with his work, which at times felt like I was being hit over the head with it.

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Well paced, well written and very enjoyable.

I adore the way Paris is used to set the scene, almost like an extra character. I love this city and this captures it beautifully.

Brilliant crime thriller, can’t wait for more from this author.

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I enjoyed this book and found it a very interesting concept. I felt that it was perhaps a little over-long and dragged a bit in the middle - and u found the ending quite sad. However, overall, it was a good read. Recommended.

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An excellent thriller centring on a murder from 1945 and the present day. What is real? Are our memories correct or can they be manipulated. Really made me think. Highly recommended

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This is a book that has excitement and tenseness with murders in the dark and a killer making sure the truth is never known but also makes the reader think long about memories, how they change the more we think about them until it might be hard to remember them correctly. Plus how memories can be made from other people but we think they are our own. I have that by watching the home videos from my childhood and so it made this book intriguing to see how it can be done to others until you don't know which is real and which is false. And that is the main theme for this book, from Olivia's grandmother, to Ingrid, and other patients of psychotherapy to bring back suppressed memories from childhood, or even back to the end of World War 2 and the dark times of turning in traitors, being one, or being part of the Resistance. Jumping between three points, the present with Olivia and her grandmother and the search for who she really was, to the suicide of Ingrid and trial of Louis, and even further back to the end of the war and the return of the survivors to the hotel in Paris for reintegration. I did learn somethings I didn't know about the war and with all the mysteries, it made for a pretty quick read because I wanted to know the truth.

I enjoyed this thriller that also made me think after about memories and how they make up a person and how without them there is a lessening, which is one of the sad facts of dementia (also plays a part in this novel).

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The eagerly awaited follow up to Anna O. Another psychological thriller which keeps you guessing right to the end. Olivia is called to France because her grandmother who has dementia has walked into a hotel and confessed to a murder 80 years before. We delve into the realms of psychotherapy and recovered memories. Although the story goes back and forth between 1945 and present days and from various viewpoints the story flows well. All through I was kept guessing as to where the story was going. I guessed one thing correctly but the rest of the story had me hooked needing to find the answers as much as the character of Olivia needed to. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking story. Well recommended. With thanks to the author, Harper-Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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I loved Matthew Blake’s Anna O for the dark mystery surrounding the events and this novel is equally as dark and suspenseful. With the onset of dementia, a dark, convoluted past threatens to unravel and raise doubts as to the identity of an eighty year old international murder mystery. Edge of seat stuff.

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3 differing timelines, the present of Olivia, glimpses into her past and the past of her gran set at the end of the second world war when she had returned to Paris from a concentration camp.
Having read Anna O by this author I immediately knew I wanted to read this when I saw it was being released. This didn't disappoint and was very gripping from the outset. An excellent thriller which will keep you guessing throughout.
Thanks to the the author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

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A murder in paris was a very interesting book that i enjoyed, i have previously read books from this author so was very excited to pick up this one.

Olivia has received a phone call from Paris authorities regarding her grandmother Josephine and she has to travel there as soon as possible. She has confessed to a murder that happened in the 1940's in which she then took on the victim's identity but her grandmother's memory isn't all it seems as she is suffering from dementia. Olivia set's out to find out the truth and whether there is still secrets out there. I really enjoyed reading the relationship between the two, it was really sweet and the mystery and the moments from the past really kept me going to find out what really was happened and did happen. I quite enjoyed this book, the characters and the overall story from both the present and in the 1940's, kept me engrossed and would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins for the copy of this arc in exchange of my full honest review.

4.5 stars

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So from the tag line of the book, ‘Two women checked in. Only one checked out.’ I knew instantly this would be a book I was looking forward to read. However, o don’t appreciate just how good this book was going to be. It focuses on Olivia, a psychotherapist specialising in memory who lives with her son in London. The only other family she has is an elderly grandmother Josephine who lives in Paris. One day she receives a phone call from the French police. Her grandmother has been sitting in a luxury hotel for hours in a distressed state and claims she committed murder in room 11 at the end of the Second World War. On arrival in Paris, Olivia finds her grandmother confused but Josephine is certain it’s a recovered memory and record show someone did die in that room. Could her grandmother be telling the truth? As people start dying in the present day, Olivia must race against time to uncover the truth but who can she really trust? This book blends seamlessly between 1945 and present day and I was completely hooked. It’s brilliantly written and impossible to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and the author.

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