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.

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.

Let me just say, Anna O was a brilliant debut, I devoured it. That being said, Murder in Paris is a step up in every way. Matthew Blake has truly outdone himself with this gripping, atmospheric thriller. Books that explore the human psyche and memory conditions have always fascinated me, the brain is an amazing organ, and Blake taps into that complexity with incredible insight and suspense. The writing is razor-sharp, the pacing relentless, and the twists kept me guessing until the very end. I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to see what he does next!

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.

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

An interesting thriller. Olivia is a psychotherapist and memory expert, based at Charing Cross hospital. One day she receives a call, stating that her artist grandmother, Josephine Benoit, has turned up at the location where her most famous painting hangs and is saying that she is not Josephine at all, but she’s really Sophie Leclerc and murdered Josephine in the very place the picture now hangs, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Olivia rushes to Paris to try to solve this mystery, relying on her grandmother’s friend and therapist, Louis, to help.
As the story unfolds it seems clear that Olivia has secrets of her own, and that Louis has his own issues to contend with as a result of a trial in which he’s been accused in planting false memories. The tale unfolds across different timelines and considers issues of trust, and what memories can really be relied upon.
Like Anna O, the author’s previous book, this is clever and twisty. I enjoyed this read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this one! It was so much more than just a thriller and the historical aspect kept me mesmerised. I didn’t want to put this down. I loved how the characters were woven together, a lot of twists had me guessing wrong on every level! Such a great read.

I really enjoyed this one. The book draws you in from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a compelling and emotional edge of your seat thriller that’s fast paced with unexpected twists that keep you guessing.
It’s very well written and atmospheric. A interesting storyline told through multiple timelines, past and present and different POV’s that are clear and easy to follow. I liked the short chapters. The characters are great. I really liked Olivia.
It’s gripping, twisty and entertaining. Definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more from @matthewblake
With thanks to #NetGallery #HarperCollinsUk @harperfiction for an arc of #AMurderInParis in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 3 July 2025

Imagine the past returning to you in fragments.
A hotel room, a pillow, a lifeless body.
Your ordinary, innocent life upended by one flash of memory.
You can’t remember what led to the crime.
All you know is that you must return to the scene, to the clues that lie waiting in Room 11.

A well-written story where the dual timelines worked well. It did get a little bogged down in the middle and I found myself flipping forward a few pages until it picked up. An enjoyable read with good characters.

A Murder In Paris is a dual timelined emotional read.
Dr Olivia Finn is a memory expert at Charring Cross Hospital, London. Taking her son to school she receives a call to say her grandmother Josephine who lives in France has appeared at the Lutetia hotel in some distress, she has sat under the painting she has painted and admitted to killing her friend in a room there. Olivia clears her diary and meets her grandmother in France to find her very distressed and confused. Olivia rings her grandmothers oldest friend Louis and hopes he can get to the bottom of of it. Flitting from present day and back to 1945 Olivia needs to find out quickly who she can trust.
This was quite a lengthy read but I preferred it to Anna O. The dual timeline worked really well, making characters backgrounds easier to understand what they had done to get to where they were. It was a well written story and I enjoyed this. I’m not going to go too into this as you are best coming in blind with this book as little knowledge is more powerful in this book.
I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

After thoroughly enjoying "Anna O," I was eager to read Matthew Blake's new psychological thriller, A Murder in Paris," and it did not disappoint. Matthew delivers a gripping tale that intertwines wartime secrets with present day danger, becoming more intense and intriguing as the past and present collide with dark and deadly twists.

The story begins when Olivia receives a phone call from Paris informing her that her grandmother, Josephine, has arrived at the Lutetia Hotel claiming her name is Sophie Leclerc and that she has murdered someone. Initially, Olivia dismisses this as a result of her grandmother's dementia.

However, worried for her grandmother's safety, Olivia rushes to Paris to speak with the police and reassure Josephine that she is just confused.

Yet, upon her arrival, things take a serious turn. So Olivia contacts the only person she knows in the city—an old friend of her grandmother’s and her mentor, Louis.

As the narrative alternates between 1945 and the present day, a complex and poignant story unfolds against the backdrop of horrific historical events. As the end of the war leaves the city and its people grappling with the aftermath of cruelty and death.

But Josephine's alarming admission has opened a can of worms, putting Olivia in grave danger and making her unsure of whom to trust.

And with themes of love and betrayal at its core, and a final shocking twist, this was a captivating read that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I would gladly recommend it to everyone!

Started off well and I was instantly drawn in but then too much extra stuff crept in and I found myself a little lost and uninterested towards the end which didn't come as much of a shock. I liked the writing style though and the overall story.

Olivia is a memory expert who has to travel to Paris after receiving a phone call from the police saying her grandmother is at the Lutetia hotel claiming she once committed murder at the end of the Second World War. Olivia sets about to discover the truth about this mystery.

This was a clever, complex mystery which really makes you think. The story is told in a past and present timeline, from both Olivia and her grandmother. I found both perspectives interesting and as someone who doesn’t usually love historical mysteries, I found it intriguing here. I enjoyed the Paris setting and the author did a good job at keeping the story atmospheric.

I found that the story slowed down a lot by the middle of the book and my attention wasn’t held as firmly as it was at the start. Even so, this was definitely a well written and researched mystery with interesting twists and turns. 3.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I was impressed, with reservations, when I read this author's debut book Anna O last year. I found it a wee bit messy and a tad on the predictable said. But, that said, there were many important positives that I took so I was always willing to give him a second chance and, obviously as you can see from my star rating, I am so glad I did...
So... we first meet memory expert Olivia Finn as she is trying to get her son TJ off to school. In the car on the way she takes a phone call. It is from the police in Paris. Apparently her Grandmother, Josephine Benoit, has walked into the Hotel Lutetia in a distressed state, claiming she is Sophia Leclerc and that she murdered the real Josephine in room 11 of the same hotel in 1945. Is this true, can it be so, or is it her dementia confusing things. The police think it is worth exploring though...
Obviously, as her only living relative, and with a strong connection as it was Jospehine that actually brought her up, after the death of her mother, Olivia arranges for TJs father to look after him, and travels to Paris.
The rest of the story is told in the present, as things really hot up and get dangerous, the recent past, detailing Olivia's part in a court case, and a boyfriend ghosting her, and 1945, where we follow Sophia and Josephine in the days after they "arrive" in Paris after being liberated from Auschwitz.
As with the sleep stuff, the resignation syndrome, in Anna O, I really enjoyed reading about memory in this book. It's always been something that fascinated me and to have it as the key thing in a book is just brilliant, especially when seamlessly woven into a cracking plot, such as is enacted herein. I'd love to wax lyrical more about this aspect but it will inevitable inject spoilers should I try.
The characters were cracking. All well drawn and all played their parts very well. There was a bit of obfuscation but, on the flip side, it was a bit obvious there was something a bit hinkey about certain people. More on that, I can't say.
The flitting about in time, and having the story told from quite a few of the characters' perspectives could have ended up being as messy as for Anna O but this time the author managed to keep all his juggling balls in the air and in play throughout. I found it all very easy to follow, and only very occasionally did I have to stop and think who was narrating!
And the ending when it came was quite shocking. I had a bit of an inkling there was something there but I wasn't ready for the whole shebang.
All in all, a cracking follow up to what I thought was a weaker debut book. With the way things are going, I really can't wait to see what he has in store for me next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.