Thursday 11 March 2021

Book Review: The Paris Affair by Pip Drysdale

 The Paris Affair
by
Pip Drysdale
 
It turns out, Paris isn't always a good idea 
 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 3rd February 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Pages: 336
RRP: $32.99AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 
About the book
 
Meet Harper Brown …

Occupation: Arts journalist
Dream job: Hard-hitting news reporter
Location: Paris
Loves: True crime podcasts, art galleries, coffee, whiskey
Does not love: fake people, toxic positivity, being told how to live her life by smug workmates who have no life (that’s you, Stan), her narcissistic ex
Favourite book: 1984
Favourite artist: Noah X. Sometimes.
Favourite painting: Klimt’s Schubert at the Piano
Special skills: breaking out of car boots, picking locks and escaping relationships.
Superpower: She can lose any guy in three minutes flat. Ask her how.
Secret: She’s hot on the trail of a murderer – and the scoop of a lifetime.

That’s if the killer doesn’t catch her first.
 
My review
 
The Paris Affair is narrated in first person by Harper. This is a narration style I don't usually enjoy as the narrator is quite often unreliable. I am only getting Harper's POV but it is clear by the way she talks that she knows this and doesn't care whether you believe her...or even like her. Which made me like her even more.
 
"Of course, I still haven't told him who I am either, so yes, technically that makes me a hypocrite but whatever. Nobody is perfect."
 
Harper Brown is super feisty and cynical. She is addicted to true crime podcasts, can pick a lock, escape handcuffs, and she knows how to lose a guy in three minutes. She comes across as a real person with hopes and dreams and flaws.
 
Pip Drysdale has created this wonderfully complex and complicated character. She is not scared to confront people but she is also full of insecurities. Life had been shitty for her. She gave up her chance of a career to support and fund her boyfriend's music career and then when he had finally made a name for himself he dumped her. 
Determined to now live her own life she lands a job with the Paris Observer, an online magazine based in Paris, where she writes about art and exhibitions. When a young woman is found murdered, and Harper is one of the last people to see her alive, the story of her dreams lands into her lap and Harper will stop at nothing to get that story. She is willing to lie, steal and manipulate, putting herself in the path of the murderer.
 
The Paris Affair is set in the city of love however Pip Drysdale shows us a seedier side of Paris with a serial killer stalking young women. The story is set firmly in the modern day with texting, Tinder dates, Instagram posts and Uber rides. The mentions of Harper stalking her ex on Instagram and Googling the artist from the exhibition she was covering to get more information on him was all very realistic.
 
There are plenty of twists, turns and danger as Harper investigates the murdered girl's life and I found myself holding my breath with my heart pounding as I turned the pages.
 
The Paris Affair is another sharply plotted page turner from Pip Drysdale placing her firmly on my 'must read' list. 
 
5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
About the author
 
Pip Drysdale is a writer, actor and musician who grew up in Africa and Australia. 
At 20 she moved to New York to study acting, worked in indie films and off-off Broadway theatre, started writing songs and made four records. After graduating with a BA in English, Pip moved to London and she played shows across Europe. In 2015 she started writing books. Her debut novel The Sunday Girl was a best seller and has been in the United States, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Strangers We Know was also a bestseller and is being developed for television.
 
 
 
Challenges entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2021
                                 Aussie Author Challenge #AussieAuthor21
                                 Cloak and Dagger Challenge
                                 Aussie Crime Month  #SouthernCrossCrime2021
 
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Look out for my giveaway for a copy of The Paris Affair coming soon

4 comments:

  1. I nearly requested this on netgalley, but for some reason held off. I wish I hadn't.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've done that with books too Claire and when all the great reviews come through I'm kicking myself.

      Delete
  2. The seedier side of any city is always more interesting than the glossy photos they put in brochures for tourists 😉 good to hear you enjoyed this one!!

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