DESCRIPTION:
Feathers, diamonds, showgirls, oh la la… Paris is everything Opal Laplume could dream of. But she wasn’t expecting to be cast as the lead detective in a murder case…
Paris, 1930. The Honourable Opal Laplume has just started working as a seamstress in the most glamorous cabaret in Paris. The stage is set for a spectacular opening night, but tragedy strikes when the star of the show, Valentine Beaumanoir falls from her hotel balcony.
The police believe it’s an accident, but Opal isn’t convinced. Witnesses heard Valentine shout for help before she fell. But if she was pushed, how could the culprit have escaped when her room was locked from the inside? And who left a perfect white rose on her bedside table?
When a deadly note to another dancer is found, Opal ditches her threads and thimbles to take charge of the case. Stepping backstage, she finds everyone had a reason to want Valentine dead. The chorus girls were jealous of Valentine’s spot in the limelight. But did one of them want the lead role that badly? Before she fell, Valentine called out the name of her beau, costumier Christophe. Could the show-stopping murder have been a crime of passion?
But just as Opal thinks she’s on track to solve the mystery, the theatre is rocked by a murder on stage, where once again the killer vanishes into thin air. Opal soon realises a bigger plot is unfolding. Can she keep her composure and catch the cabaret killer? Or will it be her final curtain call?
Paris, 1930. The Honourable Opal Laplume has just started working as a seamstress in the most glamorous cabaret in Paris. The stage is set for a spectacular opening night, but tragedy strikes when the star of the show, Valentine Beaumanoir falls from her hotel balcony.
The police believe it’s an accident, but Opal isn’t convinced. Witnesses heard Valentine shout for help before she fell. But if she was pushed, how could the culprit have escaped when her room was locked from the inside? And who left a perfect white rose on her bedside table?
When a deadly note to another dancer is found, Opal ditches her threads and thimbles to take charge of the case. Stepping backstage, she finds everyone had a reason to want Valentine dead. The chorus girls were jealous of Valentine’s spot in the limelight. But did one of them want the lead role that badly? Before she fell, Valentine called out the name of her beau, costumier Christophe. Could the show-stopping murder have been a crime of passion?
But just as Opal thinks she’s on track to solve the mystery, the theatre is rocked by a murder on stage, where once again the killer vanishes into thin air. Opal soon realises a bigger plot is unfolding. Can she keep her composure and catch the cabaret killer? Or will it be her final curtain call?
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Author: Millicent Binks
Title: A Most Parisian Murder
Series: An Oral Laplume Mystery Book 1
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 284
Date of Publication: May 13, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
MY THOUGHTS:
The Honourable Opal Laplume, renowned for her exquisite hat designs at her mother’s millinery shop in London, finds herself unexpectedly thrust into a new adventure. Her mother has suddenly arranged for Opal to journey to Paris, where she is to create elegant headpieces for a cabaret show featuring her cousin Clementine. Opal is quite eager for the opportunity to spend time with her glamorous cousin.
However, tragedy strikes even before Opal’s arrival in Paris. One of the show’s dancers, Valentine, tragically falls to her death from a hotel balcony. Another dancer, Zsa Zsa, claims to have heard a disturbance in Valentine’s room that night and insists that Valentine was not alone before her fatal fall.
As Opal arrives in Paris, she is confronted with these unsettling circumstances. And, as things soon prove, Valentine’s death is not the only strange occurrence. An exceptionally valuable necklace goes missing, and then someone disappears. The situation escalates when Opal’s dear cousin Clementine also meets with a tragic end. Detective Inspector Prosper Delacroix is on the scene to investigate these events, but Opal feels that he is clueless when it comes to uncovering the truth. Determined to find answers, Opal takes matters into her own hands and begins her journey as an amateur sleuth.
Armed with only a small clue—a napkin with an enigmatic inscription—and concerns about a questionable liquid popular among the dancers, Opal sets out to unravel the mystery. Were the deaths unfortunate accidents, and are the other events mere coincidences? Opal firmly believes otherwise and resolutely proves determined to find justice for her cousin and others involved.
This cozy mystery story offers a refreshing and elegant setting, complete with a captivating cabaret show and beautifully designed costumes. Opal’s talented and detailed sketches add to the story’s charm, as does her beloved dog Napoleon, making it a delightful read. This charming tale sets the stage for an exciting new series, leaving readers eager to discover Opal’s next adventure.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
She has a BA (Hons) at Wimbledon College of Art in Costume Interpretation. Her writing credits include a column in the The London Evening Standard about her life as a burlesque starlet. She wrote the cover story “Alter Shego's” for The Sunday Times Magazine, in which she disguised herself as different women, took self-portraits, went out, introduced herself to random gentlemen and documented their reactions. This was optioned for TV by NBCUniversal.
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