The Paris Affair by Pip Drysdale

After enjoying Pip Drysdale's twisty novel The Next Girl how could I resist picking up another of her novels, especially when The Paris Affair is set in the art world? Born in London, Harper Brown has moved to Paris to take up a job as an arts writer for a popular online journal and dreams of becoming an investigative reporter. After being used and cruelly dumped by an ex who is now an international rock star, Harper has sworn off love and romance and has employed a number of tactics that will keep her safe. From now on her primary focus will be her career and the chance to investigate the possibility that a serial killer is on the loose. But that becomes incredibly complicated when Harper meets artist Noah X, particularly when Sabrine, his wannabe girlfriend and an aspiring artist, winds up dead, the latest victim of the serial killer. Noah and his former wife each have their reasons for wanting Sabrine gone. But are they capable of murder? What happens when Harper starts taking more and more risks to discover the truth?

This was an entertaining, twisty read. Life is messy and complex and I love the way that the author reflects this in her characters. Harper doesn't always make the best choices and the people around her aren't always as helpful or supportive as they could be. Noah is a complex character in his own right, not quite squeaky clean but perhaps not the person that many make him out to be. The supporting cast make for interesting characters of their own, from the manipulative but supposedly talentless Sabrine who doesn't deserve her fate to Thomas the jilted lover who may not be as gullible as he appears on the surface. As always, Pip Drysdale creates an entertaining mystery with plenty of twists and an outcome that I did not predict.

Recommended. 

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