It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour A Murder in Paris by Matthew Blake. Published by HarperCollins, pub date 3rd July 2025. Tour hosted by Random Things Tours.
Matthew Blake is the No.1 international bestselling author of Anna O. Before writing fiction, he worked as a researcher and speechwriter in Westminster. He studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford and now lives in London. Follow @Matthew__Blake on X
About the book
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. But this is a mystery that goes far beyond that room, that night, that murder. Are you ready to unlock the truth?
Review
Although the historical aspect of this fictional plot is at the core of this read, it is always a important reminder that we only ever know parents and grandparents from personal experience and their past is often a sealed door. Grandparents who have lived through the most traumatic events of the 20th century often kept their memories and experiences before, during and after the war hidden away from family and the world.
Survival can equal becoming the perpetrator or the collaborator, becoming part of the institution, which means betraying the innocent. The question is what happens when you are no longer safe on the side of oppressor?
Olivia knows her grandmother is becoming more forgetful, but she certainly doesn't expect the famous French reclusive painter to spiral herself into a potential murder suspect. The past and present meld together to become a doubtful jumbo of facts, false memories and perhaps something else entirely.
Trauma, memories and flashbacks are past companions that have lived dormant, but now they are awake and grasping for connections. Is Olivia's grandmother really capable of killing someone? Is she really who she says she is - is her entire life a lie?
It's a poignant and riveting read, and if this is your first by Blake, then I also highly recommend reading Anna O.
Buy A Murder in Paris at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HarperCollins, pub date 3rd July 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Bookshop org. Buy via HarperCollins.
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