Hoping for a fresh start far from heartbreak, American bookseller Emma Greene settles into the Latin Quarter and opens a modest English-language bookshop. Her ambitions are simple: sell novels, keep to herself, and avoid becoming the latest topic of neighborhood gossip. Paris has other plans.
When the influential owner of the dazzling Maison Fournier department store dies under suspicious circumstances, Emma’s quiet venture attracts the unwelcome attention of the police and the press. Whispers spread through cafés and salons, naming her as a woman with motive, proximity, and a temper witnessed at the scene. With her reputation at risk, Emma must investigate the death herself or allow the city to condemn her without trial.
Her search for answers draws her into uneasy alliance with Inspector Étienne Lefèvre, a reserved detective from the Sûreté who cannot decide whether she is a suspect, a witness, or something more interesting. Together they navigate a glamorous but cutthroat Belle Époque Paris, where fortunes are made in ledger books, secrets are stitched into silk gowns, and the wrong piece of information can be fatal.
With help from her sharp-tongued neighbor Cécile and Luc, a charmingly reckless young artist, Emma soon discovers that Maison Fournier’s dazzling success hides more than clever merchandising. Behind its mirrored counters and electric lights lie debts, rivalries, blackmail, and betrayal.
As ambition and scandal converge, Emma finds herself drawn toward the one man who might destroy her. Because in Paris, everyone has something to hide, and the most valuable secrets are never printed in books.
Secrets of the Maison Fournier is a witty and atmospheric Belle Époque historical cozy mystery filled with friendship, danger, bookish intrigue, and a slow-burn romance.
Perfect for readers of Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander.
If you enjoy:
- mysteries set in Belle Époque Paris
- strong, clever heroines
- detective-and-bookseller slow-burn romance
- found-family neighbors and artistic bohemians
- scandal, secrets, and society under gaslight
… you will be swept up in Secrets of the Maison Fournier.
