The Paris Affair: A brand new unforgettable and emotional historical novel

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The plot is well paced and structured and it pulled me into the deception, suspense and tension… I hope to see this on the silver screen one day’ Norma I hadn't read anything by Pip Drysdale previously, and feel I'm a bit late to the party! My enjoyment of The Paris Affair was such that I'll be seeking out her other titles soon. I'd recommend it to all readers who enjoy spunky female protagonists and lots of action in their thriller reads. It's probably a little predictable that a romance blossoms between the said artist and Harper though she soon discovers he's not entirely available. Or single.

It turns out that Rosie had been missing her old friend for during those years they have not been talking to each other. The two don’t take long before a series of correspondence as they comfort each other while living in their unpredictable worlds.Having landed a dream job as an arts and culture journalist for The Paris Observer, Harper Brown is enjoying her new life in the City of Love, though love is last thing she’s interested in. Still nursing a broken heart after the demise of an eight year relationship, Harper doesn’t want normal - she just wants to impress her new boss, work her way onto the features desk, and has just one rule- do no harm. Excellent historical fiction of World War Two in Paris and Sark. Well-developed, if complex plotline. Skillfully weaves actual people and events into the story. Appropriate literary allusions. Has variety and accidental feel of real life. Dialogue feels real. Told from the protagonist’s viewpoint of both previous actions and the “now” of his imprisonment. An absolutely enthralling read from beginning to end…The historical research that has gone into this book is incredible. A fantastic story. A definite must read’ Amy

Here however, we've got the added bonus of a murder. So, Emily in Paris meets Girl on a Train. Perhaps. It’s rare that I’m surprised by the direction a story takes, but Drysdale managed to do so in The Paris Affair. The first quarter or so of the novel reads more like a romcom, so I wasn’t really expecting the twists in this tale that sees Harper caught up in an art world scandal, and become the target of a serial killer. While not a strong thriller, there are certainly moments of tension, and the pace is persuasive. Right from the start I knew this book was prime for screen adaptation. Author Melanie Hudson has set up her story’s opening so that it draws readers into her characters’ arcs from the outset. Immediately I needed to know why Sophie fainted and why Sascha felt he should be released from prison. Her vivid descriptions of the prison, of Paris, and of life on Sark make her writing visual and immersive. She also writes to connect with diverse readers because her story has universal themes we can all relate to; strength in the face of adversity, the power of love, ordinary heroism, the importance of friendship and support for our fellow man, and the perils of war.

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The Paris Affair is a standout WWII historical fiction novel. There are many stories focusing on people and events during WWII available to readers these days, and most of them are very good reads, but The Paris Affair is special. Sebastian is a complicated, complex man, changed by the horrors of the first World War and now wanting nothing more than to stay in his refuge with his small number of his patients and his garden. He is well-educated, a doctor, somber and thoughtful. He doesn’t feel love and traditional family life are for him and he plans to live out the rest of his life just where he is. Until another war comes along – and Sophie arrives. When the British leave and France is collapsing and the German Army is on the way, as a German doctor he will no longer be safe. Leave, fight or surrender? No good choice there. And his heart is not safe now, either. Against his will and his common sense he seems to have lost it to Sophie. He has choices to make there, too. And they are not easy, either. Harper is an interesting heroine. She could almost be described as an anti-heroine at times, given that she often makes very questionable choices. Circumstances have led her to find real strength and independence, however, and this, combined with her intelligence, makes her no pushover for any potential serial killer.

The best thing one can do when the chips are down is focus on helping someone else - or something else. It wards off melancholy.” Set in WW2 Sebastian is in prison awaiting execution. During this time, he tells his life story to the prison priest, which transports the reader to many places - the Channel Island of Sark, the Cornwall coast and, yes Paris, but how I wish the book had been titled something different as I believe it does not do it justice and could steer potential readers away. To my mind, this is not a book about Paris or an affair. This is a book that spoke to my soul - Sebastian, spoke to my soul!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. Compared to experience of actual resistance fighters, narrative seems tame. Told readers of Nazi and Resistance brutality but didn’t feel it. Hudson’s penchant for happy resolutions will leave little suspense of the final outcome. I wish to thank Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

The Paris based setting was the big drawcard for me and this novel. I am a huge Francophile, so anything set in Paris is going to immediately reel me in! Drysdale does a fine job with her setting, offering the reader a glimpse into another side of Paris. Drysdale removes the mask of love, lights and allure and she takes an abrasive look at one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Drysdale’s Paris is a place of violence, murder and mystery. I liked this alternative focus on the ominous side to a city I adore with all my heart. Thanks to Drysdale’s well-placed descriptions within her novel, the audience is completely immersed in this vivid setting base. She is relegated to the “girl about town” and “how-to” articles, and she is good at these articles, but she is looking for more. She bides her time with meaningless sex, and nights out at events. Until the story of a lifetime falls into her lap. Enter Noah X…..in Sark I had been the ‘Good Doctor’ and then Sophie had called me ‘the Generous Gardener’, but to the authorities, none of this mattered because my place of birth marked me as the enemy, and so my life was reduced to nothing. I was reduced to nothing.’ After the media hints to a serial killer being on the loose, Harper finds herself uncovering secrets that could solve the murders and give Harper the story she desperately needs - if she isn't caught by the killer first! I have loved both of Pip Drysdale's previous books, The Sunday Girl and The Strangers We Know, so I had high hopes for the Paris Affair. And I am so happy to tell you that it is brilliant! I started reading it late on Saturday night and was still reading in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is not a book that is easy to stop reading. I just had to know what was going to happen next, what Harper was going to do with the information. I was kinds sad when it was all over.