Meh-ish. It would have been much, much better if Weaver hadn't dragged me through Amory's marriage angst for most of the story. I'd rather thought we'd left all that crap behind, but I was wrong. Milo's an ass. She absolutely should have dumped him for the guy in book 1; there might have been less passion for Amory, but the readers would have had to put up with a lot less fretting. I hate fretting.

Beyond all that trying nonsense though, is a good mystery and setting. When Amory wasn't wringing her hands over her ass of a husband, she was interacting with interesting characters in 1920s/30s Paris. Even better, the story centers on the perfume industry, which I found intriguing.

The plotting was... it was good but also a cheat. Weaver cheated. She didn't write a mystery readers can solve because she withholds information from both her characters and her readers. This doesn't generally bother me when the story is good, but it is cheating, strictly speaking, and it was so blatantly done one can't help but notice it.

So: good story marred by a lot of anxious fretting, an ass of a romantic interest, and a mystery nobody has a hope in hell of solving.

Oddly enough after reading through this, I'm still on board for the next book. If Amory and Milo can't sort their shit out and grow up though, I'm out. ( )

1933 Italy, Amory and Milo Ames are on holiday when he receives a letter from Madame Nanette, his childhood nanny. They travel on to Paris only to find that Madame's employer, Helios Belanger, is dead and she suspects that he has been killed. Amory and Milo decide to investiage, though Amory as times seemed to be hindered by Milo's behaviour.
An enjoyable, well-written likeable mystery, which can easily be read as a stand-alone book in the series.
A NetGalley Book ( )

Happened to pick up this book, it's #4 in a series, but my first. I enjoyed the mystery and somewhat the characters, but too much of her thinking about the possibilities of the mystery. ( )

Nick and Nora, updated. Fun British cozy, good for listening to in gym. ( )

My favorite in the Amory Ames Mystery series so far, although I missed the third (A Most Novel Revenge), and now have to go back and read it. This series is a very comfortable read. Recommended to anyone who likes mysteries, golden age mysteries, and / or British cozies.

*eARC Netgalley ( )