‘The Ghosts of Paris’ by Tara Moss

Published by Verve Books,
21 November 2024.
ISBN: 978-0-8573083-3 (PBO)

I loved Tara Moss's previous novel The War Widow and was delighted to be able to follow Billie Walker's further adventures in this sequel set-in post-War Sydney, London and Paris. 

Billie Walker is an intrepid investigator following in the footsteps of her father when she takes over his Investigative Bureau in Sydney.  She has an important and lucrative client who wants to find out whether her husband is alive and if so, what has he been doing for the last two years? 

Billie has her own demons too which involve the disappearance of her husband feared dead in the Warsaw uprising three years earlier.  She is tormented by the thought of his probable death or his choosing to live without her.

Set in 1947 this is a terrific historical mystery that keeps one gripped until the very end.  I loved the descriptions of London and Paris during the post War years and especially the ritzy hotels she stays in with her faithful and attractive side kick Sam!  The novel is packed with fascinating characters, issues and events.  There is a sympathetic portrayal of the persecution of minority cultures and communities, and Billie is a smart and persuasive protagonist whose adventures I would like to follow further! 
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Reviewer: Toni Russell

Tara Moss is an internationally bestselling author, human rights activist, documentary host, and model. Her crime novels have been published in nineteen countries and thirteen languages, and her memoir, The Fictional Woman, was a #1 international bestseller. She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has received the Edna Ryan Award for significant contributions to feminist debate and for speaking out for women and children, and in 2017 she was recognized as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life. 

Toni Russell is a retired teacher who has lived in London all her life and loves the city.  She says, ‘I enjoy museums, galleries and the theatre but probably my favourite pastime is reading.  I found myself reading detective fiction almost for the first time during lockdown and have particularly enjoyed old fashioned detective fiction rather than the nordic noir variety.  I am a member of a book club at the local library and have previously attended literature classes at our local Adult Education Centre.  I am married with three children and five grandchildren.