THE PARIS MISTRESS

In Becker’s historical mystery, murder and intrigue invade the court of Versailles and the estate of the United States’ ambassador to France, Benjamin Franklin.

It’s July 1781, and young widow Becca Parcell is on her way to France to marry Daniel Alloway in this third volume of the author’s series. She and Daniel, who was widowed when his wife died in childbirth, worked together during two spy missions for Gen. George Washington, and unexpectedly fell in love. Now Daniel is working in France as an agent for an American merchant. Accompanying Becca on the ship are her mother, Mrs. Hannah, and her former mother-in-law, Lady Augusta Georgiana Stokes Parcell. Daniel is residing at Benjamin Franklin’s lavish estate in a small town outside Paris, and the three women are invited to share that home for the summer. But their ebullient, generous host has another purpose for hosting Becca and Daniel. He believes there’s a spy among his friends and servants who’s trying to discredit him, and he hopes that the pair can ferret out the culprit. After a note arrives at the estate offering Franklin a lucrative British peerage if he offers the King of England a peace proposal—one that does not include American independence—he sends Becca and Daniel on a secret mission. Along the way, Becker smoothly weaves together a variety of personal dramas, including an unexpected romance, with real-life historical events and personages. It’s a narrative that moves quickly from simple spycraft to murder, revealing plenty of suspects and potential motives. The high action of some scenes, including a vividly described race through the streets of Notre Dame’s Île de la Cité (“Becca was fast, as fast as any woman could be weighed down by stays, a stomacher, petticoats, hip pads, and a gown. But not fast enough….”), alternate with upper-class soirees. It all culminates in a visit to Versailles featuring Marie Antoinette herself. The author’s lavish descriptions of the food, décor, and clothing of the elites add texture to the plot.

An enjoyable, well-paced mystery with a few surprises and intriguing historical tidbits.