Guest Dianne Freeman #giveaway

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News Flash: Dianne’s lucky winner is Marcia! Congratulations, Marcia, and please check your email.

Edith/Maddie here, writing on the first of July from north of Boston.

I’m pleased to welcome the first guest of the month, my fellow historical mystery author Dianne Freeman! I love her Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, and we’re all lucky a new one is out, An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder. Be sure to read down for a giveaway.

What a great cover. Here’s the blurb: Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris. One is an impromptu holiday to visit the Paris Exposition. The other is personal. George’s Aunt Julia has requested her nephew’s help in looking into the suspicious death of renowned artist Paul Ducasse. Though Julia is not entirely forthcoming about her reasons, she is clearly a woman mourning a lost love.

At the exposition, swarming with tourists, tragedy casts a pall on the festivities. A footbridge collapses. Julia is among the casualties. However, she was not just another fateful victim. Julia was stabbed to death amid the chaos. With an official investigation at a standstill, George and Frances realize that to solve the case they must dig into Julia’s life—as well as Paul’s—and question everything and everyone in Julia’s coterie of artists and secrets.

Researching a New Historical Location

Thanks to the Wicked Authors for hosting me today!

I write the Countess of Harleigh mystery series, traditional mysteries that take place among the aristocracy in late Victorian London. As the Countess of Harleigh, my amateur sleuth Frances has access to society that the police, in the form of Inspector Delaney, cannot attain. Frances recently married her sleuthing partner, George Hazelton who was formerly attached to the Home Office and still occasionally accepts an assignment from the Crown. Together, this trio always catches the culprit, and for six books, the arrangement has worked out beautifully.

But I thought it was time for George and Frances to take a honeymoon. Like most of us, the pandemic kept me from traveling for a couple of years, but as soon as I saw light at the end of the tunnel, I began researching places for them to go. The first step was to find out what was going on in the world in the Summer of 1900. What I found was the Paris Exposition of 1900. That gave me pause. Going to Paris was a big deal for me, but my characters lived in London. They visited Paris many times. I decided to do some research to find out if the exposition would be a big enough draw.

It was huge—in multiple ways.

Centered on the banks of the Seine, it spread out over 280 acres, attracted 54 million visitors, and ran from April through November.

The Avenue of Nations, where each participating country built temporary structures that showcased their latest innovations in art and industry, filled both sides of the river embankment. Visitors could take a steam powered water bus and marvel at the many architectural styles and see gothic spires nestled between gilded domes and Bavarian timbers. As elaborate as these structures were, they would all be dismantled at the end of the exposition.

The same fate awaited the fabulous pavilions, so extravagant they were worthy of names like the Palace of Electricity, the Palace of Mines and Metals, and the Castle of Water (Chateau d’eau).

It wasn’t just a feast for the eyes, either. Imagine visiting the exposition in 1900 and seeing so many buildings illuminated at night or a boardwalk that had three platforms, each  moving at different speeds. All you had to do was step on and be taken to your destination.

Some of the structures built for the exposition remain today. The Alexander III Bridge that crosses the Seine at the Esplanade des Invalides is still the most beautiful bridge in the city and leads to the Grand Palais and Petit Palais on the Right Bank, which were also built to showcase various artists for the exposition.

The Musee d’Orsay was a newly built train station to bring travelers closer to all the exhibits and line #1 of the Metro was completed just in time for the great show. Many of the Art Nouveau entrances to the Metro can still be found today.

The exposition was a big deal and it held one additional attraction for me. With so many tourists packed into the city, awestruck by the sights, it could be the perfect time and place for a murderer to strike!

Readers, do you enjoy mysteries set in foreign locations? Do you have a favorite?  I’d be delighted to give away a copy of the new book to a resident of the US or Canada.

Dianne Freeman is the author of the Agatha and Lefty award-winning Countess of Harleigh Mystery series and a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark and the Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award. After thirty years of corporate accounting, she now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at http://www.difreeman.com and at Dianne Freeman Author | Facebook and Instagram: Dianne Freeman (@diannefreemanwrites) • Instagram photos and videos

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Published by Edith Maxwell

Agatha Award -winning author Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Beyond the Page) and short crime fiction. As Maddie Day she writes the Dot and Amelia Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries series, the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, and the Cece Barton Mysteries (all from Kensington Publishing). She lives north of Boston in an antique house with her beau and cat Martin, where she writes, gardens, cooks, and wastes time on Facebook.

73 Thoughts

  2. I LOVE reading books set in different locales! Even from reading the synopsis I learned new things about Paris and the exposition. Although I’ve traveled abroad a fair amount, I’ve never been to Paris.. although feel like I’m getting the travel bug 🙂

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    1. Hi Carla. That’s what I like about reading books set in new locales–I learn so much! Paris was never on my bucket list, but I just fell in love with it. Now, I’ve been twice and can’t wait to go back!

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  3. My favorite mysteries that are set in a place foreign from where I live are the Irish Village mysteries by Carlene O’Connor. I love putting myself in another place as I read- it’s so refreshing!
    Thank you for the chance to win a copy of your book. 🙂 Adrienne adriennechasteensnow@gmail.com

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  4. I love reading about different parts of the world! Armchair traveler here lol! I’ve never traveled overseas, and reading about other countries is fascinating to me. I don’t seem to read enough about Italy, Scotland, and Ireland. I’m sure those countries are incredibly beautiful and interesting! There’s just such a vast amount of history to explore. Thanks for giving us such a great description of this exhibition!

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    1. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I love exploring new places but hate the hassle of getting there. Sometimes I prefer to travel through the pages of a book.

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  5. Tell us about the way you researched the exposition. Did you travel to Paris and are those photos ones you took? I am happy with any setting, small town, big city, historical or current, any continent, as long as the story is compelling and the characters are well-drawn. I love Frances and her wry observations of people and postures of her time.

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    1. Yes, I did visit Paris and I got lucky enough to find a tour guide who is also a history teacher. I contacted him before leaving and we did a private tour of the former exposition grounds that helped me visualize what it would have been like in 1900. The ariel photo is from the Library of Congress, but the other two are mine. I’m so glad you’re enjoying Frances’ stories.

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      1. The anonymous post above is mine, Judy Singer. Sorry, but it has been difficult posting as me. The photos you took are great, Dianne, and having a private tour with a history teacher was genius.

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      2. Not anonymous, Judy Singer. Word Press doesn’t always let me comment.
        Dianne, the photos you took are great. It is super that you had such a well-informed guide to help you research your new book.

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  6. Great to see you here Dianne Freeman. Have just started the book and, as is my habit, avoid all reviews and comments until “The End”. Will check back in a few days. Know that Francis and George (all the relatives and friends too) are always welcome in my home.

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  8. Congratulations on the new release, Dianne! I love reading mysteries set in far away locales. It’s a great way to travel without leaving the house.

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  9. Yes, I definitely like stories set in other countries than the United States. I think partly it’s because my grandfather migrated here and partly because in a small way gives me a glimpse of places I’ll probably never see. Can’t say I have a favorite though. Love them all!

    Can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review AN ART LOVER’S GUILD TO PARIS AND MURDER. Definitely on my TBR list. Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  11. Welcome to the Wickeds, Dianne! I love to read mysteries set in other countries. Throw in a historical event like the Paris Exhibition and I am IN. I especially like to read mysteries set in a country I am traveling in. My most recent was reading all of Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie mysteries while traveling in Scotland. (The TV series is great, too.)

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  12. I enjoy reading novels set in international locales especially France, Italy and Great Britain. So fascinating and a wonderful experience.

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  13. I love to read about any locale; we don’t travel any more due to health, and I love learning about new things and places. Thank you!

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  14. Mysteries set in foreign locations are intriguing and captivating. England, Ireland, and Scotland are settings which interest me greatly. Your book sounds extraordinary.

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  15. I no longer travel in person so I appreciate traveling via reading. Scotland, Ireland and England have been the countries I’ve enjoyed visiting.

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  17. Welcome to the Wicked’s world, Diane! I found your blog absolutely fascinating, and loved all the information about L’Expoisition Universelle de 1900 !!! I appreciate your excellent research that surely makes your mystery richer and more exciting! As a traveler by profession (airline, then travel agent), I love to be taken to other countries and cultures to follow the sleuth and try to solve the murder(s). Paris is such a wonderful gem, and it is really wonderful to be transported there. Thank you for all your efforts to give us readers an immersive course on life in Paris in 1900! Since there are so many books based in Europe and the UK, plus Africa and India, how about a mystery set in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires or Santiago…and then there is Machu Picchu, which is magnetic by itself! Thank you so much for visiting us, and for generously offering your latest creation to some of us.
    JOY! Luis at ole dot travel

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  18. I do enjoy reading books set in different places, both places I’m familiar with and places I’d like to visit. I’ve been to Paris once for a delightful week, the Museum d’Orsay was one of my favorite places. I’ve read many WW II era books set in Paris, but one of my favorites is set during the Belle Epoque while the Exposition was occurring – Murder on the Champs-Élysées by Alex Mandon/Colleen Gleason. I loved reading about this era and it’s drawing me to your new book!

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    1. Hi Judith. I read that book on Kindle very early in my research phase–never read the acknowledgments or noticed the copyright page, so I only found out Alex was Colleen later when I was interviewing her at a bookstore!

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    2. Hi Judith! I read that book early on in my exploration of Paris on my Kindle, where I usually don’t pay attention to the acknowledgements or the copyright page. I didn’t know Alex was Colleen until she brought it up when I was interviewing her at a bookstore event!

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  19. WOW, Dianne! The whole thing sounds magical, but those moving platforms… that’s like science fiction for 1900. Now, you’ve got me hoping to find a way to fit that innovative concept into my own Boston 1906 tales. Thanks for this enlightening and fun post.

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  20. Travel, love it and just don’t do enough! Vicarious travel has been my norm the past 5 years. Paris sounds like a lovely way to get back out there. Thanks, looking forward to your new book.

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  21. Yes, I do enjoy reading mysteries that are set in foreign locations, and England is my favorite place to visit in my reading. Many of the colonists came from England, and there is a lot of history in the Boston area concerning the Revolutionary War. It’s personal to me, because I descended directly from the colonists. I am a mixture of the blood of some who fought against England and also of some who were Tories and loyal to their mother country. Additionally, England is special to me because I grew up during the days of Beatlemania. I was fascinated with pictures of Liverpool, the home of the Beatles. Looking forward to seeing the new book!

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  22. I’ve got to admit, I tend to gravitate to mysteries set in the US. But I feel like more historicals are set in Europe. That’s probably not true, but that is the perception I have.

    (No need to enter me in the giveaway.)

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    1. You may be right simply because we have more recorded history in Europe to rely on than in the US. When I read contemporary mystery, I gravitate to those set in the US also.

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  23. I do enjoy settings set in foreign locations. One of my favorite settings is the English countryside.

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  24. Congratulations on the new book! I love books set in foreign locations. Reading is my way of traveling. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  28. I think England might be my favorite general setting for an international mystery, but I’ve enjoyed a few in Egypt and Mexico in recent years. I would love to see more of the world through novels. I’m fascinated to hear that the travel limitations translated into delays on the Hazeltons’ honeymoon. It all felt so seamless that I didn’t consider that at all.

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  29. I own and have read all the books in this series except the new release. I love this series and would be delighted to win.

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  30. I do enjoy traveling to foreign locations in books! My favorite way at times! Thanks for the chance!

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  31. Paris has long been on my bucket list, and now that I’m approaching eighty, it will probably remain there. I devour books set in Victorian England, but I’ve never seen one set in Paris. Definitely on my other list: TBR!

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  32. I like reading books set in other countries, especially France and Italy. Diane, I’d like to say how much I enjoy your Countess of Harleigh books. When I introduced them to my book club, they loved Frances and George, too. I’m looking forward to reading the newest addition to the series.
    Merrily Boone

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  33. Yes, I like visiting and hearing about different locations in the books I read, especially Europe.

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