Death at the Paris Exposition

Emily Cabot Mysteries #6

by Frances McNamara

Amateur sleuth Emily Cabot's journey once again takes her to a world's fair--the Paris Exposition of 1900. Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer is named the only female U. S. commissioner to the Exposition and enlists Emily's services as her secretary. Their visit to the House of Worth for the fitting of a couture gown is interrupted by the theft of Mrs. Palmer's famous pearl necklace. Before that crime can be solved, several young women meet untimely deaths and a member of the Palmer's inner circle is accused of the crimes. As Emily races to clear the family name she encounters jealous society ladies, American heiresses seeking titled European husbands, and more luscious gowns and priceless jewels. Along the way, she takes refuge from the tumult at the country estate of Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. In between her work and sleuthing, she is able to share the Art Nouveau delights of the Exposition, and the enduring pleasures of the City of Light with her family.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, France, 20th Century

276 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2008

About the author

Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke and Simmons Colleges, and formerly worked as a librarian at the University of Chicago. When not working or writing she can be found sailing on the Charles River in Boston or beaching on Cape Cod.

Be sure to follow me on BookBub to learn of new books and special sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/franc...

Reviews

[Denise]

Death at the Paris Exposition is the latest entry in the Emily Cabot Mysteries by Frances McNamara.
When Chicago socialite, Bertha Palmer, is named as US commissioner to the Paris Exposition of 1900, she employs Emily Cabot as her secretary. Paris means Fashion! Mrs. Palmer must have a suitable wardrobe for her upcoming social engagements and who better to fulfill her needs, but the iconic House of Worth! As assistant to the society doyenne, Emily is treated to a new outfit, suitable to her position.During a fitting for her new ball gown, Bertha Palmer's famous pearl necklace is stolen. The next, in a string of thefts of famous jewels, is the Cartier sapphire wedding gift to the daughter of Charles Worth. In the ensuing investigation, murder, deception, secrets and tangled love affairs lead to an exciting conclusion, when Emily sets a trap, which involves the famous Burmese ruby of Consuela Vanderbilt, the Duchess of Marlborough.
Through her extensive research, Frances McNamara has brought to life the periods of the Gilded Age and the Belle Epoque, when wealthy Americans brought their daughters to the continent to find noble and hopefully royal husbands. I loved all the description of the House of Worth, one of my favourites. Did this fashion house ever have a bad design? As Emily enters the House, we see everything, that her eyes see. The descriptions of the rooms, the exotic materials, the models and the clients make us wish, that we, too, were there! My sole tiny criticism is, that I wish she did the same justice to Cartier's too! How lucky were those, who were part of this world!
The description of the actual exhibition brought to mind, my own reminisces of an exhibition, that I visited as a young girl. How exciting it must have been, to see all the modern inventions of the time!
This is an author, who is new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this entry in the Emily Cabot series and I will be sure to search out other titles by Frances McNamara.
I was given a copy by the author to review.

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[Jacqueline]

This is the sixth novel in the Emily Cabot series, but my first experience and I immediately felt at home with Emily. She is intelligent, organised, inquisitive and determined. It was very easy to slip into her narrative and I enjoyed experiencing Paris in 1900 with her.

Emily and her family are in Paris with the wealthy Palmer family as Emily is working as social secretary for Bertha Palmer, the only woman US commissioner at the Exposition. She becomes part of their social circle, experiencing the fashion houses of Paris and the engagements that must be organised and attended, however things don’t go as smoothly as expected when jewellery is stolen and bodies are discovered. Emily is loyal to her employer and determined to clear the Palmer name, despite the French police and some of their social circle who seem just as determined to prove the guilt. At some point during the book I suspected every character we met and couldn’t wait to find out exactly who was behind the thefts and murders and how they did it.

This book is fiction, but some of the characters we meet are real Americans who were in Paris for the Exposition of 1900. I do have a soft spot for books that blur fact with fiction and this one ticked lots of boxes. Paris is in party mode and the excitement of the exposition and socialising is described in detail, along with the customs, fashion and jewellery of the time. It is a well-researched book set in a fabulous era with a gripping mystery and I loved trying to piece together the facts to work out who was guilty.

[Emma]

Perfect example of how to integrate smartly the fruit of your research into a historical novel. Luscious descriptions and suspenseful mystery. Very enjoyable.

my full review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2016/09/23/...

[Elise]

I’m surprised I convinced myself to finish this one. It was 38 chapters of intricate details about late 1800s women’s fashion and uninteresting characters, followed by two chapters of the grand reveal. I thought being set in Paris would be more of a draw...I love the city...and yet none of the charm came through. Glad to close this one and move onto something more stimulating.

[Raine]

Very well do e agai Ms McNamara! Great mix of fact and fiction to make a great read!

[Ami]

*** I was given this book as an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.***

This was an enchanting, relaxing mystery to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Death at the Paris Exposition is book #6 in the Emily Cabot Mysteries series. I have to honestly say that before the author, Frances McNamara, contacted me to review this book, I hadn’t ever heard of this series before. I was slightly apprehensive about reading this book, as intriguing as the synopsis sounded, because I typically only will read books of a series in order, and I hadn’t read books 1-5 yet. But, I was intrigued enough to give this book a try, and I’m really glad that I did! And you don’t have to have read the previous books to understand the characters and what is going on (whew!).

Emily Cabot is a married woman who lives in Chicago and lectures at the University of Chicago. In this book, she ends up traveling to Paris to attend the Paris Exposition of 1900. First off, let me say that the setting of 1900 Paris was absolutely enchanting. If there was a time machine, I’d love to travel back to that time to see the displays, see the Eiffel Tower in the distance, see the first Ferris Wheel, and the Palace of Electricity.

Besides the setting of the Exposition, Bertha Palmer and Emily go to the House of Worth, and the descriptions of the gowns were gorgeous. There were so many beautiful descriptions of the clothes, that I had to go online and look up pictures of the House of Worth clothing, and oh.my.word. Gorgeous! And so intricate and breathtaking. At the end of the book, in the afterword, Frances McNamara mentions her Pinterest page - link here: https://www.pinterest.com/fdmcnama/de..., and I highly recommend that you click on that link and spend some time perusing the pictures Frances has compiled. If those pictures interest you, you will most definitely want to read Death at the Paris Exposition.

The setting and the research involved was very well done. Real life characters come to life, from Bertha Palmer, “The Queen of Chicago”, to artists Mary Cassatt and Degas, to designers Jean-Philippe Worth and Paul Poiret, to art gallery owner Paul Durand-Ruel. There is even an appearance by Consuelo Vanderbilt. These real life characters were sprinkled throughout the book, and were a lot of fun.

In terms of the mystery, it interested me and kept me guessing, but I do have to say that Death at the Paris Exposition felt more relaxed than other mysteries I’ve read. There wasn’t really any urgency on Emily’s part in solving the crimes of theft and murder, and while this slowed the pace down, I was more than content to wander the streets of Paris with Emily, so the slow pace didn’t bother me.

In regards to characters, Emily Cabot is a capable heroine, and she was refreshing to read, especially for me since I’ve been reading a lot of YA lately. It was nice to read about a smart, strong woman, who loves her family, and wants to do the right thing. I do think her personality may shine more in previous installments of the series, just a hunch I have. By book six it is presumed that we already know Emily, and know her strengths and weaknesses, and I would really like to read the other books in the series to know more about her. There is also mention of a Detective Whitbread back in Chicago, and I’d really like to meet him, so, I’m adding the rest of the books in this series to my TBR.

The other characters are great fun, from the strong Bertha Palmer, to the titled English and Russians, and the American women searching for husbands.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries, and anyone interested in 1900s fashion, Paris, and art. If you want to learn while you read, and don’t mind a book that takes its time, then you’ll probably really enjoy this.

Bottom Line: An enchanting and relaxing historical mystery.
*** I was given this book as an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.***
This review was originally posted on my blog. Here is the link: https://luvtoread.com/2016/09/01/book...

[Trish]

I have always been fascinated by World's Fairs and Expositions, so I was particularly interested in reading Death at the Paris Exposition.

Emily Cabot is a university lecturer from Chicago who also solves crimes. She travels to the Paris Exposition of 1900 with socialite Bertha Palmer. She takes her husband and three young children along, and while in Paris, she works as Mrs. Palmer's secretary. A couple of valuable jewels go missing, and then a body is discovered in a wax figure tableau. That is when the mystery really deepens, and the search for the killer - and jewel thief - is on.

The historical details in this book are absolutely fascinating. Readers will visit the Paris Exposition, meet artist Mary Cassatt, encounter Art Nouveau, couturiere gowns by M. Worth, and learn about life in Paris, 1900. I loved many of the small details in this book, like Emily's visit to a marionette show with her children, and les bouquinistes, book stalls by the Seine.

The mystery is well paced and complex, and it kept me guessing. I really liked the character descriptions as well, and particularly liked Emily as protagonist.

Death at the Paris Exposition is part of a series, the Emily Cabot mysteries. It is the first novel I've read in the series. It worked fine as a standalone, but now I really want to read the rest of the books as well!

I recommend Death at the Paris Exposition enthusiastically to fans of historical fiction, World's Fairs, French culture, or just readers who enjoy a particularly well written mystery.

[Donna Huber]

This is my first Emily Cabot mystery and I through enjoyed it. Not really into fashion myself, I did find the detailed descriptions a bit tedious. But I'm watching The Collection so it is interesting to see the height of fashion that they were trying to resurrect after WWII. Read my full review at Girl Who Reads.

[Maria]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

High society, a Paris setting and murder take center stage in Frances McNamara’s Death at the Paris Exposition, the sixth book in her Emily Cabot Mystery series. Taking place during the Paris Exposition of 1900, Ms. McNamara’s book is filled with colorful descriptions of haute couture at the turn of the 20th century, the historical and beautiful sights of Paris and a well-developed central character. If you like historical mysteries and reading about high fashion, this is a book you will most certainly enjoy.

Ms. McNamara does a good job introducing her primary character, Emily Cabot, and the story’s setting right from the start. We learn about how Emily, and her family, have become a part of the American contingent to the Paris Exposition and how Emily hopes to use the opportunity for both work and a family learning experience. Ms. McNamara does an excellent job describing the high fashion of the time, along with the behavior of her patron during this trip, Mrs. Palmer, the wife of a very wealthy and powerful Chicago businessman. Mrs. Palmer is the only American “commissioner” at the Exposition and was determined to hire Emily to act as her “secretary” for both her social and “formal” engagements during their stay in Paris. A good portion of the book is devoted to the descriptions of the gowns and sights seen from the time they arrive to when they depart to the U.S.

I liked Emily’s character almost right from the start but have to admit that it did take me a while to connect with her. I believe this is partly because this is the first book I’ve read in this series and Emily’s character, and those of her husband and children, were already well established and also because the story’s pace was somewhat slow. As I became more accustomed to Ms. McNamara’s voice as an author, and the pace, I did enjoy how the story developed. The secondary characters were colorful and very interesting, though Mrs. Palmer and another secondary character, trying to find a titled suiter for her daughter, both got on my nerves.

There are actually two mysteries which Emily finds herself drawn into solving as the Exposition takes place; a series of jewel thefts and a murder which takes place during one of the fashion exhibits. While the French police are involved, and we are introduced to an interesting inspector, Emily is pushed into the investigations when Mrs. Palmer’s son becomes a person of interest in both investigations. While I was suspicious of one of the characters, who turned out to be involved, right from the start, I was surprised at the end when both mysteries are solved. As I stated earlier, I did think the story’s pace was a little slow, perhaps a bit too much emphasis was placed on the fashion part of the story and not enough on the mystery aspect, but I did enjoy Ms. McNamara’s voice and her descriptions were very detailed. You could tell she had done quite a bit of research and she did an excellent job discussing all of the couture houses in existence at the time.

Will Emily discover who is stealing the priceless jewels at the exhibition before the thief strikes again? And why did a milner get killed at one of the high fashion exhibits? Are the two cases tied together? You’ll have to read Death at the Paris Exhibition to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

[Annette]

Summary:
Amateur sleuth Emily Cabot’s journey once again takes her to a world’s fair–the Paris Exposition of 1900. Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer is named the only female U. S. commissioner to the Exposition and enlists Emily’s services as her secretary. Their visit to the House of Worth for the fitting of a couture gown is interrupted by the theft of Mrs. Palmer’s famous pearl necklace. Before that crime can be solved, several young women meet untimely deaths and a member of the Palmer’s inner circle is accused of the crimes. As Emily races to clear the family name she encounters jealous society ladies, American heiresses seeking titled European husbands, and more luscious gowns and priceless jewels. Along the way, she takes refuge from the tumult at the country estate of Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. In between her work and sleuthing, she is able to share the Art Nouveau delights of the Exposition, and the enduring pleasures of the City of Light with her family.

My Thoughts:
Several reasons I love Death At The Paris Exposition:
Death At The Paris Exposition strongly depicts society, culture, and standards of 1900. In addition, views on divorce, clothing styles, etiquette, matchmaking, travel, parenting, and marriage is shown.
The socio-economic class is depicted through the different levels of society, from the wealthy class, to moderate level, and to the servant. I saw a broad view of people living in 1900.
Emily Cabot and her family travel to Paris for the Exposition. Through Emily's eyes I viewed Paris. What was most interesting is the Art Noveau present in the architecture of buildings, paintings, and other art work. Art Noveau is one of my favorite art styles.
Impressionism was an art movement that began in the late 1800s. Mary Cassatt is a secondary character in the book. She is one of my favorite artists.
Emily Cabot, and her husband, Dr. Stephen Cabot are intellectuals. They both have careers. Emily's husband does not seem to mind her activity in solving a murder mystery. He is an active father. He gives Emily the freedom to make decisions and have a little independence. I don't feel this was the norm for 1900. However, I enjoyed reading about characters who were not the typical married couple presented by most books for this era. I felt this gave the book a unique perspective. I believe they are a couple ahead of their time.
The detective murder mystery is a cozy mystery. There isn't graphic violence. The book is a clean read.
The book is also a character study. People of differing levels of society, how they handle problems in life, and the repercussions of poor decisions.

Source: Free paperback copy from Frances McNamara in exchange for a review.
Rating: 5 stars for excellent

[Lauralee]

Emily Cabot is a social secretary for Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer for the Paris Exposition in 1900. While they are at the House of Worth for Bertha to be dress fitted, she realizes that Bertha’s pearl necklace has been stolen. Before Emily investigates the case for Bertha’s missing jewelry, she finds the body of the House of Worth’s hatmaker. Emily wonders if the two cases are connected. The prime suspect seems to be Bertha’s son, who behaves suspiciously from the beginning. Could Emily find evidence that Bertha’s son is innocent and find the real killer?

I really like Emily’s character. She seems to be observant and curious. However, in the beginning, she seems to be passive. Because she is on vacation, she is reluctant to investigate Bertha’s missing jewels. Once she finds the body of the hatmaker, she finally agrees to investigate the murder. I did find her to be a strong character. She is very independent and makes her own decisions. She also earns the respect of the French police. There were moments that she was blind to other people’s actions, but eventually she sees through their flaws. Thus, Emily is a character that readers can relate to and root for in an amatuer female sleuth.

Overall, this story was about friendship, secrets, family, and social class. I really liked how it portrays France’s elite. I also liked the cameos of some of the Impressionist painters, including Edgar Degas. I thought this book was meticulously researched. There were some details that bogged me down a bit, especially the descriptions of what every character wore. I thought that those details could have been trimmed down. I also thought that it took a while for the story to get going, and there were some unnecessary scenes. When it did take off, I found it hard to put down, and I thought the murder mystery was very clever. Thus, I recommend this book for fans of Karen Odden, Deanna Raybourn, and Susanna Calkins.
(Note: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.)

[Monica Fastenau]

Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/review-co...

This story revolves around Bertha Palmer (a real, historic Chicago socialite) and her family’s troubles. Emily, our main character, is Mrs. Palmer’s social secretary, and as such, she and her family have been invited to Paris to see the 1900 Paris exposition. But as these rich and privileged people (and the many lower-class people surrounding them) prepare for the upcoming festivities, their fun is marred by several thefts and a couple of murders.

The author does a fantastic job of exploring Paris at the turn of the century. I loved the descriptions of fashion at the Paris exposition, especially. The characters spend a lot of time at the House of Worth, a couture house in Paris, and each of the women’s dresses are described in vivid detail.

While the setting is well fleshed out, some of the characters are not. Bertha Palmer is an interesting character, but her (fictional) counterparts, like the Johnstones, are often static. An unfortunate side effect of the focus on fashion does portray some of the women as shallow, since they think of little other than the newest gowns and their efforts to snag a high-class European husband. Even Emily’s own husband gets little page time, even though he spends most of his time in the same social circles.

*Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana]

Copy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for an honest review
“Death at the Paris Exposition (Emily Cabot Mysteries #6) is my first Emily Cabot Mystery. I’ve never read McNamara before but I found her to be a great storyteller. I don’t often jump at the opportunities to review mysteries but “Death…” did not disappoint. Set in Paris during the 1900’s , Bertha Palmer hires Emily to be her secretary. Little do they suspect that their visit to the Paris Exposition will lead to theft and murder. I was fascinated to learn about Palmer and the cut throat world of privileged socialites. I felt like I was transported back to Paris . I loved learning about the luxurious setting and the beautiful attire of the people in this society. I was intrigued with the suspense and the pacing was great!

[A Holland Reads]

This is the first book I have read in this series and by this author. Although this is number six in a series I was not lost and was able to enjoy the book. I will say that now I do want to get back and catch up on this series. The author did a good job of capturing the time and place making this historically accurate. I liked that Emily was able to work with the French police and they respected her which in that time period was not always the case. I also liked how the author included real people, places and events in the telling of this story. With all the descriptions you can really get a feel for all things involved. This book will capture your attention from the first page and not let go until the end. I was kept guessing until the end A good book and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Bobbie N]

In this sixth of the series, Chicago socialite Bertha Parker enlists Emily to serve as her social secretary, and she and her family accompany the Parkers to the World's Fair in Paris. When the jewels of society ladies begin to disappear and a young woman turns up dead, the Paris police suspect someone from the Palmers' inner circle of the crimes, and Mrs. Palmer asks Emily to do some investigating of her own to discover the real culprit. Steeped in the history and high society of the 1900 Paris Exposition, with a respite at artist Mary Cassatt's country estate, this is a must for those who like some history with their mystery.

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer}]

**OBTAINED: Goodreads Giveaway**

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