Charlotte 'Charlie' James

Paris, 1938. The last sigh of summer before the war. As Australian journalist Charlotte ‘Charlie' James alights at the Gare du Nord, ready to start her role as correspondent for The Times, Paris is in turmoil as talk of war becomes increasingly strident. Charlie is chasing her first big scoop, needing to prove to her boss that she can do this job as well as, if not better than, her male counterparts. And the best way to forge the necessary contacts quickly is to make the well-connected expats, Lord and Lady Ashworth, her business.

At a glitzy gala in the ballroom of the Ritz Hotel, young American tourist Maisy Bell meets an intriguing man. She accepts his charming offer to take her on a day trip. When Maisy Bell fails to return that evening, her chaperone and aunt, Clementine Bell, contacts the Metropolitan Police to file a missing person report. The Paris police laugh the request away, saying plenty of tourists 'disappear', having lost themselves in foolish flings. After all, summer in Paris is the perfect time pour un beau couple d'amoureux. Then Clementine Bell receives a ransom note . . .

Intrepid reporter Charlotte "Charlie" James investigates the mysterious disappearance of a well-connected American tourist, unaware of the trouble that awaits her ... At a glitzy gala in the ballroom of the Ritz Hotel in pre-War Paris, young American tourist Maisy Bell meets an intriguing man...