Charlotte 'Charlie' James Books in Order

The Charlotte "Charlie" James series is a historical mystery sequence set in Paris in 1938, when the city is still busy with parties, fashion, music, and visitors from around the world, even as war feels close. Its central figure is Charlotte James, known as Charlie, an Australian journalist starting a new job as a Paris correspondent for The Times.

Charlie wants the kind of story that proves she belongs in the job, especially in a newsroom where men are quick to doubt her. She is observant, persistent, and willing to step into rooms where she has not quite been invited. Her reporting gives her a natural way into both wealthy social circles and the less polished corners of the city.

Paris is glamorous, but it isn't safe.

The series opens with The Paris Mystery. Charlie arrives ready to leave parts of her own past behind and chase her first major scoop. At an extravagant summer party hosted by well-connected expatriates, a wealthy investor is murdered. Charlie begins asking questions among a crowded field of suspects, while moving through couture houses, wine bars, private parties, and the complicated social rules of pre-war Paris.

Her work often brings her into contact with Inspecteur Bernard, the detective leading the official investigation. Charlie is not a police officer, and the cases do not become easy simply because she can spot a promising lead. She must earn sources' trust, handle resistance from colleagues and editors, and decide how much of herself to reveal. The tension comes from the mystery at hand as well as the wider instability gathering around Europe.

In Murder in Paris, Charlie investigates the disappearance of young American tourist Maisy Bell, who vanishes after a glittering event at the Ritz. When a ransom note arrives, the case takes Charlie from the worlds of diamonds, couture, opera, and country-house parties toward a far more dangerous underworld. Her search is complicated by family pressure, workplace obstacles, and a police detective who has his own ideas about how the case should proceed.

These are lively, clue-driven mysteries with a strong sense of place. Readers can expect glamorous settings and sharp social tensions, but also the shadow of 1938 hanging over every investigation. Start with The Paris Mystery for Charlie's arrival in the city, then continue with Murder in Paris to follow her next case.