Murder in Paris

"Murder in Paris" by Alice Campbell is a mystery novel written in the early 20th century. It follows young American Catherine West, newly arrived in Paris to visit her cousin’s widow, Germaine Bender, and an observant English solicitor, Geoffrey Macadam. Catherine quickly senses that Germaine’s grand apartment hides trouble—secretive servants, hints of madness, and a forceful “friend” circling the household—suggesting peril beneath the polished surface. The opening of this novel traces Catherine’s uneasy journey from the boat-train to Germaine’s Paris flat, where she meets the reserved Geoffrey and reveals a troubling letter from Hermione Cushing, an old acquaintance of Germaine’s. At the apartment Catherine finds no one to meet her, a hostile concierge, an unwelcoming butler (Eduardo), a domineering maid (Jeanne), and a flashy cook, along with signs of neglect. Jeanne tries to send her to a hotel, but Catherine insists on staying and notices Jeanne slipping out to meet a shifty man. Catherine then learns of Germaine’s near-fatal incident with carbolic, hears conflicting accounts—Germaine calling it an accident, Jeanne insisting it was a deliberate attempt—and discovers there was a previous window incident that forced Jeanne to bar the casement. A tense bedside visit shows Germaine fragile yet lucid, fearful, and tightly managed by Jeanne; the doctor’s brief call hints at nervous delusions. As doubts mount—especially around Hermione Cushing’s influence—Geoffrey telephones, and Catherine agrees to meet him, seeking an ally in a situation that already feels dangerous.