Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan
Published by William Morrow & Company
Publication date: April 5, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Vacation Reading
When her husband of ten years informs her that he has 5-year-old twin sons and wants to integrate them (and their mother) into their lives, Joan Blakely realizes it might be time for a change. Broken hearted and confused she still wastes no time in changing the locks and starting divorce proceedings. But what to do next? The question is answered with humor, and a mystery, in Lost and Found in Paris.
Joan is the only child of wildly famous parents. Her mother, Suzi, a model, and her father, Henry Blakely, an artist revered for his massive light installation pieces, most notably one in France centered around Joan of Arc. He died in one of the planes on 9/11 and Joan and her mother have been trying to live in the balance between honoring and memorializing his art and moving on with their lives. For Joan, this has meant a life that is safe and quiet, but doesn’t challenge her professional ambitions. Now, cut loose from her marriage, she accepts an assignment to courier an expensive art portfolio to a client in Paris. It’s exactly the escape she needs, including meeting an interesting man on the plane, right up until the portfolio is stolen from her hotel room.
At this point Lost & Found in Paris turns into a treasure hunt, whodunnit mystery encompassing the world of Joan of Arc, art, architecture, and Joan’s parents’ pasts. There’s romance as well (it is Paris after all) but author Lian Dolan doesn’t feel the need to make Joan a hapless heroine who needs saving. This alone is enough to up the novel in my estimation, but add in witty repartee and snarky internal dialogue and I’m sold.
I don’t know about any of you, but I’m finding my reading needs are vacillating between light and dark more than they ever have, as evidenced by this week’s reviews. Tuesday’s All That is Mine I Carry With Me, was a heavier literary mystery, everything Lost and Found in Paris is the opposite. There’s no ambiguous ending here, no deep insight into the human psyche, but this is still stylish, easy to read brain candy. I was charmed, just as I needed to be.
A little head’s up: this light/dark trend is likely to continue as I’ll be back next week with a shocker of a novel without a single likable character.
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I loved this little gem as well! Not 5 stars, but delightful and a perfect read.
Exactly! I gave it an extra half star just for making me happy.