Gare du Nord’s roof spanned as far as the eye could see, and the air was thick with hissing and clacking as trains pulled in and out of platforms. Porters in neat caps struggled to push trolleys loaded with luggage; families huddled in tearful reunions or farewells. Men with booming voices ambled along each platform, carrying trays of newspaper cones filled with warm chestnuts, while a young woman with a white chef’s hat, a hot plate and nimble hands produced paper-thin crepes drizzled with lemon and sugar at breakneck speed.

1938 Paris. 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, if not better than, her male counterparts. And the best way to forge the necessary contacts quickly is to make the well-connected British expats Lord and Lady Ashworth her business. Lady Eleanor knows everyone who counts and at her annual sumptuously extravagant party, a circus ball, Charlie will meet them all.

On the summer solstice eve, the circus ball is in full swing with the cream of Parisian society entranced by burlesque dancers, tightrope walkers, a jazz band and fireworks lighting the night skies. But as Charlie is drawn into the magical world of parties, couture houses and bohemian wine bars, secrets start to unravel, including her own. Putting a foot wrong could spell death …

In this magnificent new beginning to the joyful Charlie James series, Manning beguiles with glamour and mystery set in pre-war Paris.