Review – Model Undercover: Paris

(GIVEAWAY to Come Tomorrow)

Model Undercover: Paris was an enjoyable book. As someone who grew up reading Nancy Drew and other mystery books nonstop, I knew that Model Undercover was in the right genre for me and had high hopes for it. The novel features Axelle, a teenage girl whose family has sent her off to Fashion Week in Paris as a “punishment.” Axelle wants nothing to do with the fashion industry – she wants to be a private detective but her family doesn’t approve. While in Paris, Axelle is supposed to work for her Aunt Venetia’s fashion magazine, a job that she is not looking forward to in the slightest. Luckily (for Axelle, at least), top fashion designer Belle La Lune disappears and, when the blame falls on her Aunt Venetia, Axelle has herself a case to solve.

After learning about the case, Axelle quickly discovers that she must become fully immersed in the fashion industry to learn more about the La Lune family. Despite her dislike for modeling and all things fashion, Axelle quickly becomes a very busy model thanks to her long legs and her Aunt’s connections. She befriends Ellie, a well-known model and Sebastian, the son of a police officer, and together they work to find Belle La Lune. As two more La Lune family members disappear, the stakes become higher and Axelle and her friends have to put together all of the pieces to find the kidnapper.

It took me a while to become fully immersed in the story. However, once I got to the action and mystery solving, I found it hard to put down. Author Carina Axelsson kept me on my toes and had me guessing about the culprit until the very end. I really enjoyed the friendship between Axelle and Ellie, who showed that models are more than just pretty faces, and Axelle’s friendship with Sebastian, who proved the importance of having male friends who aren’t purely romantic interests (although one may or may not develop later on). The La Lune family is full of characters and each family member brought a different dynamic to the story. Axelle’s adventures – modeling, hidden passages, cockroaches, a curse on the La Lune family, and almost being hit by a car, among others – keep the reader interested. In the heart of the story, I found Axelsson’s well-written, descriptive language had me shivering empathetically when Axelle was surrounded by cockroaches and feeling nervous when they were trapped in a tunnel filling with water. Overall, I would recommend Model Undercover: Paris for those who enjoy mysteries as a fun read, especially for summer.

Rating: 8/10

A Crime of Fashion…

Nancy Drew meets The Devil Wears Prada in the debut of this action-packed mystery series

Author Carina Axelsson, is a former professional model and draws her inspiration for this teen sleuth series from years of experience on the catwalk and a long time love of Scooby Doo. 

Axelle Andersen wants nothing more than to be a teen-sleuth despite the influence of her pushy fashionista aunt, Venetia. So when top fashion designer Belle La Lune goes missing, and Aunt Venetia becomes a prime suspect, Axelle must go undercover as a model during Paris Fashion Week to uncover the truth behind Belle’s disappearance and clear her aunt’s name.

She’s thrust into a frenetic world of castings, photo shoots, and sequins, while struggling to fit in and track down clues. Can Axelle solve a kidnapping and survive the world of fashion?

With educational back matter that includes information about the fashion industry and a glossary of fashion terms, Model Undercover: Paris is a marriage of fashion and mystery that is perfect for aspiring fashionistas and teen sleuths alike. 

Carina Axelsson is a writer, illustrator, and former model. She grew up in California with her Swedish father and Mexican mother. After high school, Carina moved to New York City to model, then on to Paris where she published her first book. She currently lives in in the forests of Germany with four dogs and a very large aquarium full of fish.