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The Paris Apartment
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2022)From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.
The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge
Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.
The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge
Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published February 22, 2022
About the author
Lucy Foley
19 books30.3k followersHello and welcome to my Goodreads page! I’m the author of the murder mystery thrillers The Midnight Feast, The Paris Apartment, The Guest List and The Hunting Party — as well as the historical novels The Book of Lost and Found, The Invitation and Last Letter from Istanbul.
I came to writing through a love of reading — I previously worked with books as a fiction editor, a literary agent’s assistant, a bookseller and a literary scout!
Inspired by trips to the West Country and local folklore I began plotting my latest novel, The Midnight Feast. A midsummer heatwave, a setting with a past, a reunion that takes a dark turn. And so The Midnight Feast came to life.
Thanks to brilliant readers around the world, my novels have sold over five million copies, and been translated into multiple languages. I’m also a No 1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. A life-long Agatha Christie fan, I also contributed to Marple, a collection of short stories featuring the legendary detective.
Follow me on social media at:
Instagram @lucyfoleyauthor
Facebook @LucyFoleyAuthor
Twitter/X @lucyfoleytweets
I came to writing through a love of reading — I previously worked with books as a fiction editor, a literary agent’s assistant, a bookseller and a literary scout!
Inspired by trips to the West Country and local folklore I began plotting my latest novel, The Midnight Feast. A midsummer heatwave, a setting with a past, a reunion that takes a dark turn. And so The Midnight Feast came to life.
Thanks to brilliant readers around the world, my novels have sold over five million copies, and been translated into multiple languages. I’m also a No 1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. A life-long Agatha Christie fan, I also contributed to Marple, a collection of short stories featuring the legendary detective.
Follow me on social media at:
Instagram @lucyfoleyauthor
Facebook @LucyFoleyAuthor
Twitter/X @lucyfoleytweets
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48,341 reviews
March 22, 2024
Meh. The Paris Apartment feels mostly like melodramatic dithering, but I guess I was somewhat entertained.
Jess needs a place to stay, so she hits up her half brother. When she arrives at his residence, she finds a fancy building with questionable tenants, but no sign of Ben. As she digs deeper and asks around, she starts to realize that all is not as it seems at this apartment building. Dun dun dun!
Having read a few of Lucy Foley's books, I feel like she's really good at building up anticipation. Every moment in this book is so dramatic, with dark shadows and scary sounds at every turn. That's all good, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much, you know? There's no natural ebb and flow in the tone. It's just all high anticipation, all the time.
It doesn't help that every character acts so high-strung and paranoid, even when nothing is happening.
For a book advertised as a mystery, it sure doesn't feel like one. Jess doesn't so much suss out clues as she bumbles around, pilfering stuff, sticking her foot in her mouth, and just generally acts like an incompetent idiot. The other characters are all unlikable too, though each in their own way. And everyone is smelly, with stale breath and excessive sweat.
After all that exaggerated writing, do the twists deliver? Eh, they seem pretty standard to me for the genre. I wasn't really surprised or shocked. In fact, it feels more ridiculous than anything else.
Still, I was compelled to turn the pages, so I must've been somewhat entertained by all the antics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Guest List
The Hunting Party
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
Jess needs a place to stay, so she hits up her half brother. When she arrives at his residence, she finds a fancy building with questionable tenants, but no sign of Ben. As she digs deeper and asks around, she starts to realize that all is not as it seems at this apartment building. Dun dun dun!
Having read a few of Lucy Foley's books, I feel like she's really good at building up anticipation. Every moment in this book is so dramatic, with dark shadows and scary sounds at every turn. That's all good, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much, you know? There's no natural ebb and flow in the tone. It's just all high anticipation, all the time.
It doesn't help that every character acts so high-strung and paranoid, even when nothing is happening.
I watched as Nick's friend plucked a sprig of rosemary from one of the bushes, tearing hard to wrench it free. How he crushed it to his nose, inhaled. There was something presumptuous about the gesture. It felt like an act of vandalism.What the heck. Who attacks a bush just to smell it? And who watches someone do that and calls it "presumptuous"? Reader, if you're able to keep from rolling your eyes, you're a better person than I am.
For a book advertised as a mystery, it sure doesn't feel like one. Jess doesn't so much suss out clues as she bumbles around, pilfering stuff, sticking her foot in her mouth, and just generally acts like an incompetent idiot. The other characters are all unlikable too, though each in their own way. And everyone is smelly, with stale breath and excessive sweat.
After all that exaggerated writing, do the twists deliver? Eh, they seem pretty standard to me for the genre. I wasn't really surprised or shocked. In fact, it feels more ridiculous than anything else.
Still, I was compelled to turn the pages, so I must've been somewhat entertained by all the antics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Guest List
The Hunting Party
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
August 18, 2024
Quoi le? (According to Google Translate What the....?")
Jess arrives in Paris at the apartment of her half-brother, Ben. However, Ben isn't answering any of her texts, is nowhere to be found, and there are some unsettling discoveries in the apartment. Will Jess be able to find out what happened to Ben? What went on in this apartment?
Lucy Foley, author of The Guest List, returns to the literary scene with The Paris Apartment. The book rotates between different character points of view with chapters from Ben, Jess, Sophie, the Concierge, Mimi, and Nick.
The Paris Apartment starts off very strong with Jess finding her brother missing. The tone is immediately spooky and frenzied. However, it became really old, really fast with the frenzied tone. It doesn't feel as if Jess is making much progress finding answers, and the tension never really builds throughout the book. Additionally, I didn't connect with any of the characters because there wasn't a single character that was likeable. By the end of the novel, I didn't even care "who did it." Jess should have been the most likeable character, but she was always stealing, palming items from other people, even her own brother, and going through people's personal spaces without any qualms.
Overall, The Paris Apartment missed the mark (unless you enjoy books with little substance and a spooky, frenzied tone is utilized throughout).
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
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Jess arrives in Paris at the apartment of her half-brother, Ben. However, Ben isn't answering any of her texts, is nowhere to be found, and there are some unsettling discoveries in the apartment. Will Jess be able to find out what happened to Ben? What went on in this apartment?
Lucy Foley, author of The Guest List, returns to the literary scene with The Paris Apartment. The book rotates between different character points of view with chapters from Ben, Jess, Sophie, the Concierge, Mimi, and Nick.
The Paris Apartment starts off very strong with Jess finding her brother missing. The tone is immediately spooky and frenzied. However, it became really old, really fast with the frenzied tone. It doesn't feel as if Jess is making much progress finding answers, and the tension never really builds throughout the book. Additionally, I didn't connect with any of the characters because there wasn't a single character that was likeable. By the end of the novel, I didn't even care "who did it." Jess should have been the most likeable character, but she was always stealing, palming items from other people, even her own brother, and going through people's personal spaces without any qualms.
Overall, The Paris Apartment missed the mark (unless you enjoy books with little substance and a spooky, frenzied tone is utilized throughout).
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Insta My Bookstore at Pango
August 30, 2024
What a deliciously claustrophobic whodunnit! This mystery unfolds in an eerie apartment with terrifying occupants who are skilled liars, burying their ugly secrets. Even the city of lovers, Paris, feels transformed, harking back to its revolutionary years with civilians rising against the government and clashing with police officers. Paris itself becomes a vivid, complex, and tumultuous narrator in the story.
This was one of my fastest reads! I loved the riveting mystery of the missing stepbrother, Ben, who vanished into thin air, with the last place he was seen being his apartment.
I loved Jess as the main character—survivor of the foster care system, running from her haunted past. She’s broken but resilient, mostly reckless, a woman who has nothing to lose!
I also loved the strange connection between the irritating occupants who know exactly where Ben is but have no intention of sharing their knowledge with his stepsister.
I liked the creepy atmosphere, the slowly building tension, the short and effective chapters, and the eccentric voices of the multiple POVs.
I also enjoyed the final twist, even though some parts of the conclusion made me roll my eyes. It was a somewhat fair ending, one that the characters truly deserved.
So, I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 for this riveting, truly exciting, twisty, unputdownable read!
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This was one of my fastest reads! I loved the riveting mystery of the missing stepbrother, Ben, who vanished into thin air, with the last place he was seen being his apartment.
I loved Jess as the main character—survivor of the foster care system, running from her haunted past. She’s broken but resilient, mostly reckless, a woman who has nothing to lose!
I also loved the strange connection between the irritating occupants who know exactly where Ben is but have no intention of sharing their knowledge with his stepsister.
I liked the creepy atmosphere, the slowly building tension, the short and effective chapters, and the eccentric voices of the multiple POVs.
I also enjoyed the final twist, even though some parts of the conclusion made me roll my eyes. It was a somewhat fair ending, one that the characters truly deserved.
So, I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 for this riveting, truly exciting, twisty, unputdownable read!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
February 26, 2022
a surprisingly quick read for a story where pretty much nothing happens. lol.
there is one reveal about halfway through and the actual events do start falling into place right towards the end, but even the fast conclusion couldnt make up for the fact that nothing else really happened for the majority of the book.
the characters arent compelling, the setting is pretty basic (so much missed potential!), and the plot itself is just uninspired.
im going to round up because there was never actually a point where i wanted to stop reading. i guess i was interested (or stubborn) enough to see the story through to the end. i just wish i had been more invested in it.
↠ 2.5 stars
there is one reveal about halfway through and the actual events do start falling into place right towards the end, but even the fast conclusion couldnt make up for the fact that nothing else really happened for the majority of the book.
the characters arent compelling, the setting is pretty basic (so much missed potential!), and the plot itself is just uninspired.
im going to round up because there was never actually a point where i wanted to stop reading. i guess i was interested (or stubborn) enough to see the story through to the end. i just wish i had been more invested in it.
↠ 2.5 stars
July 21, 2022
This had a slower set up but the pay off was EPIC
February 26, 2022
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
Wow I have been missing out!!!! I have never read Ms. Foley’s novels so this was a wonderful surprise for me.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS NOVEL:
THE ATMOSPHERE – A creepy, old, but once elegant apartment building in Paris – what’s not to like? Once elegant but now showing it’s age with peeling wallpaper, no air conditioning, nothing really updated about these apartments.
THE WRITING – Ms. Foley’s writing is fluid, flows well and is very descriptive. I felt myself immersed in the heat of a Paris summer, riots breaking out in the city, tourists sweltering in the heat!! Lots of dirt and garbage behind the facade of the “beautiful city” with it’s Eiffel tower and The Louvre.
THE CHARACTERS – Wow what a group of unreliable and dysfunctional characters we have here!! The main characters and supporting characters are well described, although it does take until the last quarter to fully appreciate who these characters REALLY ARE!!!
THE PLOT – Twisty, absorbing, changing throughout the novel, this one snaked its way into my brain a bit slowly. However by the last third I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN!!! The ending – 5* for sure and a huge, WAIT, WHAT, THERE IS THAT MUCH GOING ON HERE???? HOLY COW!!
A BIT ABOUT THE STORY: Jess and Ben were orphaned at a rather young age. They lost their mother after she overdosed, Jess being the one to find her.
Ben hit the jackpot. He was adopted by a London couple who gave him all that money could offer. He had a beautiful home, clothes, good friends and the best education that money could buy. A graduate of Cambridge, Ben is still trying to find his way to a sensational journalistic career.
Jess wasn’t so lucky. She was bounced around from foster home to foster home. But she’s a survivor and kept on trying. She has recently, however, lost her job and is homeless.
Jess reaches out to Ben after not seeing him for many years. He is living in Paris and agrees to let Jess crash at his place until she finds a job and another place to live.
Problem is – when Jess arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found. WHERE COULD HE BE??? HE TEXTED HER DIRECTIONS JUST THE DAY BEFORE!!
As Jess digs deeper into the residents at Bienvenue au 12, Rue des Amants she finds that the neighbors are none too happy to see her. Jess is determined and tough and won’t give up until she finds out the TRUTH, AS DARK AS IT MAY BE!!!
I highly recommend this novel to those who like a mystery with unreliable narrators, many secrets to unravel, great characters and a fantastic atmosphere.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, William Morrow, through Edelweiss.
Wow I have been missing out!!!! I have never read Ms. Foley’s novels so this was a wonderful surprise for me.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS NOVEL:
THE ATMOSPHERE – A creepy, old, but once elegant apartment building in Paris – what’s not to like? Once elegant but now showing it’s age with peeling wallpaper, no air conditioning, nothing really updated about these apartments.
THE WRITING – Ms. Foley’s writing is fluid, flows well and is very descriptive. I felt myself immersed in the heat of a Paris summer, riots breaking out in the city, tourists sweltering in the heat!! Lots of dirt and garbage behind the facade of the “beautiful city” with it’s Eiffel tower and The Louvre.
THE CHARACTERS – Wow what a group of unreliable and dysfunctional characters we have here!! The main characters and supporting characters are well described, although it does take until the last quarter to fully appreciate who these characters REALLY ARE!!!
THE PLOT – Twisty, absorbing, changing throughout the novel, this one snaked its way into my brain a bit slowly. However by the last third I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN!!! The ending – 5* for sure and a huge, WAIT, WHAT, THERE IS THAT MUCH GOING ON HERE???? HOLY COW!!
A BIT ABOUT THE STORY: Jess and Ben were orphaned at a rather young age. They lost their mother after she overdosed, Jess being the one to find her.
Ben hit the jackpot. He was adopted by a London couple who gave him all that money could offer. He had a beautiful home, clothes, good friends and the best education that money could buy. A graduate of Cambridge, Ben is still trying to find his way to a sensational journalistic career.
Jess wasn’t so lucky. She was bounced around from foster home to foster home. But she’s a survivor and kept on trying. She has recently, however, lost her job and is homeless.
Jess reaches out to Ben after not seeing him for many years. He is living in Paris and agrees to let Jess crash at his place until she finds a job and another place to live.
Problem is – when Jess arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found. WHERE COULD HE BE??? HE TEXTED HER DIRECTIONS JUST THE DAY BEFORE!!
As Jess digs deeper into the residents at Bienvenue au 12, Rue des Amants she finds that the neighbors are none too happy to see her. Jess is determined and tough and won’t give up until she finds out the TRUTH, AS DARK AS IT MAY BE!!!
I highly recommend this novel to those who like a mystery with unreliable narrators, many secrets to unravel, great characters and a fantastic atmosphere.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, William Morrow, through Edelweiss.
Read
March 28, 2022DNF at 52%.
I’ve been struggling to read this book for 5 days now, and I’m still only halfway through. The characters are unlikable and the story is extremely slow…with nothing compelling me to continue reading.
After also being highly disappointed with the author’s last book, The Guest List, I’m thinking I may not be the right reader for her stories.
I’ve been struggling to read this book for 5 days now, and I’m still only halfway through. The characters are unlikable and the story is extremely slow…with nothing compelling me to continue reading.
After also being highly disappointed with the author’s last book, The Guest List, I’m thinking I may not be the right reader for her stories.
June 2, 2024
**4.5-stars**
After getting herself in a bit of a sticky situation at work, Jess does what any young woman would do and flees the country.
Luckily, she has a brother, Ben, who lives in Paris. Although they have never been close, when she calls him to see if she can stay with him for a bit, he doesn't necessarily say no.
On the night she is set to arrive in Paris, Jess even has a couple of interactions with Ben via text. This is great, he's definitely not going to turn her away.
When she arrives at the beautiful apartment house, however, she discovers you have to be rung in. She's unable to reach Ben at that time.
After some tense moments, she is finally able to secure access without his help, but once inside, he is still no where to be found.
Ben is supposed to be there. She just heard from him. It's late at night, where could he have gone to and why wouldn't he tell her?
Ben's absence isn't the only thing confusing Jess. What is with this apartment house? It is absolutely stunning. How can Ben afford this?
Jess settles in and decides to wait it out. Ben will come back in his own time. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and things in this house are starting to creep her out.
All the other residents are odd AF and seem to be hiding something from her, but what?
As Jess digs deeper in, she realizes she needs to be afraid. Something is not right here and now she may be next on the chopping block. If that doesn't leave you intrigued, I don't know what will.
Y'all, this book was so much fun!! I listened to the audiobook and as it is a multiple-POV story, there are various narrators for the different roles; making it a freaking blast to listen to!
With her signature style, Lucy Foley delivers a fast-paced, multi-layered Parisian Mystery here. The twists just keep on coming. My jaw was on the floor for half the book.
I would say for me, there were certain perspectives that I did find more interesting than others, which caused this to lag a wee bit sometimes.
Overall though, a super fun read. I love the way Foley always brings a sort of classic-format to very modern mysteries. It's so appealing to me.
Personally, I hope Foley just keeps doing what she's doing. This is her lane. It works so well. She is absolutely freaking fantastic at whipping up a high velocity, tense, atmospheric, drama-infused mystery and I am so here for it!
I'm already highly anticipating her next release. Whatever it may be. I want it.
After getting herself in a bit of a sticky situation at work, Jess does what any young woman would do and flees the country.
Luckily, she has a brother, Ben, who lives in Paris. Although they have never been close, when she calls him to see if she can stay with him for a bit, he doesn't necessarily say no.
On the night she is set to arrive in Paris, Jess even has a couple of interactions with Ben via text. This is great, he's definitely not going to turn her away.
When she arrives at the beautiful apartment house, however, she discovers you have to be rung in. She's unable to reach Ben at that time.
After some tense moments, she is finally able to secure access without his help, but once inside, he is still no where to be found.
Ben is supposed to be there. She just heard from him. It's late at night, where could he have gone to and why wouldn't he tell her?
Ben's absence isn't the only thing confusing Jess. What is with this apartment house? It is absolutely stunning. How can Ben afford this?
Jess settles in and decides to wait it out. Ben will come back in his own time. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and things in this house are starting to creep her out.
All the other residents are odd AF and seem to be hiding something from her, but what?
As Jess digs deeper in, she realizes she needs to be afraid. Something is not right here and now she may be next on the chopping block. If that doesn't leave you intrigued, I don't know what will.
Y'all, this book was so much fun!! I listened to the audiobook and as it is a multiple-POV story, there are various narrators for the different roles; making it a freaking blast to listen to!
With her signature style, Lucy Foley delivers a fast-paced, multi-layered Parisian Mystery here. The twists just keep on coming. My jaw was on the floor for half the book.
I would say for me, there were certain perspectives that I did find more interesting than others, which caused this to lag a wee bit sometimes.
Overall though, a super fun read. I love the way Foley always brings a sort of classic-format to very modern mysteries. It's so appealing to me.
Personally, I hope Foley just keeps doing what she's doing. This is her lane. It works so well. She is absolutely freaking fantastic at whipping up a high velocity, tense, atmospheric, drama-infused mystery and I am so here for it!
I'm already highly anticipating her next release. Whatever it may be. I want it.
April 9, 2022
I Expected More
“Everything that has happened here happened because of him.”
The Paris Apartment is a thriller about a journalist who mysteriously disappeared while living in an odd apartment building in Paris.
Jess, fleeing her life in England, makes her way to Paris to crash with her charming brother, Ben. Upon her arrival in Paris, Jess receives a mysterious voice message from Ben. When she arrives at his creepy building, Ben is nowhere to be found. It appears that Ben has vanished without a trace. Jess begins investigating what could have happened to Ben, and she starts with the residents of his building. What she finds is a building with hidden secrets and residents who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets from coming out.
The Paris Apartment is different from Foley’s other works. There are fewer characters to keep track of, albeit there is still a lot of them, and they are more likable…well, at least Jess is likable. The rest of the characters are hideous.
Narrated by Jess, Nick, Sophie, Mimi, and the concierge, all of the characters fell flat except for Jess whose character has some spunk. Nick, Sophie, and Mimi were all cliches. My biggest problem with the narrative was that there was too much telling and not enough showing. Also, the timeline is muddled between the past and the present.
I was missing the feeling of being in Paris. The building is atmospheric and plays a central role in the plot. But outside of some French and references to famous Parisian landmarks, this book could have taken place in any city.
This was an easy, mindless read. Lacking in tension and suspense, I was a little bored, and at times, I skimmed what was happening because I wasn’t all that interested. However, there were some decent twists and turns. I figured out two of the three main twists, but one caught me off guard, and I loved it!
I appreciated that Foley tried something different with the format and location, but this book fell short. However, I enjoyed the mystery behind Ben’s disappearance, and Jess's character saved this from being a complete miss.
“Everything that has happened here happened because of him.”
The Paris Apartment is a thriller about a journalist who mysteriously disappeared while living in an odd apartment building in Paris.
Jess, fleeing her life in England, makes her way to Paris to crash with her charming brother, Ben. Upon her arrival in Paris, Jess receives a mysterious voice message from Ben. When she arrives at his creepy building, Ben is nowhere to be found. It appears that Ben has vanished without a trace. Jess begins investigating what could have happened to Ben, and she starts with the residents of his building. What she finds is a building with hidden secrets and residents who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets from coming out.
The Paris Apartment is different from Foley’s other works. There are fewer characters to keep track of, albeit there is still a lot of them, and they are more likable…well, at least Jess is likable. The rest of the characters are hideous.
Narrated by Jess, Nick, Sophie, Mimi, and the concierge, all of the characters fell flat except for Jess whose character has some spunk. Nick, Sophie, and Mimi were all cliches. My biggest problem with the narrative was that there was too much telling and not enough showing. Also, the timeline is muddled between the past and the present.
I was missing the feeling of being in Paris. The building is atmospheric and plays a central role in the plot. But outside of some French and references to famous Parisian landmarks, this book could have taken place in any city.
This was an easy, mindless read. Lacking in tension and suspense, I was a little bored, and at times, I skimmed what was happening because I wasn’t all that interested. However, there were some decent twists and turns. I figured out two of the three main twists, but one caught me off guard, and I loved it!
I appreciated that Foley tried something different with the format and location, but this book fell short. However, I enjoyed the mystery behind Ben’s disappearance, and Jess's character saved this from being a complete miss.
March 5, 2022
⭐2.5
It's fine but after The Guest List, I'm realizing that Lucy Foley isn't the mystery author for me.
It's fine but after The Guest List, I'm realizing that Lucy Foley isn't the mystery author for me.
March 2, 2022
Dnf at 50% because I’m a quitter (& because I’d rather pick up my grad school textbooks and read for fun than read another chapter of this BECAUSE NOTHING HAPPENS THERE IS NO PLOT)
February 8, 2022
I loved it!! A locked room mystery, a dysfunctional family, unreliable narrators in a rundown eccentric apartment in Paris….. you will devour this twisted mystery thriller! At the beginning, it's unsure who to trust. Everyone in the apartment building begins with "This would have never happen had it not been for Ben." This sets in motion.... What did he do to make everyone dislike him?
Ben and his sister Jess lost their mom to an overdose when they were young. Ben is adopted by a wealthy family, graduated from Cambridge and now a career as a journalist. His lifestyle was exquisite and reflected in his demeanor. A handsome, suave man with a popular social life. He lived a different lifestyle than his sister who was pushed from foster home to foster home and eventually on her own. She pleas to stay at his apartment after her employer sexually harassed her and she quit her job. He sends her directions and a voicemail of instructions how to enter the gate, but it cuts off in a horrifying, questionable ending. When she arrives, he is no where to be found. She picks the lock and enters with no clue to his disappearance except blood on his cat's paw.
The tenants are not friendly, appearing guilty and have secrets to hide, but very wealthy. They are all leery of her unexpected appearance and questions. Their plans are set in motion, which include to be rid of Jess. The Concierge knows all their secrets and warns her to stop looking for answers.
I love the old building with its hidden staircases, servant passages and a wine cellar. So many secrets....and she has no one to rely on and a language barrier with the local police.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Ben and his sister Jess lost their mom to an overdose when they were young. Ben is adopted by a wealthy family, graduated from Cambridge and now a career as a journalist. His lifestyle was exquisite and reflected in his demeanor. A handsome, suave man with a popular social life. He lived a different lifestyle than his sister who was pushed from foster home to foster home and eventually on her own. She pleas to stay at his apartment after her employer sexually harassed her and she quit her job. He sends her directions and a voicemail of instructions how to enter the gate, but it cuts off in a horrifying, questionable ending. When she arrives, he is no where to be found. She picks the lock and enters with no clue to his disappearance except blood on his cat's paw.
The tenants are not friendly, appearing guilty and have secrets to hide, but very wealthy. They are all leery of her unexpected appearance and questions. Their plans are set in motion, which include to be rid of Jess. The Concierge knows all their secrets and warns her to stop looking for answers.
I love the old building with its hidden staircases, servant passages and a wine cellar. So many secrets....and she has no one to rely on and a language barrier with the local police.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 18, 2024
out of every plot line, every twist and turn, every action and character, i can confidently say that "parisians being assholes" is the most believeable (and enjoyable) element of this book.
January 8, 2022
Lucy Foley returns with a psychological crime drama set in a Paris experiencing turbulence and riots, and an eerie, shadowy and sinister old apartment building, a wealthy location at which British journalist, Ben Daniels, resides. His half sister, Jess Hadley, has arrived in Paris, broke and unemployed, after having to leave Brighton rather quickly, to stay with him, but on arrival finds him missing from his home at Bienvenue au 12 Rue des Amants. After picking his locks, she enters, alarm bells start ringing in her head, she is expected, and there are some worrying signs that leave her feeling unsettled, could something have happened to him? The problem is that she doesn't know Ben that well, the two of them having grown up apart and having lived wildly differing lives, Jess being shunted from care homes and foster parents, whilst Ben was taken in by a wealthy family and lived a far more privileged life.
She wonders how Ben could possibly afford his home, only to discover he got it through his friend from Cambridge University, Nick Miller, a nice guy who has his own apartment in the building. With his photograph of himself and Ben in Amsterdam, Nick offers to help Jess find him, a welcome offer, given everyone else is far more hostile and unforthcoming when it comes to information. This includes the aloof socialite, Sophie, always perfectly dressed, married to Jacques Meunier, a wine merchant, living in the penthouse, and the alcoholic Antoine with his simmering air of violence, whose wife, Dominique, has left him. Then there is the young over protected student, Mimi, living with her friend Camille and the long serving concierge who watches everyone closely. As a determined Jess delves into her brother's life and the residents of the apartment building, a web of intrigue and secrets begins to emerge where nothing and no-one is as they seem.
As danger begins to lurk ever closer to Jess, is there anyone she can trust at all? One of my favourite aspects of the novel is the character of Jess, a born survivor, who respects no boundaries of convention as she snoops without fear, imbued with traits and a hard life that have given her a resilience that underpins her abilities to find out what happened to Ben, irrespective of the obstacles thrown in her path. There is an air of dread and menace in this story of twists and turns, touching on issues and themes of exploitation, abuse of women, sources of wealth, a sibling relationship and a dysfunctional blended family. Once again, Foley writes a riveting crime drama, set in Paris, with great characters that will keep your interest from beginning to end, needing to know what happened to Ben as seen through the eyes of Jess. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
She wonders how Ben could possibly afford his home, only to discover he got it through his friend from Cambridge University, Nick Miller, a nice guy who has his own apartment in the building. With his photograph of himself and Ben in Amsterdam, Nick offers to help Jess find him, a welcome offer, given everyone else is far more hostile and unforthcoming when it comes to information. This includes the aloof socialite, Sophie, always perfectly dressed, married to Jacques Meunier, a wine merchant, living in the penthouse, and the alcoholic Antoine with his simmering air of violence, whose wife, Dominique, has left him. Then there is the young over protected student, Mimi, living with her friend Camille and the long serving concierge who watches everyone closely. As a determined Jess delves into her brother's life and the residents of the apartment building, a web of intrigue and secrets begins to emerge where nothing and no-one is as they seem.
As danger begins to lurk ever closer to Jess, is there anyone she can trust at all? One of my favourite aspects of the novel is the character of Jess, a born survivor, who respects no boundaries of convention as she snoops without fear, imbued with traits and a hard life that have given her a resilience that underpins her abilities to find out what happened to Ben, irrespective of the obstacles thrown in her path. There is an air of dread and menace in this story of twists and turns, touching on issues and themes of exploitation, abuse of women, sources of wealth, a sibling relationship and a dysfunctional blended family. Once again, Foley writes a riveting crime drama, set in Paris, with great characters that will keep your interest from beginning to end, needing to know what happened to Ben as seen through the eyes of Jess. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
February 22, 2022
NOW AVALABLE!!!
i plowed through this book in a day, getting up at 3 am on my day off so i could finish it before starting my other-job work at 5 as i had planned.
as someone who values what little sleep i can scrape together, the above is what is known as a ringing endorsement.
it's got the page-turner thing down pat—short chapters, quickchange POVs, intrigue and secrets and so many twists.
although, since this is set in paris, i suppose i should call them les rebondissements.
and the first one's a doozy. i'm a sucker for escapist suspense novels, but reading so many of 'em has dulled my capacity for surprise, so i'm not often caught off guard by their gotchas. but that first one got me, boy, injecting a legit thrill into this thriller.
i also like the hooky tagline—your typical breakfast-club round-up of character types, with a nice little endrhyme:
the socialite—the nice guy—the alcoholic—the girl on the verge—the concierge
i don't wanna write too much about this one, because so much depends on the discoveries along the way, but i will commend the author for breaking out of her locked-room mystery rut with this one—while most of the action occurs in the titular paris apartment, that's just kinda the HQ of evil, and what happens in the apartment does not stay in the apartment, resulting in serious consequences.
there's more weight to this one than The Hunting Party/The Guest List—it's more ambitious in structure and content than the fluffy drawing room-style mysteries that preceded it, and it has a more meaningful story than fancy people getting murdered. not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's good to know she's got more in her than reheating a been-there-done-that plot.
my final thought: that cat is a hero and deserves to be fed.
******************************
no time to review yet, but i gotta say—and maybe this is just my patterson-overload talking—this one is leaps and bounds better than her first two agatha christie wannabes, which i enjoyed in an entertainment kind of way, even though they were basically the same book. this one is more ambitious, more surprising, more satisfying in every way, even though—trigger warning—she never feeds that cat ONCE, and it was giving me serious stress the whole time. FEED YOUR CATS, PEOPLE!
come to my blog!
i plowed through this book in a day, getting up at 3 am on my day off so i could finish it before starting my other-job work at 5 as i had planned.
as someone who values what little sleep i can scrape together, the above is what is known as a ringing endorsement.
it's got the page-turner thing down pat—short chapters, quickchange POVs, intrigue and secrets and so many twists.
although, since this is set in paris, i suppose i should call them les rebondissements.
and the first one's a doozy. i'm a sucker for escapist suspense novels, but reading so many of 'em has dulled my capacity for surprise, so i'm not often caught off guard by their gotchas. but that first one got me, boy, injecting a legit thrill into this thriller.
i also like the hooky tagline—your typical breakfast-club round-up of character types, with a nice little endrhyme:
the socialite—the nice guy—the alcoholic—the girl on the verge—the concierge
i don't wanna write too much about this one, because so much depends on the discoveries along the way, but i will commend the author for breaking out of her locked-room mystery rut with this one—while most of the action occurs in the titular paris apartment, that's just kinda the HQ of evil, and what happens in the apartment does not stay in the apartment, resulting in serious consequences.
there's more weight to this one than The Hunting Party/The Guest List—it's more ambitious in structure and content than the fluffy drawing room-style mysteries that preceded it, and it has a more meaningful story than fancy people getting murdered. not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's good to know she's got more in her than reheating a been-there-done-that plot.
my final thought: that cat is a hero and deserves to be fed.
******************************
no time to review yet, but i gotta say—and maybe this is just my patterson-overload talking—this one is leaps and bounds better than her first two agatha christie wannabes, which i enjoyed in an entertainment kind of way, even though they were basically the same book. this one is more ambitious, more surprising, more satisfying in every way, even though—trigger warning—she never feeds that cat ONCE, and it was giving me serious stress the whole time. FEED YOUR CATS, PEOPLE!
come to my blog!
March 30, 2022
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
I have mixed feelings about The Paris Apartment, my first Lucy Foley book. I wanted to know what was going on in the story and had to get to the end. But the story was so long and drawn out that I was frustrated by the slowness of the tale, Two days in the story felt like a year and it wasn't helped by the various timelines and those timeline not being clearly designated. I'd think a narrator was in the present day and then realize they were back in the past and it added to the confusion of the story. But I liked that each character had a very distinct personality and the voice acting for this story was very good.
Jess, has come to this beautiful Paris apartment to stay with her half brother Ben. He knows she's coming and will be waiting for her to ring the bell so he can let her in. But when she arrives at the apartment, he's missing and no one knows where he is or even seems concerned that he was supposed to be there and isn't. As Jess investigates and tries to figure out where her brother has gone, she realizes that this is not a normal apartment. Her brother shouldn't even be able to afford such a place and each of the other occupants seems to be holding something back.
We get the POVs of six characters and even though we are in their heads, they are very cagey about what we learn. It's obvious that the others don't like Ben, maybe liked or loved him at some time but now have turned against him. Or they think he has turned against them? Who are these people and what do they obviously know about Ben and his disappearance? There is a very real sense of tension and danger and that Jess shouldn't be digging but she doesn't let up. I wavered between three and four stars for the story. Three because the story was way too long but four because I didn't want to put it down until the end.
I have mixed feelings about The Paris Apartment, my first Lucy Foley book. I wanted to know what was going on in the story and had to get to the end. But the story was so long and drawn out that I was frustrated by the slowness of the tale, Two days in the story felt like a year and it wasn't helped by the various timelines and those timeline not being clearly designated. I'd think a narrator was in the present day and then realize they were back in the past and it added to the confusion of the story. But I liked that each character had a very distinct personality and the voice acting for this story was very good.
Jess, has come to this beautiful Paris apartment to stay with her half brother Ben. He knows she's coming and will be waiting for her to ring the bell so he can let her in. But when she arrives at the apartment, he's missing and no one knows where he is or even seems concerned that he was supposed to be there and isn't. As Jess investigates and tries to figure out where her brother has gone, she realizes that this is not a normal apartment. Her brother shouldn't even be able to afford such a place and each of the other occupants seems to be holding something back.
We get the POVs of six characters and even though we are in their heads, they are very cagey about what we learn. It's obvious that the others don't like Ben, maybe liked or loved him at some time but now have turned against him. Or they think he has turned against them? Who are these people and what do they obviously know about Ben and his disappearance? There is a very real sense of tension and danger and that Jess shouldn't be digging but she doesn't let up. I wavered between three and four stars for the story. Three because the story was way too long but four because I didn't want to put it down until the end.
March 31, 2022
Idk, I had so much fun reading this book and I had even more fun talking about it in the live show with Lexi today! If you want to hear our thoughts, you can see the live show we did here: https://youtu.be/unUYjfGFZqo
February 26, 2022
A book with little substance, little suspense and even less credibility as it came closer to the messy ending. The main character did absolutely no progress for about 80% of the book and then all the action and revelations get crammed up in the last 20%. The multiple POVs could have been useful if the characters were more distinguishable from one another instead of being a bunch of unpleasant con artists.
February 26, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up
I enjoyed Lucy Foley's latest mystery/thriller. It is compulsively readable with very short chapters, so it's easy to read much more than you think you're going to, saying "oh, just one more, it's only two pages" and then a half hour later...
As with her previous books, there is a huge cast of characters, and the chapters alternate between each of their perspectives. This is the story of Jess, who is heading from the UK to stay with her brother Ben in Paris. When she arrives at his apartment, he has disappeared, and the other residents either can't or won't share what they know about his whereabouts.
There were two slight shortcomings for me: one is that there is no real sense of place in this book other than the apartment building. I could totally visualize it, but it could be set anywhere, Paris doesn't really factor into the story. Also, the timeline is quite jumpy, and there were a few times I would have to re-read certain sections because I thought I was in the present and then it turned out I was in the past, and vice versa. It didn't happen really often, but often enough that I noticed it.
Overall though, there are a couple of great twists that surprised me and elevated the story beyond the run-of-the-mill thriller. It's entertaining and fast paced and you never know who to trust and who is telling the truth (or what they believe is the truth). Another winner from this author who has quickly become one of my favorites.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I enjoyed Lucy Foley's latest mystery/thriller. It is compulsively readable with very short chapters, so it's easy to read much more than you think you're going to, saying "oh, just one more, it's only two pages" and then a half hour later...
As with her previous books, there is a huge cast of characters, and the chapters alternate between each of their perspectives. This is the story of Jess, who is heading from the UK to stay with her brother Ben in Paris. When she arrives at his apartment, he has disappeared, and the other residents either can't or won't share what they know about his whereabouts.
There were two slight shortcomings for me: one is that there is no real sense of place in this book other than the apartment building. I could totally visualize it, but it could be set anywhere, Paris doesn't really factor into the story. Also, the timeline is quite jumpy, and there were a few times I would have to re-read certain sections because I thought I was in the present and then it turned out I was in the past, and vice versa. It didn't happen really often, but often enough that I noticed it.
Overall though, there are a couple of great twists that surprised me and elevated the story beyond the run-of-the-mill thriller. It's entertaining and fast paced and you never know who to trust and who is telling the truth (or what they believe is the truth). Another winner from this author who has quickly become one of my favorites.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
November 17, 2021
4.5 stars
Bienvenue au 12, Rue des Amants, Paris. C’est une maison de secrets. Alors, asseyez-vous, avec un verre de vin rouge et installez-vous pour une bonne histoire! Ok I’m done!! Ben Daniels is in his Paris apartment awaiting the arrival of his half sister Jess Hadley but he has an unexpected visitor first. Jess, as one of the principal narrators is a really good character, she’s flawed but she feels real and likeable and I especially like the way it’s written in real time as if she’s talking out loud to her audience. Are our other narrators likeable? Not so much! There’s a chic trophy wife, an angry alcoholic, a naive obsessive and a spurned lover. All of the characters have a different view point of Ben which is interesting as you try to grasp the essence of his personality. So, settle in and let the games begin.
First of all, how great to be in Paris as it adds an atmosphere all of its own especially as the city is a boiling pot of political unrest which perfectly matches the events in Rue des Amants. Secondly, the house is a star of its own show as the author cleverly uses all its nooks, crannies and corners to create a very strange and tense atmosphere which you feel right from the very start. There are spooky shadows, you wonder what evil lurks in the dark corners and it ramps up the tension with a growing sense of claustrophobia as if the walls are closing in. You have a really good whodunnit here as several characters behave oddly or suspiciously, some are downright sinister or there’s palpable hostility between characters and there’s an increased feeling of foreboding which hangs over the house. The warnings, threats and dangers magnify in intensity and it becomes apparent that there big secrets that people are intent on keeping buried. The plot builds well as revelation piles on revelation. There’s a good twist at the end although maybe it’s all ultimately resolved a bit too easily?
Overall, this is another winner from the talented Lucy Foley. It’s very easy to read as it flows well and is highly entertaining! I really like the cover too!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Bienvenue au 12, Rue des Amants, Paris. C’est une maison de secrets. Alors, asseyez-vous, avec un verre de vin rouge et installez-vous pour une bonne histoire! Ok I’m done!! Ben Daniels is in his Paris apartment awaiting the arrival of his half sister Jess Hadley but he has an unexpected visitor first. Jess, as one of the principal narrators is a really good character, she’s flawed but she feels real and likeable and I especially like the way it’s written in real time as if she’s talking out loud to her audience. Are our other narrators likeable? Not so much! There’s a chic trophy wife, an angry alcoholic, a naive obsessive and a spurned lover. All of the characters have a different view point of Ben which is interesting as you try to grasp the essence of his personality. So, settle in and let the games begin.
First of all, how great to be in Paris as it adds an atmosphere all of its own especially as the city is a boiling pot of political unrest which perfectly matches the events in Rue des Amants. Secondly, the house is a star of its own show as the author cleverly uses all its nooks, crannies and corners to create a very strange and tense atmosphere which you feel right from the very start. There are spooky shadows, you wonder what evil lurks in the dark corners and it ramps up the tension with a growing sense of claustrophobia as if the walls are closing in. You have a really good whodunnit here as several characters behave oddly or suspiciously, some are downright sinister or there’s palpable hostility between characters and there’s an increased feeling of foreboding which hangs over the house. The warnings, threats and dangers magnify in intensity and it becomes apparent that there big secrets that people are intent on keeping buried. The plot builds well as revelation piles on revelation. There’s a good twist at the end although maybe it’s all ultimately resolved a bit too easily?
Overall, this is another winner from the talented Lucy Foley. It’s very easy to read as it flows well and is highly entertaining! I really like the cover too!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
August 2, 2022
Well, merde.
It really pains me to say that I read the majority of this book last month...let it sit for 3 WEEKS, with barely any pages left to read...and JUST NOW completed it.
Why, do you ask?
It all started for me when the book jumped the shark, not too far in...
Jess is in search of her brother Ben. He leaves her a message to meet him at his apartment, but when she arrives, he is introuvable. As she snoops around this gated community, she runs into an interesting cast of characters, from an old biddy concierge in an adjacent cottage, to a married couple with said marriage on the rocks, to a swoon-worthy hottie who used to be friends with Ben. As hours turn into days, Jess' suspicions rise, and it appears the building is more than stunning, historic Parisian architecture...and that this unique cast of characters may have more to do with Ben's mysterious disappearance than Jess could have even imagined. They ALL know him...but who was REALLY the last to see him...alive?
First off, Foley certainly did her research for this one...which I always appreciate. However, her research, aside from providing a fairly realistic dose of atmosphere, seemed to be focused on interjecting naughty French word after naughty French word, sort of like the kid giggling in the back of the classroom. I imagine this may have been far less annoying in an audio book, but constantly switching back and forth from French to English for the reader's sake when it didn't FEEL authentic just seemed like an opportunity to demonstrate Foley's 'research'. And I'll be honest, every time she used the word poutain all I could think about was poutine. Which is NOWHERE NEAR the same thing, but it certainly tripped me up plenty! 😂
And now, for the 'jump the shark' discussion for those who've already read this...
So yes, this is another Foley full of unlikable folks, although I had a lot more trouble getting into the POVs in this book than I did with Foley's Guest List, so who knows if the audio would have made that a more interesting experience. I mean, there's a character who wants to eat another character's body hair trimmings...so you've been warned. 🤢 As always, Foley's short chapters are appreciated, although in this one it was more of a "let's read 10 more pages because I know it won't take too long" rather than a "how fast can I finish this addictive page turner" type of feel, evidenced by the fact that I was so able to let this one sit and not really care when I got back to it. Something tells me that much like the other scenic reads I've had this year, an actual vacation to Paris would be a far more exciting use of my time. Or at the very least, I’ll take some French Fries...hold the poutine. 😉
3.5 stars
It really pains me to say that I read the majority of this book last month...let it sit for 3 WEEKS, with barely any pages left to read...and JUST NOW completed it.
Why, do you ask?
It all started for me when the book jumped the shark, not too far in...
Jess is in search of her brother Ben. He leaves her a message to meet him at his apartment, but when she arrives, he is introuvable. As she snoops around this gated community, she runs into an interesting cast of characters, from an old biddy concierge in an adjacent cottage, to a married couple with said marriage on the rocks, to a swoon-worthy hottie who used to be friends with Ben. As hours turn into days, Jess' suspicions rise, and it appears the building is more than stunning, historic Parisian architecture...and that this unique cast of characters may have more to do with Ben's mysterious disappearance than Jess could have even imagined. They ALL know him...but who was REALLY the last to see him...alive?
First off, Foley certainly did her research for this one...which I always appreciate. However, her research, aside from providing a fairly realistic dose of atmosphere, seemed to be focused on interjecting naughty French word after naughty French word, sort of like the kid giggling in the back of the classroom. I imagine this may have been far less annoying in an audio book, but constantly switching back and forth from French to English for the reader's sake when it didn't FEEL authentic just seemed like an opportunity to demonstrate Foley's 'research'. And I'll be honest, every time she used the word poutain all I could think about was poutine. Which is NOWHERE NEAR the same thing, but it certainly tripped me up plenty! 😂
And now, for the 'jump the shark' discussion for those who've already read this...
So yes, this is another Foley full of unlikable folks, although I had a lot more trouble getting into the POVs in this book than I did with Foley's Guest List, so who knows if the audio would have made that a more interesting experience. I mean, there's a character who wants to eat another character's body hair trimmings...so you've been warned. 🤢 As always, Foley's short chapters are appreciated, although in this one it was more of a "let's read 10 more pages because I know it won't take too long" rather than a "how fast can I finish this addictive page turner" type of feel, evidenced by the fact that I was so able to let this one sit and not really care when I got back to it. Something tells me that much like the other scenic reads I've had this year, an actual vacation to Paris would be a far more exciting use of my time. Or at the very least, I’ll take some French Fries...hold the poutine. 😉
3.5 stars
February 22, 2022
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“La voix du sang est la plus forte” - the voice of blood is the strongest
Bribery, secrets, murder?!
Jess wants to stay with her half-brother Ben in Paris until she gets herself sorted. He is reluctant to comply, but ultimately gives her permission to come to his new apartment. However, when she arrives he is missing. As she meets his wealthy neighbors, she begins to question what they are hiding. What happened to Ben?
Lucy Foley’s latest locked room mystery is fantastic. I have read and enjoyed all of her thrillers, but have found it difficult to keep all of the characters straight. This time she gets the formula just right. The Paris Apartment contains a handful of unsavory characters with plenty of secrets. Everyone has motive, means, and opportunity.
The Paris setting feels authentic and the dialogue is peppered with French sayings. The plot is very clever and kept me intrigued all the way until the end. You might think you have the twists figured out, but Foley demonstrates that she is a master at misdirection.
However, I would have liked to have seen less swearing (in both English and French)!
And why doesn’t anyone ever feed the cat? 🙀
Overall, I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Agatha Christie, Shari Lapena, and Ruth Ware.
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date 2/22/22
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the ARC of The Paris Apartment in exchange for an honest review.
“La voix du sang est la plus forte” - the voice of blood is the strongest
Bribery, secrets, murder?!
Jess wants to stay with her half-brother Ben in Paris until she gets herself sorted. He is reluctant to comply, but ultimately gives her permission to come to his new apartment. However, when she arrives he is missing. As she meets his wealthy neighbors, she begins to question what they are hiding. What happened to Ben?
Lucy Foley’s latest locked room mystery is fantastic. I have read and enjoyed all of her thrillers, but have found it difficult to keep all of the characters straight. This time she gets the formula just right. The Paris Apartment contains a handful of unsavory characters with plenty of secrets. Everyone has motive, means, and opportunity.
The Paris setting feels authentic and the dialogue is peppered with French sayings. The plot is very clever and kept me intrigued all the way until the end. You might think you have the twists figured out, but Foley demonstrates that she is a master at misdirection.
However, I would have liked to have seen less swearing (in both English and French)!
And why doesn’t anyone ever feed the cat? 🙀
Overall, I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Agatha Christie, Shari Lapena, and Ruth Ware.
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date 2/22/22
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the ARC of The Paris Apartment in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2022
Would I recommend the AUDIBLE of this title?
Oiu Oiu!!
The Paris Apartment in question is 12 ru Des Amants-a character in itself. Divided into 5 separate residences, one per floor, with the common areas of a rooftop terrace and a a wine cellar (cave in French).
One tiny lift, that barely fits an occupant with one piece of luggage, brings the residents to their own landing- a secret, narrow stairway, is another way to climb from floor to floor, with a door with an old fashioned key hole, accessing each individual unit.
There is a rare vacancy on floor three, and Nick, from floor two has arranged for it to be let to his friend from University, Benjamin Daniels, a journalist.
But, the other residents are not pleased with this arrangement.
They don��t agree on much, but they do agree that EVERYTHING changed, when Ben arrived.
Ben’s half-sister Jess needed to flee London in a hurry, and with nowhere else to turn-she pleaded with her half brother to let her come and stay for awhile. He reluctantly agrees but when she arrives, he isn’t home and he isn’t answering her texts.
Where could he be?
The neighbors are hostile instead of helpful, which is perplexing because Ben has a tendency to make friends wherever he goes.
Such a thin line between love and hate…
Jess breaks into the apartment to wait and finds a cat covered in blood, and more questions than answers. Can she trust any of the others living in this building to help her find her brother?
They all know something. They have all seen something. And, they are all hiding something.
And, I was ENCHANTED as I listened to each character voice their secrets and obsessions to me, in wonderful English and French accents- enhancing the experience.
What a FANTASTIC CAST of actors, this AUDIBLE has! I am sure this book will make my favorite Audible list in 2022 because of them!
In Lucy Foley’s first two “locked room” mysteries, I found the characters from book one and book two, to be very similar to one another, with different names.
The Paris Apartment, however, offers up a completely different group of players-to go along with this foreboding atmosphere and I thought it was the BEST of her three to date!
This book is available now, if you dare to visit 12 ru Des Amants for yourself…
Oiu Oiu!!
The Paris Apartment in question is 12 ru Des Amants-a character in itself. Divided into 5 separate residences, one per floor, with the common areas of a rooftop terrace and a a wine cellar (cave in French).
One tiny lift, that barely fits an occupant with one piece of luggage, brings the residents to their own landing- a secret, narrow stairway, is another way to climb from floor to floor, with a door with an old fashioned key hole, accessing each individual unit.
There is a rare vacancy on floor three, and Nick, from floor two has arranged for it to be let to his friend from University, Benjamin Daniels, a journalist.
But, the other residents are not pleased with this arrangement.
They don��t agree on much, but they do agree that EVERYTHING changed, when Ben arrived.
Ben’s half-sister Jess needed to flee London in a hurry, and with nowhere else to turn-she pleaded with her half brother to let her come and stay for awhile. He reluctantly agrees but when she arrives, he isn’t home and he isn’t answering her texts.
Where could he be?
The neighbors are hostile instead of helpful, which is perplexing because Ben has a tendency to make friends wherever he goes.
Such a thin line between love and hate…
Jess breaks into the apartment to wait and finds a cat covered in blood, and more questions than answers. Can she trust any of the others living in this building to help her find her brother?
They all know something. They have all seen something. And, they are all hiding something.
And, I was ENCHANTED as I listened to each character voice their secrets and obsessions to me, in wonderful English and French accents- enhancing the experience.
What a FANTASTIC CAST of actors, this AUDIBLE has! I am sure this book will make my favorite Audible list in 2022 because of them!
In Lucy Foley’s first two “locked room” mysteries, I found the characters from book one and book two, to be very similar to one another, with different names.
The Paris Apartment, however, offers up a completely different group of players-to go along with this foreboding atmosphere and I thought it was the BEST of her three to date!
This book is available now, if you dare to visit 12 ru Des Amants for yourself…
March 28, 2022
Ok I thought I would love this one...not so much.
I listened to the audio and the narrators did a very fine job. For me it was just too slow moving and I was not fond of the style. There were a bunch of characters to keep track of and at first it was a bit confusing.
Once it got rolling I did become more interested in the story and finding out what actually happened to Ben. I think if I was actually reading the hardcopy of this book I would not have finished but the narration kept me going. I'm giving this an extra star just for the fantastic narration by the many narrators. Each one was unique and I enjoyed all the different accents. I did like the direction the story took and the ending was pretty satisfying.
I listened to the audio and the narrators did a very fine job. For me it was just too slow moving and I was not fond of the style. There were a bunch of characters to keep track of and at first it was a bit confusing.
Once it got rolling I did become more interested in the story and finding out what actually happened to Ben. I think if I was actually reading the hardcopy of this book I would not have finished but the narration kept me going. I'm giving this an extra star just for the fantastic narration by the many narrators. Each one was unique and I enjoyed all the different accents. I did like the direction the story took and the ending was pretty satisfying.
February 18, 2022
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is a 2022 William Morrow publication.
Jess contacts her half-brother, Ben, who is living in Paris, begging him to let her come for a visit. Though the timing is not the best, he agrees, but when Jess arrives at his apartment, Ben is nowhere to be found. It is odd that he wasn’t home to greet her- and strange that she wasn’t allowed into his apartment by the usual means.
Jess slyly works her way inside of Ben's apartment, but becomes more and more concerned when Ben never shows up.
Not wanting to consult with the police, Jess turns to the other residents, hoping to find out when or where Ben was last seen, and by whom.
But she seems to make Ben’s neighbors very uncomfortable, as they barely tolerate Jess, her probing questions, and the insinuation into their lives and explosive secrets…
This latest endeavor by Lucy Foley is a very slow burn, but the atmosphere is so thick I found myself immersed in the story, despite the seeming lack of real progress.
Once the pieces are carefully placed, though, one sick, twisted story emerges out the murky depths that is well the worth the time it took to get there.
Overall, this is a very well-written, absorbing mystery, and for me, is another winner for Lucy Foley!!
Jess contacts her half-brother, Ben, who is living in Paris, begging him to let her come for a visit. Though the timing is not the best, he agrees, but when Jess arrives at his apartment, Ben is nowhere to be found. It is odd that he wasn’t home to greet her- and strange that she wasn’t allowed into his apartment by the usual means.
Jess slyly works her way inside of Ben's apartment, but becomes more and more concerned when Ben never shows up.
Not wanting to consult with the police, Jess turns to the other residents, hoping to find out when or where Ben was last seen, and by whom.
But she seems to make Ben’s neighbors very uncomfortable, as they barely tolerate Jess, her probing questions, and the insinuation into their lives and explosive secrets…
This latest endeavor by Lucy Foley is a very slow burn, but the atmosphere is so thick I found myself immersed in the story, despite the seeming lack of real progress.
Once the pieces are carefully placed, though, one sick, twisted story emerges out the murky depths that is well the worth the time it took to get there.
Overall, this is a very well-written, absorbing mystery, and for me, is another winner for Lucy Foley!!
April 7, 2022
3.5⭐
I don't quite understand the hype around this author. This is my second Lucy Foley novel and I tried very hard to stay with the story.
Ben is a writer/journalist. He's working on a story, hoping to make a name for himself and break away from writing restaurant reviews. His half-sister, Jess called to let him know she was coming over from London. Her train was delayed and when she arrived at the apartment, Ben was missing.
At first glance, The Paris Apartment is an exciting "getaway" destination, but you're pretty much stuck at a lowrise apartment that could be anywhere. I didn't feel it was anything special or that the author took advantage of the setting.
The story is told by five different PoVs, Jess, the residents, and a concierge. The characters were a little ordinary, but I like the concierge knowing everyone's business. The mystery kept me engaged towards the end, but it was a little on the slow side. It would have been been a four-star read if I were worried about Ben but that didn't cross my mind and I only wanted to know what happened. Overall I quite enjoyed the novel.
I don't quite understand the hype around this author. This is my second Lucy Foley novel and I tried very hard to stay with the story.
Ben is a writer/journalist. He's working on a story, hoping to make a name for himself and break away from writing restaurant reviews. His half-sister, Jess called to let him know she was coming over from London. Her train was delayed and when she arrived at the apartment, Ben was missing.
At first glance, The Paris Apartment is an exciting "getaway" destination, but you're pretty much stuck at a lowrise apartment that could be anywhere. I didn't feel it was anything special or that the author took advantage of the setting.
The story is told by five different PoVs, Jess, the residents, and a concierge. The characters were a little ordinary, but I like the concierge knowing everyone's business. The mystery kept me engaged towards the end, but it was a little on the slow side. It would have been been a four-star read if I were worried about Ben but that didn't cross my mind and I only wanted to know what happened. Overall I quite enjoyed the novel.
April 12, 2022
This one is pretty difficult to rate. I think it's the first time that I skim through some chapters of a book, but end up thinking that the twists were very good!
To me, there was a major problem with the execution. I don't know how I could feel so bored during most part of the book with an idea so interesting! Unfortunately, the author didn't achieve to keep me engaged because nothing was happening. I'll settle for 2.5 stars!
To me, there was a major problem with the execution. I don't know how I could feel so bored during most part of the book with an idea so interesting! Unfortunately, the author didn't achieve to keep me engaged because nothing was happening. I'll settle for 2.5 stars!
June 20, 2022
Reading about Paris just really made me want to hop on a plane and devour croissants, eclairs and macaroons. Yum!!!😋
I was completely entranced from beginning to end while reading this book and really enjoyed the twists along the way. The tangle of constant deceits are so frequent that I applaud Foley for the tightly woven web she created. I really liked a few characters and felt almost all were pretty thoroughly characterized.
My biggest complaint was there were about three questions I had by the end that didn’t get cleared up as much as I had hoped, but I still found the book to be insanely compelling.
I have really enjoyed all four books I have read by Foley (I have one more of hers I have yet to read) and I’ll probably pick up anything Foley writes at this point.
Feel free to check out my reviews for other Lucy Foley books!:
The Invitation
The Hunting Party
The Guest List
4.25 ⭐️
I was completely entranced from beginning to end while reading this book and really enjoyed the twists along the way. The tangle of constant deceits are so frequent that I applaud Foley for the tightly woven web she created. I really liked a few characters and felt almost all were pretty thoroughly characterized.
My biggest complaint was there were about three questions I had by the end that didn’t get cleared up as much as I had hoped, but I still found the book to be insanely compelling.
I have really enjoyed all four books I have read by Foley (I have one more of hers I have yet to read) and I’ll probably pick up anything Foley writes at this point.
Feel free to check out my reviews for other Lucy Foley books!:
The Invitation
The Hunting Party
The Guest List
4.25 ⭐️
November 20, 2022
EXCERPT: He should call her, give her some directions. When her phone rings out he leaves a voicenote: 'Hey Jess, so it's number twelve, Rue des Amants. Got that? Third floor.'
His eye's drawn to a flash of movement in the courtyard beneath the windows. Someone's passing through it quickly. Almost running. He can only make out a shadowy figure, can't see who it is. But something about the speed seems odd. He's hit with a little animal spike of adrenaline.
He remembers he's still recording the voicenote, drags his gaze from the window. 'Just ring the buzzer. I'll be up waiting for you-'
He stops speaking. Hesitates, listens. A noise. The sound of footsteps out on the landing . . . approaching the apartment door.
The footsteps stop. Someone is there, just outside. He waits for a knock. None comes. Silence. But a weighted silence, like a held breath.
Odd.
And then another sound. He stands still, ears pricked, listening intently. There it is again. It's metal on metal, the scrape of a key. Then the clunk of it entering the mechanism. He watches the lock turn. Someone is unlocking his door from outside. Someone who has a key, but no business coming in here uninvited. The handle begins to move downwards. The door begins to open, with that familiar drawn out groan.
He puts his phone down on the kitchen counter, voicenote forgotten. Waits and watches dumbly as the door swings forward. As the figure steps into the room.
'What are you doing here?' he asks. Calm, reasonable. Nothing to hide. Not afraid. Or not yet. 'And why-'
Then he sees what his intruder holds.
Now. Now the fear comes.
ABOUT 'THE PARIS APARTMENT': Welcome to No.12 rue des Amants
A beautiful old apartment block, far from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and the bustling banks of the Seine.
Where nothing goes unseen, and everyone has a story to unlock.
The watchful concierge
The scorned lover
The prying journalist
The naïve student
The unwanted guest
There was a murder here last night.
A mystery lies behind the door of apartment three.
Who holds the key?
MY THOUGHTS: I think it would be very difficult to find another author who does tension as well as Lucy Foley. I am not going to say anything whatsoever about the plot - it's one of those books where it's best that the reader goes in blind. I love it that the publicity blurb gives nothing away. That's as it should be.
Foley has constructed a gloriously twisty, atmospheric mystery that surprised and satisfied me. I didn't know who to trust, if anyone. The Paris Apartment is told from many points of view, but don't let this put you off. The cast of narrators is: Sophie - the penthouse; Mimi - 4th floor; Ben/Jess - 3rd floor; Nick - 2nd floor; Antoine - 1st floor; and the concierge - the cottage.
The narrators are largely unlikeable and mostly unreliable. They all have secrets to hide, some darker than others, and some interconnected.
The question is, how far will some go to protect their secrets? Will they kill to protect those secrets? Or will they kill to escape them?
Foley takes us beneath the glitzy facade of Paris, the designer fashion shows, the Eiffel Tower, the West Bank cafes, and shares some of its dirty secrets.
I was lucky enough to have been provided with both digital and an audio ARCs of the Paris Apartment, and I equally enjoyed both. The audiobook is superbly narrated by a full cast of characters, making for a wonderful listening experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#TheParisApartment #NetGalley
I: @lucyfoleyauthor @harpercollins
T: @LucyFoleyTweets @HarperCollins
#audiobook #book #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #suspense
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is currently available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle and audio formats.
THE AUTHOR: Lucy Foley studied English literature at Durham University and University College London and worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. She is the author of five novels including The Guest List and The Hunting Party. She lives in London.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Harper Collins Audio via Netgalley for providing both digital and audio ARCs of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
His eye's drawn to a flash of movement in the courtyard beneath the windows. Someone's passing through it quickly. Almost running. He can only make out a shadowy figure, can't see who it is. But something about the speed seems odd. He's hit with a little animal spike of adrenaline.
He remembers he's still recording the voicenote, drags his gaze from the window. 'Just ring the buzzer. I'll be up waiting for you-'
He stops speaking. Hesitates, listens. A noise. The sound of footsteps out on the landing . . . approaching the apartment door.
The footsteps stop. Someone is there, just outside. He waits for a knock. None comes. Silence. But a weighted silence, like a held breath.
Odd.
And then another sound. He stands still, ears pricked, listening intently. There it is again. It's metal on metal, the scrape of a key. Then the clunk of it entering the mechanism. He watches the lock turn. Someone is unlocking his door from outside. Someone who has a key, but no business coming in here uninvited. The handle begins to move downwards. The door begins to open, with that familiar drawn out groan.
He puts his phone down on the kitchen counter, voicenote forgotten. Waits and watches dumbly as the door swings forward. As the figure steps into the room.
'What are you doing here?' he asks. Calm, reasonable. Nothing to hide. Not afraid. Or not yet. 'And why-'
Then he sees what his intruder holds.
Now. Now the fear comes.
ABOUT 'THE PARIS APARTMENT': Welcome to No.12 rue des Amants
A beautiful old apartment block, far from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and the bustling banks of the Seine.
Where nothing goes unseen, and everyone has a story to unlock.
The watchful concierge
The scorned lover
The prying journalist
The naïve student
The unwanted guest
There was a murder here last night.
A mystery lies behind the door of apartment three.
Who holds the key?
MY THOUGHTS: I think it would be very difficult to find another author who does tension as well as Lucy Foley. I am not going to say anything whatsoever about the plot - it's one of those books where it's best that the reader goes in blind. I love it that the publicity blurb gives nothing away. That's as it should be.
Foley has constructed a gloriously twisty, atmospheric mystery that surprised and satisfied me. I didn't know who to trust, if anyone. The Paris Apartment is told from many points of view, but don't let this put you off. The cast of narrators is: Sophie - the penthouse; Mimi - 4th floor; Ben/Jess - 3rd floor; Nick - 2nd floor; Antoine - 1st floor; and the concierge - the cottage.
The narrators are largely unlikeable and mostly unreliable. They all have secrets to hide, some darker than others, and some interconnected.
The question is, how far will some go to protect their secrets? Will they kill to protect those secrets? Or will they kill to escape them?
Foley takes us beneath the glitzy facade of Paris, the designer fashion shows, the Eiffel Tower, the West Bank cafes, and shares some of its dirty secrets.
I was lucky enough to have been provided with both digital and an audio ARCs of the Paris Apartment, and I equally enjoyed both. The audiobook is superbly narrated by a full cast of characters, making for a wonderful listening experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#TheParisApartment #NetGalley
I: @lucyfoleyauthor @harpercollins
T: @LucyFoleyTweets @HarperCollins
#audiobook #book #contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #suspense
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is currently available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle and audio formats.
THE AUTHOR: Lucy Foley studied English literature at Durham University and University College London and worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. She is the author of five novels including The Guest List and The Hunting Party. She lives in London.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Harper Collins Audio via Netgalley for providing both digital and audio ARCs of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
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