“It’s a beautiful building, but there’s something rotten at its heart. Now he’s discovered it he can smell the stench of it everywhere.”
A gripping murder mystery, set across beautiful surroundings and featuring some of the most page-turning writing? Must be time for another Lucy Foley book review! Having established as arguably one of the best thriller writers in the world on the back of releases like The Hunting Party and The Guest List, anticipation for the release of 2022’s The Paris Apartment was as close to fever-pitch as you could get. Did this 2022 thriller book justify the hype? Join us here at What We Reading for our The Paris Apartment book review to find out!
Date Published: 2022
Author: Lucy Foley
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 360
Goodreads Rating: 3.69/5
Premise
Jess is a down-on-her-luck former bartender that is attempting to restart her life with a fresh start in the beautiful surroundings of Paris. Her half-brother Ben is staying in a luxurious apartment in the middle of the city and has said she can stay with him. However, when she arrives at the building and there is no sign of Ben, it soon becomes clear there is something sinister hiding in the walls.
Encountering the strange assortment of characters living in the complex, Jess is forced into a desperate battle to unearth the truth of what has happened to her brother, and what secrets her new neighbours are hiding from her.
What Worked
From the very first paragraphs, this just felt like a Lucy Foley novel. The way in which she has been able to establish an identity and feel of her own is a real testament to her skill and growing standing in the thriller genre, and it isn’t pulled me into the book.
Foley’s other works in The Hunting Party and The Guest List were original for flipping back and forth between the times prior to and after the murder, The Paris Apartment was much more linear in its structure. There was the odd flashback here and there, but it certainly helped the book stand out from Foley’s other entries.
Also, unlike previous Foley books, The Paris Apartment featured much more of a protagonist through Jess. Jess is a great main character for readers to see the book through – she’s extremely resourceful, incredibly likeable and nuanced enough that it feels like a reader is always learning more about her.
But, like other Foley works, The Paris Apartment does feature other perspectives from those living in the complex, which helps raise the intrigue and suspicion of everyone.
It might have been because I was reading the book during the dark and cold January days in the UK, but the setting of Paris in the summer worked extremely well for this suspenseful thriller. All of the characters stood out as memorable members of the Parisian elite class, and the book really managed to nail the balance between guessable revelations and shocking secrets coming out of the shadows.
What Didn’t
As I mentioned above, this was the first Lucy Foley book where I actually felt I had a decent idea of how things were going to map out.
Don’t get me wrong – there were some considerable twists that I didn’t see coming whatsoever, however, by about the halfway mark I felt myself piecing things together in a way that felt premature from what the author wanted.
To me, The Paris Apartment is a mixed bag of genuinely thrilling revelations that really work, and others that fall so short of the mark they leaves a reader feeling underwhelmed.
Verdict
The Paris Apartment is a page-turning getaway murder mystery that makes for a great read for people looking to sink their teeth without having to do too much thinking. A lot of aspects of the book are told rather than shown, which makes for a great casual experience, and the complex intrigue of this luxurious Parisian complex and its inhabitants is unravelled at an enthralling pace.
Overall, I think Foley did a stellar job at keeping with the feel of her previous works, whilst branching out and having The Paris Apartment stand out as its own entry. I enjoyed the setting much more than I first thought, the characters all made for compelling and believable suspects and the shocks that did get me certainly left a memorable impression.
The linear approach might have made a few more things more predictable than in something like The Hunting Party but, by and large, this was a really fun read from one of our favourite authors!
Our Rating: 4.5/5
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Views From Around The Reading World
“Another strong addition to the mystery thriller genre from the bestselling Lucy Foley, this is set in a menacing and atmospheric Paris apartment block that slowly gives up its secrets. A pacy and clever thriller that takes a few dark twists towards the end.”
Quote supplied by Adrian from BookShelf Discovery
“One of the things I particularly liked about the book is the way it’s written from the point of view of each main character in turn.
The apartment building itself is also like another character. Secret doors into back stairs, unused maid’s quarters in the attic, a spooky wine cellar nicknamed the Cave in the basement and the hut where the concierge lives.
I literally flew through this book. It’s just so good and every one is fascinating in their own way.”
Quote supplied by Bookchatter@Cookiebiscuit
“Lucy Foley brings forth another round of Agatha Christie magic, where random strangers are stuck in a closed room situation and murder is discovered.
The story is classic Foley, with its varied characters each one having a multitude of shades and a closet full of secrets, and the story as it rolls forward evokes gasps, oohs, and aahs from its readers.”
Quote supplied by Farshana from Rain’n’Books
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
