the paris apartment book review

#ReadWithMC Reviews 'The Paris Apartment'

"The main twist totally took me by surprise, to the point where I actually stopped reading and flipped back a few chapters to try and find the breadcrumbs I had missed."

In March, we were up until all hours with MarieClaire.com's  #ReadWithMC  pick, The Paris Apartment —Lucy Foley's latest twisty, turny thriller about a woman who leaves her life in London only to get to her brother's Paris apartment to realize something is very, very wrong. 

We created #ReadWithMC to foster a community of book lovers (while holding us all accountable to finish!)—but to also curate authentic reviews and recommendations for women who find themselves wondering what to dive into next.

The Paris Apartment had a lot of what readers loved about Foley's other books—unpredictable plot twists and vivid settings.  As one reader put it : "I’m a huge fan of Lucy Foley—her books always deliver such excellent entertainment value + wanderlust-worthy settings, and the same is 1000% true of her new novel, The Paris Apartment ."

Here, a sampling of more readers' thoughts about  The Paris Apartment . 

"At last! My favourite author is back with another amazing thriller! I adored The Hunting Party and The Guest List and so as soon as The Paris Apartment came out I knew I had to buy and read it straight away. Yet again, the settings are described beautifully, there’s enough characters to have multiple story lines and the twists come out of nowhere. I find Foley’s writing strangely comforting, you know what to expect with the multiple POVs, twists, turns, and wrapping it all up at the end of the book. Saying this, I think this was my least favourite of the three books. Whether this was because the setting wasn’t as remote or isolated as usual, meaning there were slightly more outside characters, or more likely I read this while also battling COVID! For me to read a book in under a week, with Covid and work is unheard of, so this must have been gripping to say the least!"

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"I have a fascination with the city of Paris after I was able to visit years ago and approached this novel with anticipation. And the premise initially reeled me in: An atmospheric spooky apartment building in Montmarte with mysterious inhabitants who all seem to have secrets and underlying motives. Perpetually down on her luck Jess arrives there, the reluctant guest of her journalist brother Ben, only to find him missing. No one seems to know where he is and no one seems to want to help find him. As Jess begins to ask questions and search, it becomes clear that something sinister is unfolding. Ben’s investigation into a story lead has put him in real danger. The clock is ticking and Jess needs to find him before she also finds herself in jeopardy. This promising premise devolves with the plethora of characters introduced and tangential plot lines muddy the cohesiveness of the story. The slow burn aspect of the thriller plods instead of simmers with tension. The plot twists seem transparent and I was aching for a resolution that failed to satisfy. I’ve enjoyed past works by this author including The Hunting Party and The Guest List. Ultimately however, The Paris Apartment did not connect with me as a reader and failed to thrill."

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"I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews of this one and while I really liked it in the beginning (even though it’s a slower burn), the ending tried to do too much and lost me. What I liked: 🇫🇷 Great prologue to hook you 🇫🇷 Multiple pov 🇫🇷 Short chapters 🇫🇷 Cool setting of Paris and a gothic apartment complex 🇫🇷 Some good twists/reveals 🇫🇷 Fav characters: Sophie, Mimi, Concierge What I didn’t like: 🇫🇷 A little overly descriptive/wordy and cliche at times 🇫🇷 Writing not my fav of hers 🇫🇷 Use of French with no translation 🇫🇷 A random steamy scene that seemed out of place 🇫🇷 Cramming too many, and at times over the top, twists/reveals at the end 🇫🇷 Some plot holes/ unnecessary plot lines In the vein of  @emilybookedup  here’s my Lucy Foley ranking: 🥇 THE GUEST LIST (4.5) 🥈 THE HUNTING PARTY (4.5) 🥉 THE PARIS APARTMENT (3.5) Although this wasn’t my favorite, I’ve definitely seen reviews of people that really liked it. If you are a fan of her other work or of Lisa Jewell, you might like this! A Sony subsidiary has the film rights, so this might be the case where I like the movie more than the book!"

-@readmorewithlaur

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"📚 Rating: 4.5/5 stars 📖 Down-on-her-luck Jess heads to Paris to stay with her half-brother Ben—only to discover his apartment is empty and there is a building full of suspects who seem determined to keep her from finding the truth. 💭 THE PARIS APARTMENT is my favorite thriller of the year so far! The setting was fun, the characters were a good mix of lovable and hatable, and, once again for a Lucy Foley novel, the twists were on point. While I figured out some of the reveals a little early, the main twist totally took me by surprise, to the point where I actually stopped reading and flipped back a few chapters to try and find the breadcrumbs I had missed. I’ve seen a few reviews calling THE PARIS APARTMENT a slow-burn thriller but I actually disagree—I felt there was a lot going on from the very first page, and I appreciated the way Foley’s pacing allowed for multiple small reveals over the course of the novel. I did think there were a few forgotten plot threads, which is what ultimately kept me from giving this a full five stars, and the book also fell prey to one of my personal pet peeves, scattering foreign language phrases without always translating them. But, nitpicking aside, I read this one in a day and a half and thoroughly enjoyed it…and I’m already counting down the days until whatever Foley writes next."

-@savvyrosereads

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"When Jess arrives at her brother Ben’s new apartment in Paris, ready to escape from her old life in London, he is nowhere to be found. What she unearths within the first few hours of being there tells her something terrible has happened to her brother. But what…and why… I can see where the mixed reviews are coming from with this one; however, I really enjoy it. There is just something so unique about Lucy Foley’s writing that I cannot quite put my finger on - some sort of twisty madness mixed with things that go bump in the night, and I just love it every time. While this one had a whole different vibe from her other thrillers, it shares some of the same stylistic techniques, from the short chapters told by different characters, to the cliff hanger chapter endings that make you want to keep reading. In addition, her description of this lux, overwhelming, and shadowy apartment complex is so detailed, I can see every square inch in my mind’s eye. This helped me stay engaged as the action unfolded. I will agree that there was a chunk towards the middle that felt like it dragged a bit. However, overall, I felt fully submersed in that secluded and creepy Paris apartment, right along with Jess, trying to figure out whodunit and what had been done."

-@marenreads

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Kate Storey is a contributing editor at Marie Claire and writer-at-large at Esquire magazine, where she covers culture and politics. Kate's writing has appeared in ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR, Town & Country, and Cosmopolitan, and her first book comes out in summer 2023. 

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The Paris Apartment (Review, Recap & Full Summary)

By lucy foley.

Book review, full book summary and synopsis for The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, a sub-par mystery set among a group of residents of a Paris apartment building.

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

The two-paragraph version: Jess arrives to stay with her half-brother Ben at his apartment in Paris, but Ben is missing. She explores the building which has an extensive wine cellar and meets the various other residents of the building.

As she investigates what happened to Ben, Jess realizes that most of the residents of the building are one family and that they make their money running an illegal sex-trafficking club (that masquerades as an exclusive club selling expensive wines). Ben was investigating and was found out by Jacques (the father). Jacques attacked Ben, but Jacques was stopped and stabbed by Mimi (the daughter who was infatuated with Ben). Jess finds Ben nearly dead and being kept in the old maids' chambers. Ben recovers.

On Friday , the Prologue opens with Ben , a journalist, working on a story in his 3rd floor apartment in Paris when someone unlocks his door and attacks him.

Ben's half-sister Jess , who recently lost her job, shows up shortly afterwards to stay with him and realizes he is missing. She finds his wallet containing a metal card and contact information for Theo Mendelson, an editor for The Guardian.

Jess soon meets the various residents of the building. On the Penthouse floor, Sophie Meunier is an older woman whose husband is Jacques Meunier . On the 4th floor, are two young female roommates, Mimi and Camille . Mimi had been infatuated with Ben. On the 2nd floor, Nick is a single man. And on the 1st floor is a couple with an unhappy marriage, Dominique and Antoine . There's also a lodge at the building which houses the Concierge , an old woman.

On Saturday , Sophie rips up the most recent blackmail letter she has received. Sophie has been getting monetary demands threatening to expose “what you really are”, but now she feels she no longer needs to pay.

Jess finds a hidden secondary stairwell in the building that leads up to the old Maid's Quarters at the top of the building. She also explores the building's basement, which houses an extensive wine cellar. Nick helps let Jess out when the cellar door gets jammed, shutting her inside. Nick is old friends with Ben, and he was the one who invited Ben to stay at the building three months ago.

Jess also meets up with Theo at a café. Theo says that Ben was supposed to pitch a story to him that morning, but he hasn't heard from him. On the way back at the Metro, a young Eastern European woman stops Jess saying she overheard that Jess was looking for Ben. When Jess says Ben in nowhere to be found, the woman runs off before Jess can find out who she it.

Back at the apartment, Jess find Ben's notes about something called Le Petite Mort (meaning "little deaths"). However, when Jess goes to sleep, someone breaks in and takes the notebook containing the notes. Meanwhile, in the building's dumbwaiter, Mimi finds a bloodied sharp object wrapped in fabric which she accidentally cuts herself with.

On Sunday , Nick helps Jess report Ben as an official missing person to Commissaire Blanchot from the police. Nick also tells Jess about traveling around Europe with Ben and some other friends one summer in college.

Jess also gets invited into the Penthouse apartment and she finds a Russian passport belonging to Sophie. She then sees a photograph that makes her realize that the various residents of the building are a family. Sophie and Jacques are the parents of Antoine, Nick and Mimi.

We soon learn that Antoine and Nick are Sophie's stepsons from Jacques's first marriage while Mimi is her daughter. Jacques inherited a wine estate, the Château Blondin-Lavigne , when his first wife became ill and passed away.

That night, Mimi and Camille throw a Halloween Party. Jess attends in order to ask the various guests if they know anything about Ben, and she finds a bunch of ripped up canvases of painting of Ben in Mimi's apartment. However, someone drugs Jess's drink and she soon passes out.

On Monday , Nick thinks about the time he and Ben were in Amsterdam and he had kissed Ben (who is bisexual) which made Nick realize that he's queer, something that Nick is deeply ashamed of.

Theo soon calls to tell Jess that he's figured out what the metal card is from Ben's wallet. They go to an exclusive club, and Theo explains that the card is used to get access. It's a club masquerading as a place selling high end wine, but it is actually engaging in sex trafficking and owned by the Meunier family. Young, trafficked girls are paraded around the club and clients order "wines" so their spending seems legitimate. Jess recognizes one of the girls as the young woman she waylaid her at the Metro.

Back at the building, Sophie reminisces about how she'd been having an affair with Ben. She also thinks about how Mimi is actually her adopted child, since she was desperate to have a child of her own. (We learn that the Concierge admitted to Ben that Mimi is actually her granddaughter, and Mimi's mother died in childbirth. Sophie then adopted Mimi as her own.)

Then, Antoine then comes in and admits to Sophie that he's the one that has been blackmailing Sophie. He found out that Sophie was once one of the girls from the family's club, something that Sophie has wanted to hide about her past. He demands more money and threatens to tell Jacques, but Sophie refuses.

When Jess returns to the building, she's accosted by Nick and Antoine who know about the research she's been doing. When Antoine comes at her, Jess stabs him and runs up the stairs into the Maid Quarters to hide. She's shocked to find Ben there -- alive, but barely. Nick shows up and is confused that Ben is alive.

We then learn that on the day of Ben's disappearance, Jacques had confronted Ben about his investigation into his family's illegal activities and attacked him. Mimi witnessed this and stabbed Jacques before he could kill Ben. Sophie then found out and helped Mimi to cover things up. Sophie told Nick, Antoine and the Concierge that the dead body belonged to Ben (who she said Jacques had killed) so they helped to bury Jacques's body. She also told them Jacques had left the country for the time being. Sophie then secretly took Ben (injured, but alive) to the Maid's Quarters to hide him there.

In present day, Jess convinces Sophie to let her take Ben to get medical assistance. When Ben recovers, Theo publishes the exposé about the club while Jess convinces Sophie to provide monetary payments to the girls at the club so they can disappear (since many of them are undocumented, etc.). Jess takes a cut of the payment and starts a new life.

For more detail, see the full Section-by-Section Summary .

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Book Review

The Paris Apartment is the latest release from mystery-thriller author Lucy Foley. I’d previously read her book The Guest List which was imperfect, but promising enough that I’d been looking forward to her next release.

Unfortunately — there’s no point in sugarcoating this — this book is pretty underwhelming and not particularly fun to read. It deals with a woman, Jess, who goes to visit her brother Ben at his Parisian flat, only to discover that he seems to have gone missing.

That tiny snippet of plot is pretty much all you get for half the book. Sure, you meet some other characters and Jess walks around talking to them, but everything is covered in such a cloud of mystery that it all seems a little nonsensical. You’re told that all these characters have very strong feelings about Ben, but have no clue why or in what way and it’s all so contrived that it feels a bit cartoonish. So many scenes involve various characters sitting around at home, reflecting on random memories and feeling angsty about Ben for unclear reasons.

In terms of the writing, it tries so hard to sound ominous, but it came off as super cheesy to me, which detracted from the atmosphere of the book. I found myself repeatedly wondering, “ Why am I reading this? ”

Mystery-thriller novels typically have to strike a delicate balance of providing enough information — to keep the story going, explain what’s going on and drop some clues — while withholding enough details to maintain the mystery and provide a few surprises, usually towards the end.

In the Paris Apartment , the balance is completely wrong. It tries to keep all its secrets so close to it’s chest so that you have entirely no clue what’s going on or why anyone is doing anything for the majority of the book. The story that’s provided is barely enough to keep it moving forward.

And lastly, when the plot reveals finally start happening in the last quarter of the book, they weren’t interesting enough to be worth the tedious lead-up.

Read it or Skip it?

This is a hard skip it. Stuff does get explained at the end, but the ending isn’t particularly clever or interesting. Moreover, the book proceeds along so clunkily with little discernible plot for a vast majority of the book. For me, the “meh” ending definitely wasn’t worth the tedious and slow lead-up.

Overall, the Paris Apartment was not great. I definitely would have stopped reading it if I hadn’t been planning on reviewing it for this site.

See The Paris Apartment on Amazon.

Spoiler-ish Thoughts

SPOILERS START HERE!

So much of this book seemed silly to me. Like the random peep holes looking into each of the units? What is that? Also, Ben leaving scraps of information hidden in various places around the apartment? Like, why wouldn’t he keep his notes in one place? Why would you write reminders of stuff and then hide them in places you’re likely to forget?

Plus, the whole point-of-view of the Concierge has is so cartoonish. I just couldn’t take any part of this book seriously at all.

Also, the “twist” that Camille and Dominique are lovers? Totally out of left field and also, who cares?

The real kicker for me is that Nick and Sophie basically get a free pass despite knowing all along what was going on all along — I just didn’t understand why the author seems to think turning a blind eye to something like that is any way acceptable.

The Paris Apartment Audiobook

Narrator : Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Julia Winwood, Sope Dirisu, Sofia Zervudachi & Charlie Anson Length : 12 hours 25 minutes

Hear a sample of The Paris Apartment audiobook on Libro.fm.

Book Excerpt

Read the first pages of The Paris Apartment

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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.

Everyone's a neighbor. Everyone's a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

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16 comments

Share your thoughts cancel reply.

OMG! I thought I was the only one who just didn’t think this book was great. It was so meh for so much of the book and the stuff that was meant to be wow moments were just ok! Thanks for confirming that it wasn’t just me lol

Nope. I disliked it too. I liked her book “The Guest List” but this one was so seedy and just made me feel icky after I finished it.

Agree! I feel so validated in my thoughts that this was a WASTE! phew

What an inane book; stupid plot and ridiculous characters.

I don’t understand why such underwhelming, mediocre books get so much publicity and attention. I share the opinions of the other commenters.

Underwhelming is a perfect word for this. Usually, I feel a tug at the end of a chapter that hooks me into the next chapter. I felt no such nudge and felt quite comfortable setting the book down without the curiosity or intrigue to pick it up again. Had it not been an assigned book in our book club, I would have never finished it.

It’s probably meant for people like me who actually never read books at all. I absolutely agree with how underwhelming it was and would like suggestions for my next endeavor:)

Skimmed after a third of way through. Didn’t care much for the characters. Felt no connection nor any interest in the plot. Read the last few pages and was totally relieved to be finished with the book. Had I not spent $14.99 on Kindle I probably would have stopped reading much sooner. Don’t bother.

Really appreciated this review! I just finished it and underwhelming is the right word. The constant switch of perspectives gave such a lack to all the characters and the pace…I was basically skimming at the end to just finish it. I’m glad to see I’m not alone in this! When I started googling reviews to see what people thought, I got confused so I’m glad to see I’m not alone!

Did anyone ever feed the cat?

Your review mirrored my thoughts exactly. I kept waiting for something to happen. Ben wasn’t even written as likable enough for me to really care if he was dead or alive. I wanted to scream at the end when everyone basically got away with sex trafficking.

I KNOW, RIGHT?! I can’t believe the author thought that was okay

I stopped at the St Christopher medal!

After suffering through 130 pages I googled synopsis because I couldn’t devote another minute to this. To say that I found this underwhelming is a compliment. Your review is totally on target and i wish I read the reviews more Thoroughly before I purchased this book.

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‘The Paris Apartment’ Review: An Elegant and Exhilarating Mystery

A sinister apartment building and its inhabitants are the suspects in Lucy Foley’s newest novel, “The Paris Apartment.” A thriller with short chapters narrated by characters full of secrets, “The Paris Apartment” is quick to draw in the reader and will leave them hooked with anticipation.

Jess, a Londoner escaping her less-than-ideal job, arrives in Paris to stay with her brother, Ben, only to find him missing. From the very start, every character has something to hide. Foley spends much of the first half of her novel unwinding the threads connecting each character to Ben and their potential motives for his disappearance. The pace is rather slow and focuses more on developing the personalities of apartment building’s inhabitants than on the main mystery at hand. Delving into subplots of roommate drama, affairs, and extortion, Foley takes occasional detours from Ben’s disappearance. Despite leaving the reader impatient and wanting more action, this exposition provides much needed context for the latter half of the novel and builds the tension that makes the ending oh-so-satisfying.

From Sophie, the seemingly perfect Parisienne and trophy wife, to Antoine, a man brewing with violence just beneath the surface, Foley strongly develops the novel’s side characters along with all of their flaws. Frequently switching perspectives from Jess to her neighbors, the reader is organically exposed to the characters’ feelings along with Jess’s interpretation of them. The short chapters rarely span more than five pages and give quick but powerful glimpses into what makes these characters human. Grappling with failed marriages, and unrequited love, the inhabitants of Number Twelve Rue des Amants are all battling inner demons.

A surprisingly subtle but important player in the tale is Paris itself. The bustling city with tourists and boulangeries provides contrast to the apartment building’s quiet seclusion and adds to the frenzied atmosphere of the story with police corruption and riots in the streets. Jess’s ventures into the foreign city are “a breath of fresh air,” showing just how suffocating and oppressive the apartment building really is.

Wealth, or the lack of it, is also tied up in this thrilling tale. The concierge’s cramped quarters juxtapose the luxuriously decorated penthouse apartment and expansive wine cellar, raising questions about the legitimacy of all the affluence we witness. The protagonist is described as essentially broke, putting her at odds with the other dwellers of the apartment building based on social status. An outsider looking in, Jess feels relatable on her journey digging through the secrets of the wealthy neighbors to find her brother.

“The Paris Apartment” really takes off in the second half, as Jess makes crucial discoveries that unearth not only how her brother disappeared but ultimately how Number Twelve Rue des Amants came to be. Action-packed excursions into the depths of Paris and chaotic basement parties keep the plot engaging by adding an element of surprise. Betrayals and emotional revelations from Jess’s neighbors preserve the mystery all the way until its reveal, climactic for the reader and the inhabitants of the apartment building alike.

Foley’s writing is simple and immersive, marrying the elegance and dark undertones of Paris with a reckless but determined protagonist to create an intriguing mystery. “The Paris Apartment” is a sinister puzzle you’ll love solving.

—Staff writer Anna Moiseieva can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at @AMoiseieva.

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Review: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is a locked-room murder mystery with an intriguing setting.

I’ve enjoyed Lucy Foley’s recent novels from The Hunting Party to the Reese Book Club Pick The Guest List . Her mysteries tend to have a bit more depth while also providing plenty of twists.

So I was eager to read her latest novel, The Paris Apartment, and thought the setting was vivid, unique and somewhat spooky. I was also surprised at one big reveal in particular. I did feel, however, some of the characters felt a little flat and that took away from the story for me.

What’s the Story About

After running away from her toxic job, Jess leaves behind London and arrives in Paris to stay with her half-brother, Ben. But he’s not answering any of her texts or calls and when she arrives to his extremely posh apartment, she eventually finds out he’s no where to be found.

None of the other apartment residents are much help and they all seem to be hiding something. As Jess searches for Ben, she soon realizes she left her troubles behind only to find some more sinister ones ahead.

The Characters

As per typical with the author’s other novels, we read the story from several different perspectives including Jess; Nick, the seemingly nice guy friend of Ben; Sophie, the sophisticated wife of a wealthy man; Mimi, an isolated twenty-something and the mysterious concierge (I don’t think we ever get her name). Each of the characters have something to hide.

I wouldn’t say these characters are particularly likable, safe for Jess—she has had a rough life and she is truly concerned about her brother. The concierge could have been more interesting but she doesn’t appear that often in the novel. So we’re stuck with the other characters more often than I would have liked.

I don’t have to love each character when I read a novel but in this one, the others are a drag to read about at times, to be honest. They appear to fall under certain stereotypes and yes, while there are some reveals for each one (more than meets the eye, so to speak), it didn’t move the needle enough for me.

I found myself wanting to skim through some of their sections as I didn’t love reading the viewpoints of the others. I felt there was a disconnect there and I don’t think they were given enough motivation from some of the actions—maybe it needed some more backstory? The character development felt a little off compared to her previous novels I’ve read.

The Setting

One thing that Lucy Foley alway delivers on is the setting! From the Scottish Highlands to an island off the coast of Ireland , her settings almost serve as another character. This is most prevalent in The Paris Apartment where beneath the fancy exterior lies a bunch of secrets.

I also enjoyed the setting in Paris as whole, which is a nice change of pace. I don’t think I’ve read a mystery in Paris in some time. Although, there’s no sightseeing on Jess’ journey but there’s still an atmospheric element of it taking place in Paris.

I think these locked-room mystery type stories are so clever and does tend to give a claustrophobic feeling, especially when Jess is in the apartment.

I don’t tend to focus on star ratings as much but If I were to give it for this one, it would be three stars. I feel the story is entertaining enough and took some interesting turns. But again, the character development wasn’t there like I wanted it to be. Sometimes I feel when authors are working so hard to throw you off, they lose some of the plot and depth.

Just know that some areas are a bit perplexing but in the end, it does feel like a complete story. This is also an easy, quick read. So if you’re looking for a mystery that you’ll fly through, this could be a good choice for you.

For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here .

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“The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley – Book Review

Benjamin Daniels – a Cambridge educated journalist is living in an elegant, historic apartment in Paris. He was invited to live there by and old university friend, Nick. Ben is sociable, charismatic, and inquisitive. Jess – Ben’s 24 year old half-sister. Whilst Ben was adopted by a wealthy family, Jess wasn’t so lucky. She spent her formative years in the foster system. When she finds herself in a spot of bother in England, she travels to Paris to stay with Ben. Though he said he would be waiting for her, there is no one there when she arrives. Though his wallet, computer, cat, Vespa, and clothes are all in the apartment (when she breaks in) , Ben has vanished. She asks around but no one will tell her anything. AND, they all seem secretive and sly… Are they all hiding something? Something just feels – wrong. Sophie Meunier – is 50 years old and lives in the penthouse apartment. She is married to a very wealthy wine merchant. Her husband is away most of the time, and she finds herself lonely in the huge apartment with only her small dog for company. Mimi – is in her late teens and shares her apartment with the flamboyant Camille. Mimi is quite mentally unstable, and quickly becomes besotted with the newcomer, Ben. Nick – Ben’s former university friend, has had some financial setbacks due to unwise investing. He has returned home to Paris to get back on his feet. Antoine – is forty years old and is a volatile and violent alcoholic who has just separated from his wife.

From then on I was entirely invested in the outcome. Would Jess find Ben alive? What secrets were the residents so desperate to keep?

I tried to really like Jess, yet her light-fingered behavior, poking around into other people’s possessions, and her general impertinence lent her an air of insolence that I found unlikable. That being said, her personality was the driving mechanism of the novel, nothing much would have happened without her audacious actions. All the while the reader really knows that her behavior is mere bravado. Underneath she is floundering, insecure, and desperate for stability.

The various residents of the apartment building were well portrayed. Some were creepy, some suspect, and all were overly secretive. The vibe was the sort that you feel when you just know that someone is staring at you, yet you don’t know who, why, or where they are…

Published by Harper Collins UK – March 3, 2022

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13 responses to “the paris apartment” by lucy foley – book review.

Pingback: “The Midnight Feast” by Lucy Foley – Book Review @HarperCollinsUK #TheMidnightFeast @lucyfoleytweets #BookReview | Fictionophile

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Excellent review Lynne. This is in the queue for next week. This will be my first Lucy Foley book and I am looking forward to it.

Like Liked by 1 person

Hope you enjoy it Carla.

I am sure I will, everyone is raving about it.

I was searching for a review and found yours. You make it sound like something that really is a must read. This sounds so good. I have an ARC copy and requested it as the title sounds mysterious. I am looking forward to this

Enjoy Katherine 😉

Thanks Lynne

Nice review! I wasn’t originally going to add this one but now I think I will, thanks!

I hope you enjoy it Sheri.

I’m hoping so, too, thank you!

Pingback: “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley – Book Review #BlogTour @RandomTTours #TheParisApartment @lucyfoleytweets @fictionpubteam #BookReview – Book Library

Pingback: “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley – Book Review #BlogTour @RandomTTours #TheParisApartment @lucyfoleytweets @fictionpubteam #BookReview – Imobiliare 24

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Booklover Book Reviews

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, Review: Engrossing in audio

The Paris Apartment , Lucy Foley’s latest psychological thriller is a dark, sinister and deeply unsettling take on the classic whodunnit. Read my full review.

The Paris Apartment Synopsis

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?

( HarperCollins , March 2022)

The Paris Apartment in Audiobook Format : 12 hours and 25 minutes, read by Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Julia Winwood, Sope Dirisu, Sofia Zervudachi and Charlie Anson

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime-Detective, Drama

Disclosure: If you click a link in this post we may earn a small commission to help offset our running costs.

Book Review

What’s better than the classic locked-room mystery? For some, their attraction may be the intrinsic sense of urgency and magician-like performances of the perpetrators, but for me it’s the creativity and complexity of the puzzle that reels me in every time.  Lucy Foley has recently made a name for herself using this formula ( The Hunting Party, The Guest List ), and simply updating it for the 21 st  century .

In her latest release  The Paris Apartment  she employs many of the genre tropes – an evocatively depicted historical building in an exclusive wealthy enclave seemingly a world away from the otherwise gritty streets of modern Paris, a sense of claustrophobic constraint within it and the language and cultural isolation beyond it, and power imbalances (wealth and familial), swirling suspicion and shifting alliances amongst an eclectic cast of characters with baggage aplenty – without it technically being a locked-room scenario.

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. 

Notably though, she’s mined the voyeuristic potential of the traditional French apartment building courtyard formation and used a multi-character revolving first-person narrative format, to heighten watchful tension and this story’s sinister feel akin to Hitchcock . 

The lights are on in the concierge’s cabin. Of course: that nosey old bitch never misses a trick. Creeping out from shadowy corners. Always watching, always there. Looking at you like she knows all your secrets.

Written or audiobook format?

Now, regular readers will know I enjoy alternating first-person narratives more than most, but when I began reading this novel, I struggled to gain real momentum and engage with the numerous characters’ narratives. So, when I found The Paris Apartment audiobook is performed by an ensemble cast of narrators, I switched to that format. At the time, that extra layer of differentiation was just what I needed to gain my bearings, and then I quickly became engrossed in the mystery. Needless to say, I did not switch back to the text.

Satisfying denouement

While I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid spoiling Lucy Foley’s clever red-herrings and judiciously timed revelations in The Paris Apartment , I do feel an obligation to note this mystery spends considerable time treading in deep and dark psychological alleys. And so, could prove triggering for some. But for most, the audiobook version of this Parisian journey through shadows to light will be worth it for the ultimately satisfying yet still realistic denouement.

BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 3.5 / 5 ; Overall 3.75

Get your copy of Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment from:

And, if you are reading this for a book club, this The Paris Apartment discussion guide is well worth checking out.

More mystery reads:

• The Search Party by Hannah Richell
• Conviction by Denise Mina
• One for Sorrow by Helen Fields
• Wild Place by Christian White
• Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

More The Paris Apartment reviews

‘Foley’s writing is simple and immersive, marrying the elegance and dark undertones of Paris with a reckless but determined protagonist to create an intriguing mystery.’ – The Harvard Crimson 

‘ The Paris Apartment reads like a cross between Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building , Riley Sager’s novel Lock Every Door , and the game of Clue.’ – Crime by the Book

‘Lucy Foley gives readers a relatable heroine in Jess, one whose shoes we can step in and whose missteps are as important as her breakthroughs. In fact, all of Foley’s characters are believable, each distinct without breaking into stereotypes ‘ – USA Today

About the Author, Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham and UCL universities and worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry, before leaving to write full-time. Lucy’s debut thriller,  The Hunting Party , was an instant  Sunday Times  and  Irish Times  bestseller and was inspired by a particularly remote spot in Scotland that fired her imagination. She has since also published thriller The Guest List . Lucy is also the author of three historical novels, The Book of Lost & Found , The Invitation and Last Letter From Istanbul , which have been translated into sixteen languages. Her journalism has appeared in  ES Magazine ,  Sunday Times Style ,  Grazia  and more. Connect with her on Twitter / Facebook .

* My receipt of a review copy from the publisher did not impact the expression of my honest opinions above.

A booklover with diverse reading interests, who has been reviewing books and sharing her views and opinions on this website and others since 2009.