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.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
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I was provided with an advance copy of The Paris Apartment in exchange for an honest review.
I was a huge fan of Foley's other books - The Hunting Party and The Guest List, so I was very excited to read this one! However, I wasn't quite sure if my expectations were too high, and I was destined for disappointment.
Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. I was a little more hesitant when I realised that the structure was a little different to Foley's other books - we don't get a tandem narrative of past and present events - but it didn't take long for me to start enjoying the story. It's a interesting setting, a unique set of inter-connected characters, and although I had some inklings about what was going on, it still kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end.
All in all, a hit for me, and one that fans of Foley's are sure to enjoy.
My Thoughts
I wasn't too sure about the story being set in Paris, and if I'm honest I still don't really see that it needed to be. Apart from random comments in French, it seemed a bit futile. However, apart from that I really liked the setting. The apartment block kept the characters close together and intertwined, and made for a real atmosphere and suspense.
The characters themselves were intriguing, although not enormously different from the characters of any other thriller novel that I've read. The twists and turns that they feed into, however, did keep me on the edge of my seat, and there were definitely a few surprises thrown my way!
The story was (dare I say it) a little bit predictable. I kind of saw where a lot of the different threads were going, but that genuinely didn't ruin the reading experience for me at all. What I love about Foley's books is the way she can pull a story together so delicately, using all those little hints to create a cohesive ending that just makes sense. This wasn't too original to me, as I read quite a lot of thrillers, but it was still a very satisfying read.
The Verdict
If I'm honest, this wasn't my favourite of Foley's books. The Guest List remains undefeated in my eyes, and I also loved The Hunting Party due to its interesting set up.
However, that definitely doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy The Paris Apartment because it's actually a very strong read. It's full of intrigue, it has solid characters, and it keeps the twists and turns coming. Very enjoyable, just not one that I think will continue to stand out to me.
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