Page Count 320
Publication date March 2022
Publisher Harper Collins
Synopsis
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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.
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.
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Review
As with Foley’s previous novels (The Hunting Party and The Guest List), The Paris Apartment is told from several different character points of view switching between present and past timelines.
I found it much easier to keep track of the characters and changing narrators in comparison to her previous books, perhaps because there were fewer of them this time and definitely because Foley has improved in writing distinct voices.
Each character hides a secret, some easier to predict than others and all tied into the mystery of Ben’s disappearance.
Aside from the MC Jess there are no likeable characters in The Paris Apartment, but that’s okay- it is intentional. I found this increased my investment in Jess, deepening the tension of a woman alone in a foreign country with nobody to trust.
The moments where Jess found herself lost in Paris alone at night with no money or phone minutes to find her way back were actually quite scary! Damn the return of roaming charges.
I liked that Foley threads French language throughout the novel whilst including translation so it could be easily understood in a way that doesn’t interrupt the flow of her writing. The Paris setting is done well, enough description to uphold the vision without distracting from the story.
The Paris Apartment is my favourite of the three Foley novels I’ve read so far, if you were a fan of the previous then don’t stop now! If you’re new to Foley then I’d start here.
Check out my previous Foley review below;
Book Review; The Guest List- Lucy Foley
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