This an intriguing book about the occupants of people in a luxury apartment block in a lovely part of Paris. Jess turns up at her half-brother’s apartment, having arranged to meet him there. She finds all of the occupants act shiftily towards her, as does the concierge, when she tries to find out where he is.
This is an enthralling book, which changes direction halfway through when everyone’s greatest secrets start to reveal themselves.
A most enjoyable and highly recommended read.

This is my first Lucy Foley book (after wanting to pick up her others for so long!) and I was blown away! This is an excellent psychological/domestic thriller with a bit of everything - an intriguing protagonist, a missing person, an eclectic mix of characters and some shady underground activity.

It's also brilliant set in Paris which makes a nice change from other thrillers I've read recently.

The storyline had me hooked however the characters were the icing on the cake - they were each so different and so well-developed, and the relationship between each one of them was very interesting and added to the story.

If you've enjoyed Lucy Foley's writing before, I'm sure you'll love this - and if you haven't read anything by her yet, I'd definitely recommend this as a place to start. I definitely need to read her back catalogue now!

When Jess decided last minute to visit her Stepbrother Ben she didn't expect to arrive and him not be at his apartment. When she hears his last message to her she is worried as it appears someone was in his apartment. But when she asks his neighbours no-one has seen him. It seems they are a close knit community with secrets between them all.
Unfortunately I found this book really slow, I found all the characters were unlikeable and I really wasn't bothered about what had happened to Ben. I was disappointed by this as I have heard such good things about Lucy's books. I guess not all books appeal to all readers

I loved this book. The believeable characters drew you in and set aound the one building made a for a different readto my usual choices.

Jess needs a fresh start and decides to spend time with her brother Ben is his new Paris apartment. However when she arrives, he is not there to let her in. After she finds a way in, she sees Ben has not taken anything with him to appear he has gone away, so where is he?? The tenants of the apartment block are not that welcoming to Jess and her questions.
Another gem by Lucy Foley with details and twists that keep you guessing right until the end. The detail of the apartment paints a real haunting image in your mind. Loved it!

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

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?

When things go wrong at home in London, Jess is ready for a fresh start. She’s broke, alone and there’s that issue with leaving her job. Maybe things would look better from somewhere else? Jess jumps on the train to Paris and makes a quick call to her brother Ben to say she’s on her way. Ben should be set with work and an apartment now, but he did seem unimpressed or distracted when he called. Or was there someone with him? Either way she’s here now and for some reason Ben isn’t answering her calls or messages. She’s also taken aback by the size and luxury of his apartment block, surely Ben can’t afford to live somewhere like this? So with no money and nowhere else to stay, she manages to pick the lock and get in. Next morning there’s still no word from him and the questions keep coming. Why is the cat bloodstained? Why are his neighbours so unfriendly and mysterious? Jess is sure that her brother has been harmed, but by who and why?

This was an enjoyable thriller and I liked how the structure that allowed us behind the other doors at apartment building No 12 and into the worlds of these strangely eclectic residents. We were also taken back in time to Ben’s arrival at the apartments so we could see how his relationship built with the other residents. Who did he get on with and why? It also showed up my misconceptions about people - I expected Ben to have made a beeline for the beautiful Camille in her tiny bikini, that the grumpy man Jess sees at the beginning to be a relative of the concierge, and that Mimi would be the kind, girl next door type. Nothing is what it seems to be. However, the residents were not the only ones with secrets. Ben had never told Jess what he was working on in Paris. As for Jess, we don’t know exactly what forced her to flee England or how she’s ended up alone and penniless. We do find that they are half-brother and sister, forced into care at an early age and very close to each other, because their experience of parents is that they can’t be trusted. It is very out of character for Ben to forget or ignore her in this way. Jess is very resourceful, soon finding people she can talk to about her brother, including the residents, although they were less than welcoming. She has good investigative skills that she’s possibly learned from her brother and meets with a friend of his who may be helpful. I couldn’t decide whether I liked her or not, but kept reminding myself that no one is above suspicion, even family.

The writer immerses us in the less salubrious side of Paris. No fairy lit boat rides on the Seine for Jess as she heads deeper into the city’s underbelly. This is not a pretty Paris, but it is compelling and different especially when compared to the apartment building. Although we don’t have to go into the streets, the difference in social class can be see in the courtyard garden where the concierge lives in what sounds like a shed. It’s a humble home and it seems Ben is the only resident who treats her like an equal. She’s shocked by it and is the person who gives us the most snippets about what’s really going on with the residents of these luxury flats. She is invisible to these wealthy people, but she’s always watching, eager to catch those little indiscreet moments that happen when people think you’re invisible. I didn’t like or connect with any of the characters really and that makes it hard to care about what happens to them., but I don’t think we were meant to. The revelations were brilliant though and there were things I didn’t expect.

An edited copy of this review will appear on the blog tour.

Lucy Foley specialises in mystery stories in claustrophobic settings. Rather than the wilderness, this novel is set in a fancy Paris apartment building but main character, Jess, is isolated by the language barrier and by not knowing or trusting anyone around her. The story is full of twists and turns as the histories of the apartment's occupants intertwine and lead towards the eventual conclusion. Its a fast paced story which, once it gets going, keeps you turning pages as you want to know more about what is going on. Some of the dialogue and character development felt a little bit clunky but the story moves quickly enough not to worry too much about it. While it's not a masterpiece and won't be troubling literary prize judges, it's a fun read, full of twists and turns and has a satisfying conclusion.

I’m a big fan of Lucy Foley and was so excited to receive an advanced copy of The Paris Apartment but I have to say this didn’t quite land for me like her other books. The formula is very similar to the last two books which I don’t mind but I found this one to be a much slower pace and without enough of a payoff at the end.

The reason I liked The Guest List so much was the isolated setting and the constant ominous feeling throughout whereas you didn’t really get that sense of impending doom in this book.

If you like a slow burn or you are new to thrillers then I’m sure you’ll love this but if I’m being honest it was my least favourite of her last 3 books. Having said that, I do really like this author and would pick up her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really liked this, she's always good and I liked the mystery here and the way everyone was connected, and how we saw everything through an outsider's point of view

For me, this is the best book written by Lucy Foley, she seems to improve with each title.

This book had me guessing throughout. All the characters were flawed, mainly by treatment by their parents, but ultimately they were allowed to tell their own version of events.

Blackmail, secrets and murder all take place in a Paris house formally used by the Gestapo during the second world war. The stage is set for the characters to show their true nature.

A twisted read but recommended/

Full disclosure I am already a fan of Lucy Foley and so was really looking forward to her latest novel - I wasn't disappointed.

Another difficult one to review without spoilers save as to say all the Foley hallmarks are there: great cast of characters, none of them being what they seem and a fabulous setting. A slight departure in the city location as opposed to remote back of beyond somewhere, but lost none of the suspense.

Cracking story.

Highly recommend.

Amazingly gripping book with unexpected twists and turns all through. I could not put the book down! Not only was this a crime thriller but it played so cleverly into the psychological mind. The characters were cleverly incorporated into the plot but who eventually came through with surprising exposure.

An almost closed locker room mystery with a lot of open doors. This twisty turny novel proves Lucy Foley will keep writing books everyone will want to read.

A missing journalist, a wine merchant, a shy art student, the Theranos investor, A lonely wife, the servant who knows too much, the uninvited guest. Who did it, and what do they know? I loved the sneaky theronos dig and it really warmed me to the Author.

A big thanks to NetGalley for the early copy and for allowing me to Have such fun! It

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

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?

Review
This book started really well and I couldn’t put it down, halfway it lost its way and I got abit bored. It did pick up towards the end. The ending was fine but nothing amazing, a steady read.

Rated 3/5

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

What a good read.! I've hugely enjoyed other books by this author and while different, this definitely did not disappoint. Not the 'locked in' reads of the past but a brilliant plot all the same. So many twists what will have you completely rethinking what you already thought you knew. Very much a 'as you sow so shall you reap' story. All of the characters very much having their own agendas and hardly a redeeming trait between most of them. A excellent gripping read

Jess Hadley needs to run and she needs to run now: this is what prompts her to flee to her brother’s apartment in Paris, France. She’s gave him very short notice of her imminent arrival (kind of happens when you’re on the run, yes?), so she isn’t too worried to find he isn’t home when she gets there. But then days go by, he’s not turned up, and hasn’t attempted to contact her either. As Jess attempts to track down her brother, she quickly becomes suspicious of what Ben’s been up to and after a frosty reception, she’s convinced someone in the building knows what’s happened to her brother.
The Paris Apartment is a character driven psychological mystery that channels drama similar to Agatha Christie’s work.

The strange thing about The Paris Apartment is… I shouldn’t have liked it. None of the characters were likeable, which isn’t odd in a mystery/crime novel where you’re meant to suspect everyone, but even the “heroine” wasn’t doing it for me. The mystery itself wasn’t shocking nor was it entirely thrilling. For me, it’s definitely quite a step back from how high octane The Guest List was. And yet, I did like it.

Why? Well, I think it’s clear Lucy Foley’s storytelling craft continues to grow. In Foley’s style to date, she continues to use alternating character perspectives, which, structurally was incredibly engaging along with her actual writing style that can only be called sleek.

There was a lot of TLC put into developing the characters profiles, so that every character’s narrative felt extremely personal. There was vulnerability, aggression, envy and so much more, all of which came oozing off the pages by how intense it was. The entire story was packed with such drama. This is what I really enjoyed about the book. I loved getting into the nitty gritty of every character’s relevance to the Apartment building, their history with it and what role/motive they potentially had to make Ben disappear. But did I have any care about what happened to them? None whatsoever.

The setting was well established and I definitely felt the closeness of the walls and their inhabitants closing in, for good and for bad, on our main character. It was menacing and made me want to close every blind and curtain in my own home.

All in all, The Paris Apartment offers up something new from Foley; a slowly developed psychological mystery that is subtly cleverer than it first appears. Even though I can’t give it a full house because of its clear predictability, Foley has impressed me in a way I didn’t foresee with her strong use of drama. I look forward to seeing whatever comes next!

If you liked Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, then this is one to check out.

Thank you kindly to HarperCollins UK for an e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a fantastic book! I loved how quickly it grabbed my attention and how I was gripped. Excellent characters and storyline, set in Paris. I love a good thriller, and this definitely didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to read other books by this author. Thanks.

#TheParisApartment #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for this E-arc!
After never reading one of Lucy Foleys previous novels, this was a perfect start!
I never thought of myself liking any of her books since I hear so many mixed reviews, but honestly, this one is such a fantastic and twisty thriller.

The characters in this book are so well put together, you can picture them all so clearly, as well as the Parisian setting. Personally I loved that this was set in Paris and found it very easy to visualise. I wet on a bumpy ride with the characters, one minute I liked them, the next I didn’t. So I think Foley did a great job of creating such diverse individuals.

The plot twist at the end of the book was not entirely predictable unlike most thrillers at all and I thought it was pretty clever to be honest. But I guess you’d have to find that one out for yourself 😉

This is a challenging review to write and that’s mainly because I really didn’t enjoy this book. I understand the idea for the story but it didn’t fit together as I expected it to. The progression felt messy and the reveal felt rushed at the end.

I enjoyed The Hunting Party but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. After writing books with lots of main characters, and plots with many similarities, maybe Lucy Foley needs to turn her hand to something fresh.

Lucy Foley has done it again! The Paris Apartment is a sensationally mysterious and addictive thriller where everyone is a suspect and the ending cannot be predicted.

Primarily following Jess, her arrival in Paris is disrupted by the disappearance of her brother, and host, Ben. With an elusive and shady set of neighbours all hiding their own secrets, Jess attempts to find her brother and unravel what has happened, although the more she dives into the story, the closer she gets to danger.

Lucy Foley is an expert at mysteries with large casts of characters, each with their own unique personality, secrets, and reasons not to be trusted. The balance between all of these characters is executed perfectly, meaning no one is ruled out of being the culprit until the very end.

Foley also knows how to write jaw-dropping moments that come out of nowhere. There were multiple moments during my reading experience where I had to close the book and regather myself following a twist or development that was dropped like a bomb, which was a feeling I also experienced with The Guest List, and very few other titles.

The most glowing praise I can offer this book though is that it is fast-paced. I challenge anyone who reads this to stop midway through because I'm willing to bet you won't be able to stop until you reach the back cover. I devoured the whole thing in one sitting until the early hours of the morning, with the last 100 pages especially flying by without me even realising. Very few books and authors can suck me in so deeply I forget it's not real, and this book did just that.

I needed Lucy Foley's next release after this yesterday, and The Paris Apartment firmly cements Foley's place as one of my favourite authors of all time.