I was really looking forward to reading this book but sadly it fell slightly short of my expectations. This is the first Lucy Foley novel I have read and I had heard such amazing things of her previous books. I thought this would be right up my street - a suspenseful thriller set in my favourite city - however, despite the well thought out plot, the writing felt a little stilted to me.

The story is told from the perspectives of several of the apartment’s residents and they are all unreliable narrators. I usually enjoy this but in this book I just didn’t believe in any of the characters and there was no one I was rooting for in the end. The plot was somehow suspenseful and yet still a bit slow. It was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it, but it is definitely not one of my favourites.

The synopsis for this book looked terrific. I also thought I had read and enjoyed bokos by Lucy Foley, so this was an easy selection. However, it turns out that I haven’t read one of her books before, but this was a great introduction, and it’s great to see she has others I can go on to read soon.

Set in Paris, we begin when Jess arrives at her half-brother Ben’s apartment, where he should be expecting her and waiting. Still, he’s disappeared, and nobody appears to know anything about him. Of course, as the reader, we can tell that everyone does know who he is. Still, instantly he is portrayed as having a darker side that we will hopefully begin to learn more about as we read on.

The characters are a mixed bunch. The other apartment building residents are an eclectic mix though all obviously wealthy. The apartment building sounds beautiful and is well described. It is an old building with plenty of history. However, it does leave a lot to be desired, having not been well maintained, at least in some apartments like Bens. With pealing wallpaper and no mod cons like air conditioning, it needs some work; despite being so exclusive.

Jess and Ben are half-siblings who were orphaned at a young age after their mother overdoses with Jess finding her. They both end up in foster care until Ben strikes lucky and is adopted by a wealthy couple. He is provided with everything his heart could desire, a private education, connections, his own car at an early age and every advantage. On the other hand, Jess is left behind and suffers the seemingly everyday foster experience, being shipped from pillar to post and having none of the advantages of Ben. This examines how those differences have affected their lives and outcomes, showing nurture and opportunity win over nature in this case.

The plot focuses on finding Ben and Jess’s journey to find out what happened to him and why Nick, Bens’s old school friend, is there to help. Unfortunately, the search and the Parisian feelings that people walk away sometimes make it tricky to get the police involved. As a result, so much of the investigation falls to Jess.

There are many twists and turns, secrets and lies, making the plot more compelling though this is a character-driven read. Unfortunately, the ending was somewhat lacking. I wish it wasn’t quite so quickly wrapped up and that there was more detail about what happened. This didn’t ruin the book, though, and I enjoyed this read.

I really enjoyed the narrators' voice, it was clear and soothing.

Lucy Foley has done it again! This is the third book of hers that I have read and she always delivers a claustrophobic murder mystery with plenty of twists.

I enjoyed the audiobook narration, and think that the multiple narrators worked really well to deliver the multiple character perspectives in this story. I do feel it added something extra, though if I had the physical book I’d be turning the pages a little faster to find out what happens next!

I had to start listening as soo as I got my hands o this audiobook!
I honestly had no idea how this story would turn out. Be sure there are some serious topics touched in this highly paced gothic-y book!
Thanks #Netgalley #HarperCollins UK Audio, HarperCollins for the Audio Version of the Paris Apartment

This is a fast-paced exciting and tense thriller. Set in Paris, it stands out from the mass of domestic thrillers with its original plot and believable cast of characters.

Of course there’s several twists and turns along the way, which kept my interest throughout and I loved this exciting thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastically twisty, turny psychological thriller complete with unreliable narrators and high tension. Right from the start, you are swept into the lives of the residents of a Parisian apartment as Jess seeks her absent brother, Ben. Gradually their secrets and dark connections are revealed, leaving you unsure of who to trust and what to expect. This kept me turning the pages long into the early hours!

2.5 Stars

This book started really well. I loved the set up and the intrigue from the start. I was also looking forward to the full-cast audio.

Sadly, after that initial great start, it slowed right down and felt like it plodded along, not really doing much for the majority of the book. Lots of characters, not one of them likeable and because there were so many it felt quite difficult to keep track of who was who and who had done what. I unfortunately ended up finding myself speeding up the narration to get to the end.

Disappointing.

This did not disappoint.

I really, really enjoy Lucy Foley's books. As with her previous novels, The Paris Apartment was extremely well-paced, balancing numerous POVs with ease and tracking back in time without breaking the flow of the main timeline. The characters are many-layered and engaging, and the mystery holds up well too.

I think that with a mystery thriller like this, working out the plot early on (as I did almost in its entirety at around the 40% mark, minus one element revealed near the end) can either completely spoil your reading experience, or it can provide a sense of deeper appreciation for how the story unfolds, knowing that you likely won't be as distracted from the quality of the writing by a shock ending as you would have been if you hadn't figured it out. In this case, it was definitely the latter. I was able to appreciate just how deftly Foley had woven her story's pieces into a twisty and exhilarating tapestry of a novel that kept me hooked from the very first chapter.

Also as before, the ensemble audiobook cast did a fantastic job, making the book an absolute joy to listen to.

Twists and turns right up until the end. Jess's brother Ben is missing, but is he dead. If so, why was he killed and what are all those people in the apartment trying to hide.

The story is told by a lot of different people (just see narrators above!), but amazingly it was possible to keep track of them all and to get sucked into solving the mystery of what happened to Ben. A really exciting book to read/listen too and the narration was also really good.

Somewhat confusing and hard to follow at first... but once you can tell the characters apart from each other ... well then... from there it is like "Holy cow - I didn't see that coming".

This is Lucy Foley at her best... I loved "The Guest List", and I found this book "The Paris Apartment" is just as intriguing and surprising.

I really enjoyed the mystery and how well it played out.

Lucy Foley returns with another great crime thriller, this time set in an old Paris Apartment, which in itself felt like a fabulous supporting character.

A locked room mystery, with unlikeable and unreliable narrators who each have their own POV per chapter (which I love and is classic Foley!). This was a thriller that kept me gripped with a plot twist half way through that I never saw coming and enough twists and turns to the end to keep me intrigued. Definitely a read for fans of The Guest List, and I’d say this one edges it a little for me.

Another brilliant thriller page turner from one of my auto buy authors!

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

#SpoilerFree
I was fortunate to receive an ARC audiobook copy of #TheParisApartment by Lucy Foley. Right at the get go we meet
Jess Hadley who, at very short notice, decides to visit her half-brother Ben Daniels in Paris. She arrives at his apartment building late at night and despite him saying that he will wait up for her to let her in, he is not there. He disappeared without a trace. Over the next couple of days she meets the other residents of this old, but prestigious and elegant apartment building - and almost every single one comes across as suspicious. What are they hiding?

Expect twists and turns in this mystery thriller featuring various narrators/POVs. This is mirrored in the audiobook production by having several narrators performing as well - Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Julia Winwood, Sope Dirisu, Sofia Zervudachi and Charlie Anson, all doing a great job. This was an easy listen/read - with short chapters to keep the story going.

I rate this audiobook 4/5
I'd like to thank Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to review via #NetGalley
Expected publication date: 3 March 2022

I had this as an audiobook and it does take some concentration as I like to listen to audiobooks while I house clean and I kept having to go back. This was not my favourite of the authors books but you can’t expect every book an author writes to take your breath away. It’s interesting and kept me listening to the end.

The Paris apartment is the love child of lock every door and ninth house, and I really liked all of them. The audiobook enhanced the experience even more.

The atmosphere was spooky and I loved how the building felt like another character. All the characters are unlikable and we get all of their POVs and the audiobook is full cast. Jess reminded me of Alex Stern a lot, from ninth house, and I enjoyed her character a lot. The plot was dark and twisty and it all comes together seamlessly at the end.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the climax. It was really mellow and didn’t live up to the buildup we got before it.

Wow, The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley hooks you right from the start!
It's a very slow burn which is narrated form different POV so you get to understand all the characters better. Through short chapters, an intriguing plot and some very well placed twists, the story builds up and builds up and it becomes a very fast paced mystery that flyes by: entertaining and addicting!
The narrators are great and they make the characters really come to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Jess dramatically quit her job in England and needs some time away so decides to visit Ben, her half-brother who works as a journalist in Paris. Her Eurostar train is delayed and she eventually arrives in the wee hours at Ben’s apartment block, only to find that he is not home. She is confused by this because he knew of her plans to stay with him. The next morning Ben still has not materialised and Jess becomes increasingly concerned. Ben’s neighbours in his apartment block are mostly frosty toward Jess, and with the exception of Ben’s neighbour Nic, are disinclined to help her find her brother. Are they being unhelpful because they are rich and feel superior to Jess? Or, are they being obstructive because they have something to hide?

I absolutely loved listening this book and un-peeling Ben’s relationships with his neighbours, discovering what he was writing about. I also enjoyed how Jess, a fish out of water in Paris, doggedly investigates his disappearance.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of The Paris Apartment. I thought the use of the different actors for each character was great and made the narration much easier to follow. I didn’t mind that the French characters were given slight French accents. Fortunately, the French accents were not over-exaggerated to make it sound like an episode of ‘Allo ‘Allo!

I also love the artwork for the book, loved that the light creeping out from the door formed the Eiffel Tower, giving the book a very real sense of place with sinister undertone.

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for making the audio-ARC available to me for a fair and honest review and for introducing me to Lucy Foley’s books.

I was delighted to receive a gifted copy of the audio edition of this book from Harper Collins UK via NetGalley. I enjoyed this author’s previous work so had high expectations, hoping this story would be just as entertaining. I am pleased to say I really enjoyed this future release. (3rd March 2022)

The Paris Apartment plot unfolds in an old, run down building of several floors, where nothing goes unnoticed. With several character’s points of view, this was an audio book that I had to really concentrate on but was interesting enough to keep me invested until the conclusion.

The narration was amazingly entertaining. I loved the fact that the characters were brought to life individually. It helped with the visualization process. It’s definitely a personal preference of mine for audio books to be produced in this way. Full of mystery and secrets, this is highly recommended to fans of this author and genre.

This, for me, was not the best of her books, but still worth a deserving 4 stars rating. Order your copy today!

This is the first audiobook I've ever downloaded! What a shame I didn't like it. I was so in the mood for a good thriller as well... Perhaps reading the actual book may have been better. It was a mixture of the actors and me not getting involved in the story. I listened to about an hour's worth and got very bored. The story didn't seem to be going anywhere. It has sort of put me off trying another audiobook for now.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Harper Collins for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of the audiobook for ‘The Paris Apartment’ by Lucy Foley.

I have previously read and enjoyed both of Lucy’s previous books but I have to say that this was probably my favourite by her. As with her previous books, the short chapters, multiple POV’s and the carefully placed twists mean that the pages fly by. She has a real gift for creating a selection of unlikable characters that mean you are kept guessing till the very end with regards to who the murderer/victim is.

Some may say her books are very formulaic but I really don’t mind. Each one is just different enough for me to read and enjoy in the way intended.

I enjoyed the book so much that I have already preordered a finished copy for my collection. I will definitely be recommending the book to all my friends who read.

Ooo The intrigue. The drama. The secrets. Right from the start your pulled into a mystery and you feel like you’re right there with Jess, as she tries to uncover more about her brother (Ben’s) disappearance.

Jess’s last minute trip to Paris escaping her own life, finds herself turning up at Ben’s Paris apartment with no sign of Ben..? He said he’d be there to let her in and when she arrives, he’s no where to be seen. There’s no trace of him and no one seems to know where he is..? Not even the dodgy collection of neighbours who seem to indicate there is more going on in those apartments than meets the eye…

This is one of those great, slow building mysteries which starts with a disappearance. As the story moves along, you can to add more snippets of information to your repertoire and can start building up a list of possible suspects! With split perspective chapters, we get to hear from the point of view of a few different characters of Ben’s apartment neighbours which definitely adds to the story.

After Jess hears Ben’s last voice message to her, she knows something is wrong. But will trying to find her brother but her in danger too?

It was a really entertaining plot and story and the audiobook I listened to was great. It really brought it to life and made for very easy listening. I loved how short and choppy some of the chapters were, with quick character perspective change and coming back again, which really helped the quick pace vibe of the plot. I didn’t foresee some of the twists and turns, and really couldn’t pull myself away from the book at times. It was certainly addicting!

Overall: A great book to slip into and you’re always guaranteed a good book with Lucy Foley as author!