Thank you for this advanced copy. I couldn't get into this book. I thought all the different people would bring suspense and keep me listening. I only listening for a couple of hours, even skipping ahead. It just didn't grab my attention. I stopped listening. Just not for me.

I am really sorry to say I didn't enjoy this book at all. The story just didn't seem to be going anywhere but was some how so chaotic at the same time. The audio was ok but didn't increase my enjoyment at all. I will still be reading other works by this author but this one just wasn't for me.

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio, HarperCollins for providing me with an audiobook for Review*
This was such a fun ride of a thriller. It’s a definite page-turner (or whatever the equivalent is for audiobooks!).

The structure of the books is similar to Lucy Foley’s previous books with multiple POVs however these people aren’t friends and the setting is much grander (Paris) than previous books. We do still spend much of the book in the apartment, which I still enjoyed. I liked how the geography of the apartment was explained and how characters hear things from other locations.

I appreciated the many references to French culture and did find myself looking up music, artists and locations as I progressed through the book. I felt immersed in the culture. The book was surprisingly sexy in places but after all, this is Paris!
The characters were excellently performed in the audiobook. The multiple cast narration really adds to a book like this.

The characters are all flawed and very stereotypically ‘French’, each having their own distinct personality and social status. This didn’t detract from my enjoyment, I liked it.
With all the above said, the mystery is the make or break for a book like this. I can say it really worked for me. I spent most of the book trying to figure out what happened.

I guessed some of it at about 50% and thought the mystery was over.
Far from it.
Much more was to be revealed throughout the second half of the book.

Overall, an enjoyable, thrilling book with lots of twists and turns.
My review can be found on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26094184-cadguycad

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Having recently started really enjoying some thrillers, when given the opportunity to review an audiobook for an author who’s name I recognised I jumped at the chance.

Jess arrives in Paris to stay with her brother who she hasn’t seen for a couple of years. Following their mum’s death their lives took very different turns - Ben was adopted by a rich family and given all the opportunities that money can afford. Jess was bounced around the care system until she was old enough to be independent and has struggled in low paying jobs ever since. After something bad happens at work she needs to get away so she calls her brother.

But on arrival at his apartment building there is no sign of him.

Jess starts to worry and as she tried to find out what’s happened to Ben, she uncovers a building full of dark secrets and people who will stop at nothing to keep them hidden.

About half way through this book I was pretty sure I had worked out what had happened and dismissed the book as a bit predictable but I was so wrong! The connections between the characters were clever and kept me guessing with twists and red herrings right up to the end. Once the revelations started coming I couldn’t stop listening.

Clever plotting, a great setting and several distinctive points of view made this book a gripping thriller. My main negative point was that I just didn’t really like or engage with any of the characters although I could empathise with most of them.

There are several narrators of this book as there’s are multiple points of view and this added to the interest of the audiobook and they all worked very well for the characters.

“A strange feeling, knowing they can see me but I can’t see them properly.”

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?

The story is told from multiple points of view. Every resident of the apartment is a narrator and they all refer to Benjamin as 'that man from apartment three' . As the story progresses, they share their interactions with him, making it evident how unreliable they are as narrators, everyone hiding a secret.

For the most part, everything appears to be going around in circles, the narrative deflecting suspicion from one to the other. My interest piqued when one bizarre theory is brought out of the darkness and you begin to see everyone in new light. The book also suddenly picks up pace this point forward.

Like the multiple POVs, the different voice actors worked well in giving each one a distinct identity. There is not much to see in Paris as the book is largely set within the apartment building. Listening to these different narrators is what brings in the experience of actually being in Paris.

A twisted psychological thriller, this will have you looking over your shoulder for dark secrets shrouded in mystery, expecting them to jump out at you from between the walls any moment now.

This Audio ARC courtesy of NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

Lucy Foley is a modern queen of writing the dramatic, tense whodunnit. She specialises in group settings, with flawed, oft-times unlikable but interesting characters, and this is very much along the same vein.

We meet Ben, living in a well-to-do area of Paris, waiting on his half-sister Jess to arrive from London. Jess has needed to get away from home unexpectedly, and as Ben waits, a bit perplexed, someone else calls... By the time Jess gets to his apartment Ben is not there and thus begins a story full of twists and turns while Jess tries to figure out what happened to Ben, and where he is, all the while she unsure are the other apartment dwellers in the building actually trying to help or hinder her in figuring it out.

This story is a bit different in that it isn't a group of friends gone off together when something happens, rather Jess is alone trying to get the others' help, so this means the dynamic is different to her previous novels (not a bad thing, just worth noting for those who have read the others) but the development of the story relying on secrets being discovered and revealed is still the same which I enjoy.

The pacing is a bit uneven, starts quickly with lots of characters introduced at the start, but there was a lull in the middle which reflected the fact that Jess herself is at a loss what to think or where to go next with her search.

The last third is full of the now-expected Foley twists and turns with plenty of surprises in store.
I listened to the audio and it was really well done, the various narrators bringing the British and Parisian characters to life, emoting well when a character was feeling particularly tense, or emotional.
A solid read if you're looking for a "What-happened" kinda novel.

Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for the advance audio copy of this novel which was released this week, in return for this honest review.

This is the third Lucy Foley book I've read but for me it didn't have the magic of the other two.

The audio book was really good, the narrators were all excellent but I felt the mystery dragged in parts.

The backdrop of the mystery is the beautiful Paris apartment, a luxurious residence in a desirable part of the city. Quite refreshing to have a change of scene in the thriller.

The main character is Jess - who I likened to a bit of an artful dodger, has come to Paris to stay with her half-brother, Ben, someone she hasn't seen for a while. What she doesn't bargain on in the residents of the apartment, Ben's neighbours who all have their own story to tell. Ben is missing and no one seems too keen to help Jess find them. She has to hunt him down herself, uncovering secrets that some people don't want to be be exposed along the way.

The story is good however it dragged a little for me and I didn't enjoy as much as Lucy's previous books. However I would always pick up another Lucy Foley book.

The Paris Apartment has a compelling plot, which makes the reader want to just keep on reading! I listened to the audio book and the narrators did an excellent job; I highly recommend it. Lucy Foley has managed to create an atmosphere of menace and mystery in this story which is told from several different viewpoints. Each character has a unique voice and their own secrets to hide; of course they're all revealed by the end!

In the audio book there was an afterword by the author and she said she wrote it during lockdown and that made sense to me. Lucy conveys perfectly the isolation and personal hell of the individual characters and although set in Paris, they all seem alienated from the city for various reasons. The protagonist, Jess, faces an undercurrent of constant threat and doesn't know whom to trust in the search for her brother, Ben. I liked the depiction of Jess; she's far from perfect but it is easy to empathise with her. I also really liked the character of Sophie, with whom it was less easy to initially identify but who is brilliantly depicted and I particularly enjoyed listening to her sections!

If you like mysteries, drama, crime and France then read this book and you won't be disappointed!

I was kindly sent an ARC of The Paris Apartment from NetGalley.

I loved this book so much! Having read and adored The Guest List (and immediately running out to buy The Hunting Party as soon as I finished it) I SCREAMED when I saw I had been sent the audiobook for Lucy Foley's new book. I devoured this! Like her previous work, Foley creates an incredible atmosphere that transports the reader into the scene. An absolute must read for anyone who loves a thriller, or just Paris!

The thing I loved the most about this book was the attention to detail, namely the French brands and turns of phrase. I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil anything, if you are considering buying this book then the answer is YES you absolutely should (ESPECIALLY if you're on a book buying ban).

Wow loved this audiobook so much! 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

Fabulous story

As an audiobook, this production gets a full five stars from me! Everything from the fantastic French accents to the excellent voice acting to the top notch production was completely impressive. This is a wonderful audio to sit back and let wash over you, as every character has nuance and is skillfully distinguished from other characters in the audiobook.

Unfortunately the plot of the book itself didn’t work as well for me. This was a total surprise, as I love both Lucy Foley and Paris, so I was expecting this to be a match made in heaven. I found that there were a few too many narrators for the plot, and the book was much slower moving than I am used to from master of suspense Foley. I felt that the plot took too long to get where it was going, and the ultimate conclusion did not pay off enough of the lengthy setup for me. Maybe this was in part because of the long length of the audio and maybe I would have had a faster and more fun reading experience reading the book myself, but I would have hated to miss the great voice acting and characterizations.

Overall a tough book to rate, as I did really enjoy the audio, and Foley’s writing is always top notch, but I think she has done better plots in the past.

5🌟 for the audio
3⭐️ for plotting and characters
3.75 ⭐️ Overall.

Even though this latest was not my favorite of Foley’s, it was still enjoyable and I’ll definitely be scrambling to grab up Lucy Foley’s next book the second I can get my hands on it!

Many thanks to NetGalley UK and the publisher for the audio Advance Listening Copy! Narrators were so good I looked them up and will look out for them going forward, especially the actress who voiced Mimi.

I was drawn in by an intriguing beginning. Jess has arrived in Paris and foisted herself at short notice on her brother. But on arrival at his apartment he is nowhere to be found and none of the other residents are very forthcoming as to his whereabouts. The story follows Jess's subsequent search and investigation into her brother's recent doings which leads her into unexpected danger. The narrators, Jess in particular, evoked atmosphere and tension which was strangely chilling generating an undercurrent of secrecy and menace. The characters are well voiced by different narrators but I didn't particularly warm to Jess which was unfortunate as she was the main narrator, something about the low pitch and very measured pace of her narration made her a bit emotionless. I think that this is a book that I would have preferred to read rather than listen to as some parts I would have raced through as tension mounted and other bits I might have skipped over as the pace stalled while the characters fill in their own backstories some of which had very little bearing on the main narrative. There is a fair amount of swearing as the story unfolds which I didn’t like and given that the main action takes place over only two or three days it seemed to take an age to get to the end. There were a couple of twists that I wasn’t expecting but I wasn’t really surprised by how things turned out.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio for an review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Paris Apartment’ by Lucy Foley in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook had six narrators: Clare Corbett; Daphne Kouma; Julia Winwood; Sope Dirisu; Sofia Zervudachi; Charlie Anson.

In recent years Lucy Foley has made a name for herself writing compelling ‘closed circle’ mysteries. I have enjoyed these and felt that with ‘The Paris Apartment’ she has once again produced a compelling mystery with strong characterisations. Indeed, this is my favourite of hers to date.

As the title suggests it is set in Paris at No.12 rue des Amants, an elegant old apartment block. In the Prologue we meet Ben, a British journalist staying in the luxurious apartment by invitation. He is awaiting the arrival of his sister, Jess, for a short visit. Yet then something sinister happens. …

Three hours later Jess arrives and there’s no answer when she rings his doorbell. After finally gaining access to the apartment, she finds it empty, no sign of Ben despite only talking on the phone a few hours before. The various residents aren’t particularly helpful and all start to seem rather dodgy. In her little cabin the elderly concierge overlooks all comings and goings. No further details in order to avoid spoiler territory.

As expected there are plenty of secrets to be unraveled and the narrative point of view moves between the novel’s various characters as we gain insights into Ben’s life and fate as well as Jess’ quest to locate him.

With respect to the audiobook, it was great having six narrators as it allowed each point of view to have an individual voice. It brought an extra dimension to the mystery.

Overall, another engaging novel from Lucy Foley that kept me guessing and proved very satisfying.

Lucy Foley has done it again. She has easily become my go author. What a fantastic book!

I went in blind without reading the blurb. I just knew the title and the author. Both reeled me I and I couldn't stop listening once I started.
I listened to this gripping audiobook in one sitting because that's how compelling it is.

It is a great mystery which takes place in an apartment complex in Paris. Jess has come to Paris ti visit her brother Ben. But when she arrives she doesn't find him in his apartment. She finds some strange clues which lead her to believe that something has happened to Ben. The suspicious, unlikeable people living in the apartment come under Jess's radar. She feels they know more than what they are telling and their behaviour suggests the same too.
From the apartment to the bylanes of Paris the author takes you on a journey with Jess who is such a relatable character.
I don't want to reveal more but let me end by saying that this is a must read for thriller lovers.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for sending the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Lucy Foley and I enjoyed it!
I always look out for books set in Paris so I was really excited when I got approved for this audiobook. It had several different narrators, one for each POV in the book. We have the main character Jess and a few other people who live in the apartment building, Nick, Sophie, Mimi and the concierge. They all have very important parts in the book and the fact that they all have different voices really makes the book come alive.
I started out really enjoying the book, we are immediately questioning where Jess's brother Ben is. He is not in his apartment even though he said he would be waiting for her. It is very interesting learning who each of the characters are. The middle was a litte bit slow, but the ending really picked up and left me guessing. Each chapter got short towards the end which made my heart race. There were so many secrets that get revealed and so many I wasn't expecting.
Overall, a good mystery/thriller!

I found this book to be just ok I was not overly invested in any of the characters and the story seemed to be all over the place like alot of great little ideas but none reached there full potential but I did think the most interesting part in my opinion was the house itself the descriptions were beautiful and very detailed it was an easy predictable read if quite far fetched

Jess travels to Paris to spend a few days with her half brother, Ben. When she gets there, he's missing and so she does everything to find out what happened to him. She starts investigating Ben's rich neighbours, who are not what they appear to be.
The audio narrators (full cast) were brilliant. And the twist at the end! OMG!

Lucy Foley does it again!
This book is a psychological thriller involving Ben Daniels a reporter living in an affluent apartment in Paris.
The other occupants within the building are a strange bunch to say the least , and the tension throughout the story is palpable.
Ben disappears on the same day his sister Jess arrives from England .
Things are most definitely not as they first appear in this book and as always Foley takes the reader on a tense journey throughout the story.
The end was certainly not what I expected.
An enjoyable thriller in my opinion, another winner from Lucy Foley.
This was the audio version and the different narrators helped to bring the story to life .

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio.

Narrators 5 stars
I loved that each character had their own narrator. It made it so much easier to file along.

Story 4 stars
Great story that came together beautifully. I would not be at all shocked to see this made into a Netflix mini series

A highly anticipated 2022 release, I read The Paris Apartment book along with audiobook and throughly enjoyed it. The audiobook really heighten the POV chapters as the story is told.
This book had many wow moments with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I was so excited to read the book in one sitting. A Lucy Foley trait, I could not put this book down. Each chapter sprinkles intrigue all over and leaves you hanging, anticipating getting to that POV as it cycle through the characters.

A true joy to read Lucy Foley in 2022.
A must read for all thriller fans.

A predicted 5 star read that was totally 5 full stars.

#netgalley #LucyFoley #TheParisApartment #5starreads #newin2022