I think British author Lucy Foley's books just keep getting better and better! I found The Paris Apartment an engrossing and compelling listen in audiobook format, in which Foley's use of a multi-narrator structure was effectively conveyed using distinct voice actors (Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Julia Winwood, Sope Dirisu, Sofia Zervudachi and Charlie Anson) for each part.

Englishwoman Jess Hadley arrives in Paris, after leaving her bar job in Brighton under somewhat shady circumstances. She arrives outside her journalist half-brother's apartment building in (fictional) Rue des Amants, expecting to find him waiting to let her in, as arranged. But Ben is nowhere to be found...

The resourceful Jess manages to gain admittance to the building, and discovers several disconcerting signs in Ben's third-floor apartment - his wallet and keys have been left behind and his cat has unexplained blood on her paws...

As she makes the acquaintance of the inhabitants of the other apartments, Jess recognises their reluctance to engage with her about Ben's whereabouts and also witnesses several troubling interactions between them. She quickly comes to the realisation that there's something very strange going on here, intensifying her fears for her brother. After a disappointing attempt to notify the local gendarmerie of Ben's disappearance, Jess seeks out the assistance of Ben's friend from university, Nick, who also lives in the apartment building, and a work contact, Theo, to whom Ben had been intending to pitch a sensational article.

Adding to the intrigue, the narrative unfolds from several perspectives - a prologue from Ben's point of view, that of Jess herself, and those of her fellow-residents: diffident Nick, skittish Mimi, haughty Sophie and the observant, eavesdropping concierge of the building. Thus, the reader experiences the gradual revelation of what is going on beneath the elegant façade of the building, but from different and sometimes competing sources. Who can Jess trust in her quest for the truth of what's happened to Ben? What shocking secret or secrets has he uncovered and what might any one of the suspects be willing to do to protect themselves?

The Paris Apartment is a twisty tale, with several stunning surprises along the way and a fabulously dramatic denouement. It contains well-executed gothic elements, recalling classics such as Jane Eyre and Rebecca, not to mention shades of Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant suspense-thriller film "Rear Window" (1954). Lucy Foley evokes the Parisian setting masterfully, using the protagonist's lack of familiarity with the city and language to raise the sense of lurking danger and tension. Snippets of French language are sprinkled throughout, lending additional authenticity, and should be understood by those with only a basic level of comprehension.

I'd highly recommend The Paris Apartment to any reader who enjoys well-executed mystery thrillers and/or engrossing multiple-thread narratives. It's a great read-listen that's difficult to put down once started. The voice actors are all well-cast and satisfactorily distinct from each other, and while some affect French accents for their roles, as an Australian listener I found their delivery convincing and evocative.

My thanks to the author, Lucy Foley, publisher HarperCollins UK Audio / HarperCollins and NetGalley UK, for the opportunity to read and review this exciting new title in advance of its publication.

The Paris Apartment
Lucy Foley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had me captured from the beginning. Your brother is missing and you have no idea where he could be, and your being watched by everyone! Finished this book in one day! I liked the views of the different characters. Really enjoyed this book!

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.

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

Lucy Foley doesn't disappoint with her latest mystery thriller. The audiobook is fantastically narrated by Clare Corbett; Daphne Kouma; Julia Winwood; Sope Dirisu; Sofia Zervudachi; Charlie Anson. Foley will keep you on your toes and guessing until the very end.

Probably my least favourite of Foleys works so far. It just felt like a bit of a hot mess. I never knew if I was coming or going. I frequently got the characters mixed up and struggled to remember relevant bits from the storyline. The big reveal wasn’t overly shocking either. Still enjoyable enough but certainly not memorable unfortunately. I will still continue to read everything she writes though!

I was fortunate to review the audiobook for @LucyFoleyAuthor new thriller #TheParisApartment. It is a clever, multilayered whodunnit with numerous twists. The use of multiple narrators added nuanced point of views to build on the story. The audio was well read with differing speakers for each of the main characters which added suspense to the overall story. Highly recommended if you like a classic thriller! #TheParisApartment #NetGalley

A young woman arrives in Paris at her half-brother's apartment, but he vanishes, without his phone or his wallet. And the rest of the apartment's residents know something.

This is how the book is starting. And i really wanted to love it. With a solid premise, a creepy and mysterious vibe, strange characters and secret rooms, "The Paris Apartment" wasn't what i was looking for. I enjoyed "The Guest List" more, this book did not capture my whole attention. At some point in the book, i was sure i'll DNF it, because the main character is just stupid. I had trouble connecting with all of the characters, i couldn't even care about Ben.

Jess is doing all kind of stupid things, she trust almost everyone, just because they seemed like "they want to help her", she's giving away evidence, she's telling things she suspects to almost everyone.. i mean, your brother if gone, you're alone in a new city, so you just trust everyone. The second half of the book she realise that maybe everyone is guilty of something... after she told them things about her brother's disappearance. I'm getting tired of stupid characters, especially in thrillers.

The only good thing about this book was the twist at the end, but i had to read 340 pages to reach that twist, i don't think it's worth it.
All in all, this was just ok. Nothing wow, too many plot lines, too slow, too many apartments descriptions and too many stupid things Jess did.

This mystery thriller provides vivid imagery of French culture and settings and the audio version, with multiple Narrators delivering authentic English and French accents is excellent. However, despite the promising nature of this book and the inspired narration, I'm sad to say it missed the mark for me. The tension never really builds and there is not much progress for the majority of the book - it all felt a little flat. Things start becoming clearer in the last 25%, but even the final reveal (which did surprise, but is crammed quickly in the last 10%) didn't redeem what is essentially a pretty uninspired story. The characters are all pretty unlikeable, including Jess, who comes across as a bit of a chancer and if I had not received an advanced copy (many thanks NetGallery and HarperCollins UK Audio) I probably would have DNF'd it before the halfway mark.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

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.

Lucy has written another enjoyable psychological drama, with short chapters we rotate through the residents of the apartment block as we follow the investigation into the disappearance of Ben. From the start of the book I was hooked - I found myself needing to know what had happened to Ben in the years since Jess had last seen him. With the dark cover, Foley hints at the contents of the book - full of atmosphere. A twisted story eventually emerges from the depths.

Rating 4/5

Another thriller-y murder from the author, this time based in Paris.
Jess runs away from a troubled life in the UK to her estranged brother’s luxury apartment in Paris only to find he has mysteriously disappeared and his neighbours are acting peculiarly.
I have to admit that I’ve struggled with the characters in each of Lucy Foley’s novels as they seem to be either highly unpleasant and incredibly privileged or highly suspicious “normal” folk who have a lot of emotional baggage. This shouldn’t spoil my enjoyment of the novel but it certainly taints it, consequently I’m just not bothered about the outcome.
I’m not enamoured with the disparity amongst the accents used by the narrators of the French characters – a few having dubious French accents and others having none.
I know I’m in the minority and this will be another sure-fire bestseller, it’s just not my cup of tea so 2.5 stars.

Lucy Foley is finding her place in an incredibly competitive genre. Although each book is very different, they share well developed characters, great story telling and a twisty turny plot. The Paris Apartment has an old world charm and is even more Agatha Christie-esque than previous Foley’s work.

Ben and Jess are brother and sister and have had very different upbringings. When their Mum dies of an overdose Ben’s natural charisma and charm sees that he is very quickly adopted by a well off family and has all the advantages that come with money. On the other hand, Jess bounces from one foster family to the next and knows how hard life can be. In the latest of a long line of tough situations Jess is currently jobless as well as homeless so has made her way to Paris to stay with Ben while she regroups and finds her feet again.

It’s all arranged, Ben knows she’s coming, he sent her directions to his swanky Parisian apartment, so why isn’t he there when she arrives, or why doesn’t he come home later that night or the next night, or the next?

A proper ‘who dunnit’ of old, The Paris Apartment is not a rollercoaster ride, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a meander in true jigsaw puzzle fashion of examining those pieces meted out until the picture becomes clear. Or maybe as the picture does become clear it is completely flipped on its head bringing into question everything about the story that you thought you knew?

The journey is the important thing, and the journey was wonderful. I was lucky enough to be sent the audiobook version which sports a full cast which was a rare treat. Each character’s voice’ was their’s and their’s alone and each was distinctive, so thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was ok.

This my second book by Lucy Foley and she has definitely evolved as an author.
The story, although quite predictable, was nicely written and everything fell into place by the end of the book and it all made sense. The writing had an easy flow and it reads quickly.

I have a bit of an issue with the huge amount of characters we follow, and the change of POV can get a bit confusing. I think that although most of them were distinct a few of the male characters personalities were a bit too similar.

The portrayal of French people was a bit stereotypical and vulgar. I'm not quite sure why the author decided to include so many sentences and words in French, when everyone seems to speak English (impossible in real life Paris, but you will have to go along with it!). A lot of outdated expressions and words that no native speaker would ever use. Probably not an issue for English speakers, but to anyone who speaks any French it seems a bit bizarre... It's exactly how the expression 'it's raining cat and dogs' is always taught to students abroad but no one ever says it in real life... Just wished the author did a bit more research if she wanted to include that much French in her book.

Overall, the writing is easy and the story is a quick read. The book could be slightly shorter by cutting out a few moments but it is not too bothersome. Biggest issue is the French (language and people) and maybe one too many characters/POVs. Might check out the author's next book as the writing and story telling seems to be improving with each book.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me the audio of this book to review!

All the residents of 12 ru Des Amants have something against one of the resident - Benjamin Daniels, a journalist.
When a vacancy comes up on the 3rd floor of the apartment complex, Nick from 2nd floor arranges for it to be let out to Ben, his friend as well. This doesn’t sit well with the others,
When Ben’s half-sister flees from London and arrives in Paris as promised, she finds that Ben is not in the apartment and she had to struggle to get inside – with unknown language and new people around her it’s not an easy feat! But where did Ben go? He left a voice message sharing the apartment number, but then Jess also heard something sinister in that message!
When Jess approaches the neighbors, no one seems to care and no one seems to want to help Jess – everyone seems to be hiding something. Jess has very less hope of finding Ben when she discovers a key card – could that be the answer to all the questions?
This psychological crime drama was a good one, and thanks to Netgalley & HarperCollins UK Audio I got an opportunity to listen to the DRC – I think this book was fantastic as an audio copy to listen – the narration Clare Corbett; Daphne Kouma; Julia Winwood; Sope Dirisu; Sofia Zervudachi; Charlie Anson was outstanding!

I listened to the audio version of this book.

I was really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately I found it disappointing. The premise is really good: a man goes missing in a block of flats full of suspicious and mysterious people.
His sister turns up to the apartment to find him missing and starts investigating.
However the narration is really slow and did not really keep my interest up. In the audio version each character is narrated by a different person, which makes it easy to keep track of who is speaking; however the characters are bland and unlikeable.

Even the ending is disappointing, an unexpected turn which misses the oomph to make it a breathtaking ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a little while to get into this and keep up with the story but once I did I was fully enthralled. Works well as an audiobook

The Paris Apartment
By Lucy Foley

🎉 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🎉

📚 About the book - 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.

📚 My Review -
This is my first book by this author and suffice to say I’ll be reading through her back list now. I loved this one!

It’s a slow burn, however with the amazing cast of characters and wonderful atmospheric descriptions it became a quick page turner for me and was hooked from the start. Drama, intrigue, sibling rivalry and dysfunctional families set in the heart of Paris.

Told mainly from protagonist Jess, there are also a few shady, unreliable narrators which I loved to hate. There are some jaw dropping twists that were just brilliant and a series of secrets to unravel with an air of menace surrounding it all.

Utterly compelling right up to the dramatic conclusion. I highly rate this one.

Always, and with many kind thanks to @kimberleyallsopp and the wonderful team at @harpercollinsaustralia for my review copy and @netgalley for the audio copy

I am really starting to LOVE Lucy Foley as an author. She has this way of creating unreliable narrators who drop hints that convince you something is happening when in reality its not even close to that. Telling it through an unreliable narrator works so well for me personally because when authors want to throw in misdirection or red herrings I find it frustrating when it's so obviously revealed to be not what you expect but Foley will have a character say something like "I can't stop seeing the flashes of red" so you'd assume blood and it'd be a stop light. I find it wonderful because it's my own fault for jumping to conclusions but they're directed so wonderfully.

With it being a thriller I wont give away anything but there was so much I didn't see coming that worked perfectly and made this quite a new and exciting thriller for me. I read a lot and have recently found myself becoming frustrated that I'm repeatedly coming across the same tropes done in the exact same ways, because I'm picking those books that appeal to me but this was done differently, and I appreciate it so much.
The endings of thrillers are where I struggle most where everything gets wrapped up neatly but again, I really liked where this went, there were no awkward cliff hangers, but it all felt right and realistic.


The audiobook narrators do a brilliant job and I was immersed immediately. Clare Corbett is a personal favourite of mine anyway which helped. The voice of Mimi I think was particularly brilliant at portraying her moods and personality, it was eerily good.

I read the Guest List last year and really enjoyed it so was eager to read The Paris Apartment. I enjoyed this book even more than The Guest List. I had heard many times how similar The Hunting Party and The Guest List were, the same cannot be said of this. You know from the start who the victim is.
The story is told from a number of different different viewpoints; Jess is our main character, she’s come to visit her brother in Paris but when she arrives he’s not there to greet her, all his possessions are still still in his apartment but there’s no sign of him. Jess is determined to find out what happened to her brother, what was the big story he was writing, why are the other residents of the apartment building so strange and I’d any of them know more than they were letting on?
The events leading up to Jess’s arrival unfold through the eyes of the other apartment residents; Ben’s friend Nick, the trophy wife, the abusive alcoholic, the dysfunctional teen, the concierge. Add to this the apartment building itself with its dark shadows, secret staircases, locked doors and secret comings and going’s.
There is a lot going on in this book and I loved every bit of it
Listening to the Audio book I liked that different characters had different voices, I find this much easier to listen to than having one narrator using different voices.

The audiobook for this book was phenomenal and definitely made the reading experience amazing for me with this book. We see a full cast of narrators which made it much easier to follow than reading it physically because of how many character POVs that there were. Considering the book is set in France, it really added to the atmosphere to have French Accents in the French characters POVs. I found it to be so much more fun to listen to than any other thriller audio that I have listened to before.
I thought the book was okay, a middle of the road thriller for me personally. I thought the cast of characters were good and the setting of the elite apartments was amazing. It really added to the suspense of the it all and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing more about how the apartments could see into each other and their hidden aspects throughout the book. I thought the ending was good and not out of the blue as some thrillers are, I think you could work out the ending if you were a regular thriller reader but I didn't manage to guess more than the odd small thing so it was a good surpise at the end.
I think anyone who reads this should 100% pick up the audiobook because it heightened the experience so much for me and definitely kept me entertained even when the story began to lack.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in return for a free unbiased review.

An enjoyable book, my first from Lucy Foley, that grabbed me right from the opening scene and never really let go! Several times I thought I had worked out where the story was headed, only for the plot to take another unexpected twist. The author's approach of telling the story from the point of view of several different characters worked very well, although the nature of those characters made it difficult to really feel invested in any of them. I listened to the audiobook version, and found that the cast of narrators was very well suited to their roles and really brought the story to life. Recommended.

A fantastic slow burn mystery where all the residents of the Paris apartment have dirty little secrets they would prefer to keep hidden. The layers are gradually stripped away chapter by chapter exposing the truth about each of the occupants. It is cleverly constructed and has a growing sense of menace throughout. It is a story of wealth, power, greed and lust set against a backdrop of fashionable Paris. I loved the setting, I enjoyed the layout with each chapter told by a different character and I loved the unexpected twisty ending. This is the third book I have read by Lucy Foley and I would say she well deserves her place up there with some of the greats in the genre. She is fast becoming an author where I would happily buy her book without even needing to read the blurb, as confident as I am that she will always deliver. I listened to this book on audible and the cast of narrators with their French accents made for an outstanding performance and really added to the enjoyment of the story. A highly recommended 5* read.