The Paris Apartment

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Feeling a bit like a darker take on Only Murders in the Building, The Paris Apartment revolves around the residents of number 12, rue des Amants, shifting between the perspectives of several different characters as Jess tries to get a handle on what’s happening and who her brother was to all these people. Ben’s neighbors run the gamut from rude and unhelpful, to downright suspicious and even occasionally sinister, and most of them aren’t exactly likable figures, but their stories eventually dovetail in increasingly compelling and surprising ways. I don't quite understand the hype around this author. This is my second Lucy Foley novel and I tried very hard to stay with the story. The Paris Apartment starts off very strong with Jess finding her brother missing. The tone is immediately spooky and frenzied. However, it became really old, really fast with the frenzied tone. It doesn't feel as if Jess is making much progress finding answers, and the tension never really builds throughout the book. Additionally, I didn't connect with any of the characters because there wasn't a single character that was likeable. By the end of the novel, I didn't even care "who did it." Jess should have been the most likeable character, but she was always stealing, palming items from other people, even her own brother, and going through people's personal spaces without any qualms. Having read a few of Lucy Foley's books, I feel like she's really good at building up anticipation. Every moment in this book is so dramatic, with dark shadows and scary sounds at every turn. That's all good, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much, you know? There's no natural ebb and flow in the tone. It's just all high anticipation, all the time.

I love the old building with its hidden staircases, servant passages and a wine cellar. So many secrets....and she has no one to rely on and a language barrier with the local police. One of the best psychological thrillers from 2019, The Better Sister is a dark noir tale from bestselling author Alafair Burke. But she seems to make Ben’s neighbors very uncomfortable, as they barely tolerate Jess, her probing questions, and the insinuation into their lives and explosive secrets…I was floored! I did not see that coming at all. Did you see that reveal? I thought it was interesting and surprising.

When a woman inherits a Parisian apartment undisturbed since WWII, she discovers that it may hold the key to unraveling her cold and distant great-grandmother's secret life -- a past of sacrifice during a mission to protect those she loved.” The question is, how far will some go to protect their secrets? Will they kill to protect those secrets? Or will they kill to escape them? Lia is determined to find out more. She will go in search of true ownership of the paintings and she will enlist the help of Gabriel, an art appraiser. Wow I have been missing out!!!! I have never read Ms. Foley’s novels so this was a wonderful surprise for me. THE WRITING – Ms. Foley’s writing is fluid, flows well and is very descriptive. I felt myself immersed in the heat of a Paris summer, riots breaking out in the city, tourists sweltering in the heat!! Lots of dirt and garbage behind the facade of the “beautiful city” with it’s Eiffel tower and The Louvre.

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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. there's more weight to this one than The Hunting Party/ The Guest List—it's more ambitious in structure and content than the fluffy drawing room-style mysteries that preceded it, and it has a more meaningful story than fancy people getting murdered. not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's good to know she's got more in her than reheating a been-there-done-that plot. New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door, An Unwanted Guest is the acclaimed 2018 mystery-thriller from Shari Lapena. The book is set in a remote and romantic inn, the dream spot for a romantic weekend getaway. There were two slight shortcomings for me: one is that there is no real sense of place in this book other than the apartment building. I could totally visualize it, but it could be set anywhere, Paris doesn't really factor into the story. Also, the timeline is quite jumpy, and there were a few times I would have to re-read certain sections because I thought I was in the present and then it turned out I was in the past, and vice versa. It didn't happen really often, but often enough that I noticed it.