Well hello to you my reader chums! I’m a huge fan of Lucy Foley’s books because her writing style is addictive and every murder mystery has me hooked in straight away. Foley has a unique way of writing and I love the intelligence of her plot lines and their character development.
If you’re shopping for a new murder mystery, here is my book review of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley.
Plotline
The plot follows Jess as she escapes her hard, personal life to stay with her brother Ben in a Parisian posh apartment. When Jess arrives, she discovers Ben is nowhere to be found and starts a hunt to search for him, uncovering many secrets involving the apartment and its fellow residents.
Characters and relationships
One of my favourite things about this book is the characters because they all have that unique draw about them.
Jess - I thought Jess was a lot younger initially until her age was revealed because of how she held herself and described her troubling childhood. However, I loved the rawness of her character because she was truly herself, living life like she knew how to, fending for herself. She’s independent, strong and feisty, and I liked her determination.
Ben - As the murder suspect, Ben was a complete mystery in all honesty but that made him more intriguing as a character because everyone had something different to say about him.
Mimi - Mimi seemed like a dark and troubled person who needed to learn to love herself with an obsessive personality. She lived in one of the rooms in the apartment building with her friend Camille who was the complete opposite, a confident and sensual individual.
Sophie - As the leading lady of the apartment complex, living in the penthouse, Sophie was made out to be a harsh and snobby character but the more I learnt about her past, the more I realised how most of it was an act. The real her was begging to come through and be loved.
Jacques - I disliked Jacques in many ways because he’s a typical rich man who cares more about the appearance of things and his money than how his family are actually feeling and loving them.
The concierge - Probably one of the most mysterious characters in the book, I loved the insight of her and how different her life had been compared to those in the building. Her part within the story didn’t make sense for a while but as the plot unveils, it explains just why she is there.
Nick - I felt sorry for Nick, similar to Mimi because even though it looked like he had it all, he didn’t and seemed a bit lost. He was the reason Ben moved into the apartment as his old university friend, however, his move affected his life in a negative way.
Antoine - Antoine wasn’t a very friendly or kind character, he is out for himself and that becomes more apparent as the plot thickens.
Overall thoughts
Overall, I adored this book and didn’t want it to end. The fast pace and how the characters and their lives aligned are genius. I thought the book would go one way, but then something happened and my thoughts would change. This constant page-turner made it even more intriguing as dark secrets are unveiled, characters' true colours are shown and the connection of who these people are is revealed. I would recommend this book to everyone to soak up the Parisian world and how the other half live. It’s dark, and hard-hitting at times and shares an insight into what having money can do.
Ending
The ending was brilliant in my opinion. After the big secret that ended the plot came out, I didn’t know what was next, however, the author ended it on a note to give the characters what they needed.
I hope you enjoyed this review. Have you read any of Lucy Foley’s books?
Thank you for reading <3
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