A modern day Agatha Christie-sque setting and an unwanted guest to sleuth – was The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley be as good as her previous books. I loved Foley’s other two books, what about her third? Read my book review of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley to find out.
Have you read The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley? What other contemporary murder mysteries worked well for you? Have you read anything else from Foley? Let us talk. Share on XAbout The Paris Apartment
Book Name: The Paris Apartment
Author: Lucy Foley
Genre: Fiction – Thriller
Characters: Jess, Ben, Jacques and Sophie, Nick, Antoine, Mimi, Camille,
Plot Summary of The Paris Apartment
When Jess invites herself to her brother Ben’s luxurious apartment, Ben is missing. She was sure he would help her as he did when they were younger, but sure he wouldn’t disappear, would he?
Jess doesn’t know about the adult Ben’s life, nor how he is able to afford this apartment itself. 12 Rue des Amants, a beautiful 5 storey building with a tenant on each floor, is a character by itself.
A nice guy, a socialite, an alcoholic, a reserved student and the concierge – who is a friend and who is lying? Where is Ben and what happened to him? Read The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley to find out.
Book review of The Paris Apartment
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is a classic whodunnit with a bunch of questionable characters and a motivated sleuth on the trail. The setting of the house was intriguing and added a sense of doom and eerie to it. It reminded me a lot of “Only Murders in the Building” (which absolutely loved it).
I have read Foley’s previous books and I really had big hopes for this one, as a big fan of closed-room mysteries. I enjoyed how the layers unraveled, even though some elements were unnecessary to the story and were added just to create a distraction.
While the slow pace put me off in places, I think it worked out well. I was not particularly enthused by Jess and her attempt to solve the mystery. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, often. It felt a little more of thriller than a mystery to me, especially when she was getting any better at solving anything.
I found the multiple person narrative with 6 people tiresome at places, and the book could have been shorter by at least 20 pages. Maybe it was just me, I was getting restless after big twist for the book to end.
What worked for me
- I loved the setting and the unlikable cast of tenants. It was eerie and sinister.
- While I didn’t like any of the characters, they were well developed and intriguing.
- The multiple
What may have been better
- I felt it was more of a thriller than a mystery.
- The pace dragged a bit, compared to what is usual for the genre.
Content warning
Murder, Suicide, Alcoholism, Cheating, Domestic violence, Sex work, Sexual harassment (mentioned), Self-harm (mentioned)
Bottom line
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is a slow paced, claustrophobic whodunnit. It is different from Foley’s other books in terms of writing and narrative style, but it mostly works. If you like “Only Murders in the Building” you might enjoy The Paris Apartment.
Similar book reviews
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
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Let’s chat
Have you read The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley? What other contemporary murder mysteries worked well for you? Have you read anything else from Foley? Let us talk.
Excellent review, I feel like I know exactly what to expect if I read the book.
I am glad you think so, Louise.
I definitely felt this was more of a thriller. And the setting WAS super eerie. I liked the feel of the Paris setting and the creepiness, but I agree there were issues. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters either. I want to read more of her stuff as I’ve heard good things about the Hunting Party in particular.
I really enjoyed Hunting Party and Guest list. This one was a bit meh.