Jess and her half brother, Ben, have led separate lives since their mother died when they were young. Ben was adopted by a well-off family and had a happy childhood and went on to Cambridge University. Jess was left in the orphanage and has had a disjointed, impoverished life since.

After a fracas at the bar where she was working in London, Jess quits and travels to Paris to find Ben. It was short notice but Ben was expecting her so Jess is surprised to find he isn’t there but his wallet and mobile are still in the apartment.. The apartment has four floors with a penthouse suite and is very opulent.

None of the other occupants are friendly and we learn more about them as the short chapters are the viewpoints of them all, as well as that of the concierge who lives in a tiny cabin in the grounds which is in complete contrast to the apartments. While the premise of the book based on a large apartment and being in Paris appealed to me I found the plot a little dreary and slow for most of the book. The Paris aspect was not really significant other than some of the dialogue being in French, mostly translated into English for the reader, and the occasional mention of Parisian landmarks such as the Louvre. The pace and interest did pick up in the last quarter and I liked the ending. There were times when I was not sure if the dialogue was referring to the present or past as that wasn’t clear. None of the characters seemed like people I would like to spend time with and I found the book hard to engage with due to this and the slow pace.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Paris Apartment’ by Lucy Foley is a tense and chilling psychological mystery set in a luxury apartment block in Paris. Jess flees a bad situation back home for the comfort of her half-brother Ben’s flat in the French capital. When she arrives he’s nowhere to be found, and all her enquiries lead to more questions. His neighbours have secrets of their own -but what do they have to do with Ben? And can she trust any of them?

Told from the point of view of several characters, it means the unreliable narrator is part of the story. It keeps the reader guessing. Jess is not exactly a sympathetic character, so one never knows who to trust. There are so many secrets and shifty characters. It’s quite a slow burn story but worth the wait as the ending shocked and surprised me. I did not see it coming.

I was given this ARC for review.

A dark psychological thriller, 'The Paris Apartment' is Foley's best novel yet. Jess goes to stay with her half brother Ben who is living and working in Paris. When she arrives at the old elegant apartment building and finds Ben missing, Jess begins to wonder how he can afford to live in such an exclusive place. Unable to speak French herself Jess is left to rely on those she meets for help and trust they have her best interests at heart.

The novel shows the dark and seedy side of Paris that is not normally shown. There is danger in the air as Paris is disrupted by violent riots creating an atmosphere of peril. The inhabitants of 12 Rue des Amants are unfriendly and supicious you will Jess to trust no one and leave the place as fast as she can. A really enjoyable thriller with great twists and turns throughout.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

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

I have really enjoyed The Hunting Party and The Guest List so I was very much looking forward to The Paris Apartment - I was definitely not disappointed. Lucy writes in such an engaging way and her multiple narrators and short chapters make it easy to get hooked on the story after only a few pages. We begin by meeting Ben who is working on an important piece of work, the nature of which is not revealed. His half sister is on her way to stay with him and he isn't really that excited about it. Jess is a bit of a wild child who flits around between jobs and locations and isn't necessarily always on the correct side of the law. For Ben this visit is an inconvenience but something he will have to tolerate. Jess is excited to see her big brother, but when she arrives at his apartment, she can't get in - he isn't buzzing her through and all her calls go unanswered. Indeed he seems to have vanished and none of the other residents in the building seem overly concerned. They aren't particularly friendly to Jess and seem to want her to leave to go back home as quickly as she has arrived. For a number of reasons, she can't do this. She wants to see her brother and one way or another she is determined that he will be found.

As I mentioned, I am a fan of having a story told through the eyes of more than one person. The main characters in The Paris Apartment are all a little unusual and seem rather uncomfortable within their own skin. The building is not the sort of place that just anyone could rent a room and the residents value their privacy. Having a stranger in their midst makes them unhappy, angry and on edge but it isn't clear to the reader why. I've debated about talking about each of the characters and how I felt about them and their role in the story but I fear that this might give too much detail that readers might prefer to find out as they read. The beauty of Lucy's books are that very little is given away and the aura of mystery is maintained whilst the tension is gently increased. I felt very anxious of Jess as, although she sounded like she had a fair amount of 'street smarts' back at home, these were of limited use in a city where the language is unfamiliar and those she encounters are unhelpful or disinterested.

As the story progressed, we learn more and more about the residents, their reasons for living as they do and why Jess is making them so skittish and frustrated. I couldn't really say that their personalities grew on me but I definitely understood why they had become the people they were. The Paris Apartment is told at a good pace - the story moves on quite quickly but pauses when necessary to fill in backstory or expand upon a scene. It is a book that would make an excellent mini series and I would definitely watch it if it ever does get made into one!

I think this is a book which will tick a lot of boxes for readers who enjoy a character based thriller. It kept me up into the night so I could read more and, as with Lucy's previous books, it was cleverly planned and written, keeping me guessing as I read.

Lucy Foley never disappoints. You know you will be immersed into a mystery, the characters will be fascinating and centre stage and they will have secrets, and that the ending will be reached by a slow reveal when every little piece of the jigsaw is eventually slotted into place. And so it is with the Paris Apartment, in my opinion her best book yet. Ben has gone missing from his Paris apartment just before he is due to meet his sister from the UK. His sister slowly acquanits herself with the apartment and its residents - and its clear that all is not what it seems. A great book. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

I've read and very much enjoyed Lucy Foley's previous novels so was excited for her new one. Unfortunately I found this one just wasn't for me. It' felt like there was too much going on and it didn't feel believable or gripping to me. Once I put this down I didn't feel a drive to pick it back up again. I may try it again at another time but for now I'm not going to finish it so won't review it on my blog.

I wasn’t a fan of The Guest List at all so my expectations weren’t overly high starting The Paris Apartment but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. If you’ve read Lucy Foley you’ll know what to expect, a classic Agatha Christie style whodunnit. The story follows a woman who has travelled to Paris on the spur of the moment to stay with her brother, but on arrival she finds his apartment empty. This book is full of twists and turns and while a few were pretty predictable there were definitely some surprises as well. The cast of characters are really what makes this book so compelling, from the very beginning you don’t know who to trust. The writing is nothing exceptional but the plot and characters really grasp your attention, this was one of those books I couldn’t put down.

This must be one of the most anticipated books I had on my list this year so I was thrilled when I received approval to read an ecopy of this marvellous mystery. And it really is a great read. What a mastermind Lucy Foley is to bring all of these characters togethers in such an intruiging way. It almost felt like a locked-room type of novel and there are no plotlines I love more so I was compelled from the start, sympathising with the amateur sleuth of the story immediately.

Jess is a waitress at the Copacabana in the UK when one day she’s had enough of the clientele and her sexist boss and makes apparently such a memorable exit that she fears the police. She arrives in Paris where she’s going to stay with her brother Ben until she’s sorted herself out and found a new job. Unfortunately Ben’s not waiting for her as he promised, there is nobody home. She manages to find a way in but it doesn’t give her any clue about where he has gone. Did he go out to follow a lead or did something happen to him in his apartment? The further into the story the more she starts to think it was the last. She has no confidence in the police and would rather avoid them altogether, but can she trust Nick, the one who told Ben about the place he was staying in?

The story is told through the voices of Jess and the tenants in the building and the story always lists the name of the tenant and which floor they occupy on so I made a little drawing myself of the building in my notebook. The ice cold Sophie Meunier (and her husband Jacques) are staying in the penthouse, shy Mimi and her extraverted party-loving friend Camille are on the fourth floor, Jess is staying in Ben’s apartment on the third floor, his old university friend Nick is on the second and the alcoholic Antoine lives on the first floor. In a corner of the property there is also the concierge who seems to be all-seeing and is all-knowing.

I loved being in Paris. Yes it did feel like I was there. Jess drinks a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and orders a ricard in a Parisian café, she goes to the boulangerie and buys two delicious buttery croissants. What’s more, if you’ve ever wanted to learn the language it’s good to know that the author includes all the most popular swear words in French throughout the story, so you can never really lose sight of the fact that the novel is set in another country. Some readers who don’t enjoy books with profanity might be offended but I found it eh funny. Just when I thought ‘this is the only one missing’ (of course I know my vocabulary) bam, there it was :-).

Everyone in the story is hiding something about who they really are and it was difficult to guess those hidden truths. I really didn’t see that first big twist coming and it was such a good one! Another thing the characters all have in common is that they feel quite invisible. That was before Ben arrived of course because he makes himself liked more than some and loved by others which is very dangerous to do because that leaves plenty of room for jealousy. The story took a whole other turn than what I had imagined though, but it was really well plotted.

If I had known the theme involved in this novel I’m not sure I would have picked this novel so I’m happy that I didn’t know. The goings on in the apartment building did make up for it and it all makes sense in the end why everyone is acting the way that they are. The only thing I really didn’t like was how judgmental some people were about Sophie. She was judged and looked down on because of her past while there was absolutely no reason for it and I wish this opinion of some men wouldn’t find its way into fiction anymore because it keeps these kind of ill-advised thoughts alive. It also made me sad how Nick was afraid for his secret to come out. I think his was the only one I found out on my own.

The Paris Apartment held a lot of mystery and some cracking plot developments, I really enjoyed reading this!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for my advanced readers copy.
I pride myself on being able to walk out the twist well before they come. The Paris Apartment on the other hand kept me guessing throughout. The enclosed living space left a sense of paranoia where no one could be trusted.
I didn't like any of the characters. Jess included but I think that's definitely Lucy Foley's intent as I've yet to discover a character of her's that I really like. Jess does all the things she shouldn't in her pursuit to find out what happened to Ben.
It's dark, sinister, intense and the final 15% of the book is truly explosive.
This would have been a 5 star book for me except for one thing that annoyed me. Yes the book was set in France but what was the purpose in having sentences that were predominantly in English with a couple in French thrown in at the end. These words or short phrases were often immediately translated afterwards. I wasn't sure what purpose this served and often it left me a bit confused about what language the character was meant to be speaking.
Fantastic book. Absolutely loved it. Can't wait to see what comes next from her.

I can say this with certainty, that you will not predict all of the twists and turns throughout this book. They were so well crafted as to not be predictable but not be too over the top or dramatic once they were finally revealed. This is very hard to do but it was so well written and I loved every moment, and couldn’t want to keep reading to see what happens next.

This book is told through multiple viewpoints and I really enjoyed getting all these different perspectives, and how the short chapters mean that you are constantly switching back and forth as you finally uncover what has happened. All of the characters were so well written and all kind of likeable and detestable at the same time, which is so much fun to read. Everyone is deeply floored and very human!

The short chapters definitely help to engage you in this story from the very start, and the opening chapter really just throws you straight into the mystery.

I do just have to say that the use of French in this book really annoyed me. I don’t know if other people will have this issue but I just really disliked the way that 99% of a sentence would be in English and there’d just be one random French word thrown in, that was often then immediately translated. It just seemed unnecessary and I genuinely think I would have enjoyed the book more without it. (I bet no one else cared about this at all!).

Although, I loved the Parisienne atmosphere of this book. As someone who has lived there it was so easy to imagine and all the descriptions, especially that of the apartment block were just so perfectly done that I could really imagine being there! It was very French and I enjoyed that aspect, even if the language aspect annoyed me!

It was twisty and action packed and such a great read and I can’t wait to see what Lucy Foley comes out with next!

Jess’ brother goes missing just as she has turned up for a visit. She questions the inhabitants of his apartment building, but it seems no one is willing to help her out. The book is filled with omissions, secrets and lies. And let me assure you that you will never guess the lead up to the ending.

One thing I found unique is the story unfolds in the present with chapters from alternating views and something would trigger the person to have a memory to help fill in pertinent past events. I must admit that I didn’t really like any of the characters except maybe the cat, but I had several theories on what was going on and I needed to know if I had figured it all out.

The Paris setting with French sayings peppered throughout and the creepy old apartment building give the story some character. The slow burn plot takes it time getting where it is going and slightly veers off course for a short time, but is entertaining nonetheless.

I think those that liked the author’s previous books in addition to anyone loving slow burn suspense will enjoy this one.

Jess has left her bar job in Brighton to spend some time with her half brother Ben living in Paris. They spent much of their life in care as their fathers left either before or not long after they wore born and their mother died.
Ben was taken in by a well off family who couldn't take on his sister too who unfortunately didn't have such a good deal with foster families.
She receives a voicemail directing her to his apartment, an apartment in a rather grand building in a very classy and expensive part of town.
When she arrives, Ben has vanished but left behind his wallet and keys, The cat has blood on it and there's a clean patch on the floor.
Jess is determined to find out what has happened to Ben and meets his neighbours, Antoine a nasty drunk who has just publicly thrown is wife out of their apartment, Sophie who lives with her husband currently away on business and resides in the penthouse, Nick who knew Ben from his university days, Mimi who shares her apartment with Camille and the Concierge who lives in the lodge.
The building itself is mysterious with hidden stairs and spy holes.
Jess tries asking the neighbours who live in the apartment who don't appear very forthcoming or even friendly apart from Nick.
Jess also manages to get in touch with Theo who is the grumpy editor from a newspaper that Ben writes reviews for and helps Jess get to the bottom of Ben's disappearance.
The story is told from the perspective of Jess, Sophie, Nick, Mimi and the concierge.
It is a dark atmospheric and descriptive read which is captivating but also nice chapter lengths allowing the book to be put down and picked up again with ease, It twists and changes as we get to know the characters and you really don't know who to trust.
This isn't just a case of who did it but what was done and who done it that keeps you guessing until the end.
I haven't previously read any of Lucy Folley's books but will certainly look out for them in future.
With thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, Harperfiction for the preview read.
General fiction (adult) Mystery and Thrillers.

#TheParisApartment #NetGalley.

Sophie who lives in the Penthouse, Nick who is Ben's friend from his university days, Mimi who can see into Ben's apartment from hers, the Concierge, Theo a newspaper editor, Antoine

My Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I hadn’t got far into the book before I was wondering what was going on here. What was it all about? But having already read two of Lucy Foley’s excellent novels I knew that I was in good hands. I was right.

This is about the Paris apartment building, but more importantly, the people who live there. The layout and writing style are very original. There are no formal chapters, just short sections several pages long, each headed up with the name of a character from the story They each tell a small section of the story in the first person, and so it builds up.. Tiny parts of the tale are let out a little at a time, through the assorted characters who draw you in and keep you turning the pages to learn more. The beauty of this style of writing is that you increasingly understand more of each person through the eyes of the others. The only disadvantage of this type of narration in the first person is that I occasionally forgot who was speaking and I had to flip back to find their name heading at the start of that particular passage. The author juggles various pieces of each persons story and slots them in order to form one whole. It’s an extremely clever and powerful way to build a suspenseful story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Imagine a small apartment block full of strange people with strange stories to tell and a concierge of the same ilk and you have the starting point for this very "novel" novel. From then on the story gets better and better and the people get stranger and stranger and the ending is full of surprises.

No spoilers from me, just an exhortation for you to read this book for yourself as it truly is a "novel" novel and therefore so worth your time.

Having read a few of Lucy Foley’s books in the past and pretty much enjoying most of them I was really excited when I was approved to read an advance copy thanks to NetGalley.

The Paris Apartment is about a journalist called Ben who lives in a Paris apartment. His half-sister Jess is on her way to Paris to stay with Ben as she wants to escape her life. But when she gets to the apartment she discovers Ben has disappeared. She takes it upon herself to find out what has happened to Ben.

This was a rather slow paced thriller and honestly at times I wondered if I would ever finish it. It is told from multiple POVs and honestly it got a little confusing at times especially when it came to the neighbours. I pretty much found all the characters unlikeable and you never quite know who to trust but the strange thing was I still really wanted to read on as I really wanted to know what they were hiding.

Now, there are plenty of twists in the book and although I did see some of them coming there were definitely some cleverly done ones that I never saw coming. Especially nearer to the end.

My favourite part of the book was definitely the setting. I liked that we got to see the dark side of Paris and not just the touristy parts that you normally find in books.

The Paris Apartment sadly didn’t blow me away but all in all not a bad book and one I would say is worth giving a go if you enjoy a slow burn thriller. Although this one wasn’t my cup of tea, I am still looking forward to reading more from Lucy Foley.

The Paris Apartment is the new novel by Lucy Foley and it is BRILLIANT! It’s chilling and suspenseful and there is a sense of dread that starts on the first page and never leaves. I love that the author chose to set it in the beautiful Paris, the city of lights, right in the middle of riots and a summer heat that makes everyone jumpy and nervous. And in a building that indicates wealth and power and its tenants a group of dysfunctional and suspicious characters full of secrets.

Jess needs a place to stay. Somewhere where she can have a fresh start and leave her troubles behind in England. So, she calls her big brother Ben, living in a beautiful apartment in Paris. On the phone, Ben didn’t sound too happy about her arrival, but he said he’d be waiting for her. Except, when Jess arrives at his place, Ben is not there. He left his phone and his wallet and he’s nowhere to be found. Worried, Jess starts digging into her brother’s life, but his neighbours don’t seem so happy with her questions, and the more Jess investigates, the more is clear that something suspicious is going on at number 12 Rue des Amants.

Most of the characters are unreliable and not very likable. There is something dark and unsettling about them that gave me chills. Jess is the only character that I found likable and relatable. Unlike her brother, she had a difficult childhood and she does her best to survive. However, when her brother disappears, she is the only one who cares about it and she is determined to find out the truth, no matter the cost.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Lucy Foley is a brilliant and addictive storyteller and she never disappoints. The Paris Apartment will keep you on the edge of your seat and you won’t be able to put it down!

The Paris Apartment is gripping and thrilling with some great twists and turns. The suspense builds throughout and keeps you captivated to the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and the author for the chance to review.

A psychological thriller with plenty of clever diversions and twists - I thought I had this one all figured out but I was totally wrong! Jess turns up in Paris to stay with her brother Ben, but when she arrives, he isn’t there to greet her like he promised, and the apartment seems to be strangely grand, with some ominous signs. Ben has seemingly vanished and it’s down to Jess to work out what happened and why the atmosphere in the apartment block feels so wrong. She meets several of the neighbours but isn’t sure which she can trust, and doesn’t trust the police enough to help either. So there’s quite a psychological thriller element given that Jess is completely on her own in a strange country and thinks that something has happened to her brother - the whole novel feels tense and suspicious and for me at least was very fast to read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
I mostly enjoyed this although I did find it quite slow in places.
Ben is a journalist living in a Paris apartment. Jess is his half sister who needs to escape her job in England. So she heads to Paris to stay with Ben but on arrival Ben is not answering his phone.
Ben has disappeared and Jess sets out to find out what has happened to him.
The other occupants of the building are not particularly likeable and they all seem to have something to hide.
The chapters are told from the points of view of each character including the concierge.
I didn't feel any tension even though this is a thriller not even at the end when all is revealed. There was a bit of a twist I didn't see coming toward the end.
Most of this is set in the apartments so there is little about Paris itself.
I liked Jess, she was certainly a fiesty character who was never going to give up finding Ben.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC in return for an honest review.