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A review by woahshereads
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
2.0
Once again, I feel as if Lucey Foley’s writing falls flat. I just finished The Guest List (also rated 2 ⭐️) & I had higher hopes going into this one but yet again I found myself disappointed. I think my main problem with her writing is that her stories start right in the middle of the “mystery” itself so there is no built up tension or wonder going into the reading. You don’t get a chance to connect with any of the characters and as a result, you don’t care who did it or what happens to them. About 53% of the way through I had to ask myself if I really cared to finish it & I as I am not one to DNF - I powered through. But it was a struggle.
For this book, I found myself not caring so much for Ben or Jess & honestly most if not all of the other characters. The book was melodramatic with a slight anticipation for “what happens next” but, spoiler alert, nothing ever does. Jess does nothing to aid the search for her missing brother aside from asking her rude “neighbors” a single consistent question “when did you last seem him?” & she never probes any further because she doesn’t want to overstep? Call attention to herself?! HELLO YOUR BROTHER IS MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING, THERE IS BLOOD AND BLEACH IN HIS APARTMENT AND ALL OF HIS NEIGHBORS ARE BEING VAGUE ASSHOLES?! Yeah, seems likely.
So after nothing happens for about 80% of the book, the neighbors suddenly start to feel uneasy about her presence after she’s done nothing to reveal the truth and nothing to suggest she knows what happened to her brother which results in an ending so quick and abrupt and, just as I felt for The Guest List, was underwhelming & not surprising or shocking at all; especially for something often advertised as a mystery/thriller & highly praised on BookTok.
Overall, I don’t think Lucey Foley is the mystery author for me moving forward.
For this book, I found myself not caring so much for Ben or Jess & honestly most if not all of the other characters. The book was melodramatic with a slight anticipation for “what happens next” but, spoiler alert, nothing ever does. Jess does nothing to aid the search for her missing brother aside from asking her rude “neighbors” a single consistent question “when did you last seem him?” & she never probes any further because she doesn’t want to overstep? Call attention to herself?! HELLO YOUR BROTHER IS MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING, THERE IS BLOOD AND BLEACH IN HIS APARTMENT AND ALL OF HIS NEIGHBORS ARE BEING VAGUE ASSHOLES?! Yeah, seems likely.
So after nothing happens for about 80% of the book, the neighbors suddenly start to feel uneasy about her presence after she’s done nothing to reveal the truth and nothing to suggest she knows what happened to her brother which results in an ending so quick and abrupt and, just as I felt for The Guest List, was underwhelming & not surprising or shocking at all; especially for something often advertised as a mystery/thriller & highly praised on BookTok.
Overall, I don’t think Lucey Foley is the mystery author for me moving forward.