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A review by alilbitofmonica
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Filled with twists and turns, this whodunnit tale will keep you guessing from start to finish.
From the beginning, it’s easy to tell that there are some very deep, dark secrets behind the walls of the old apartment building. Each character is as mysterious as the next and each chapter unfolds new truths that lead Jess on a thrilling chase for clues as to what happened to her missing brother Ben.
While the story moved along pretty slowly, the whole book taking place over just three days time, each chapter is focused on revealing more and more about the various occupants of the apartment building. The mystery is incredibly complicated, sometimes almost too much so. Most chapters involved flashbacks to previous interactions with other characters, all leading up to the big reveal of what happened the night Ben disappeared. But at times, those flashbacks were a bit hard to follow, or even seemed repetitive and unnecessary.
On top of that, I do feel as though there are some details that don’t line up throughout the story and it makes it difficult to connect with any of the characters. On top of that (potential minor spoiler) the more we learn about Ben’s past, the more I hated him and the way he played people. It made me feel a little less urgent at solving the mystery and potentially finding him.
All in all, it was intriguing and kept me guessing til the end. I was able to predict a few of the twists, but there was no way to predict all that went down inside that Paris Apartment.
From the beginning, it’s easy to tell that there are some very deep, dark secrets behind the walls of the old apartment building. Each character is as mysterious as the next and each chapter unfolds new truths that lead Jess on a thrilling chase for clues as to what happened to her missing brother Ben.
While the story moved along pretty slowly, the whole book taking place over just three days time, each chapter is focused on revealing more and more about the various occupants of the apartment building. The mystery is incredibly complicated, sometimes almost too much so. Most chapters involved flashbacks to previous interactions with other characters, all leading up to the big reveal of what happened the night Ben disappeared. But at times, those flashbacks were a bit hard to follow, or even seemed repetitive and unnecessary.
On top of that, I do feel as though there are some details that don’t line up throughout the story and it makes it difficult to connect with any of the characters. On top of that (potential minor spoiler) the more we learn about Ben’s past, the more I hated him and the way he played people. It made me feel a little less urgent at solving the mystery and potentially finding him.
All in all, it was intriguing and kept me guessing til the end. I was able to predict a few of the twists, but there was no way to predict all that went down inside that Paris Apartment.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Pregnancy