The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley

I really enjoyed this book. From the Paris setting to the delightfully odd cast of characters, it’s one which will draw you in and keep those pages turning as the secrets and lies of No. 12 Rue des Armants gradually come to light.

And what a cast of characters we have here. Jess, freshly arrived to visit her brother finds a suspiciously empty apartment. And none of the neighbours are saying much. Not Sophie, the rich old lady in the penthouse for who everything must be just so. Nor Nick, Ben’s old friend who invited him to stay in the apartment above his. Then there’s Mimi and Camille who live on the fourth floor. And not forgetting the concierge. Who knows what she’s seen whilst working there…

The book is told from the viewpoints of the residents of number 12, with each chapter seeing the events from one person’s point of view. The chapters are often short and snappy, which is perfect for a speedy read. You can’t help but want just one more chapter, to see what this new person thought of what was going on. It also jumps in time a little so we get to look back at the events before the arrival of Jess on that fateful night when her brother disappears.

It’s very cleverly constructed and kept me guessing all the way through. I thought I had it figured out, and whilst yes, I did spot some of what was going on, I was delighted to be surprised more often than not.

This is the first of Lucy Foley’s books that I’ve read, though I do have The Hunting Party on my kindle. I shall be bumping that up the list given how much I enjoyed this book!

Highly recommended.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley is published by Harper Collins and is out now. Many thanks to the publisher for the advance copy of Lucy Foley’s book, and to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.