A twisty mystery-thriller with gothic overtones
I think British author Lucy Foley's books just keep getting better and better! I found The Paris Apartment an engrossing and compelling read, in which Foley has successfully employed a more complex narrative structure than in her previous work.
Englishwoman Jess Hadley arrives in Paris, after leaving her bar job in Brighton under somewhat shady circumstances. She arrives outside her journalist half-brother's apartment building in (fictional) Rue des Amants, expecting to find him waiting to let her in, as arranged. But Ben is nowhere to be found...
The resourceful Jess manages to gain admittance to the building, and discovers several disconcerting signs in Ben's third-floor apartment - his wallet and keys have been left behind and his cat has unexplained blood on her paws...
As she makes the acquaintance of the inhabitants of the other apartments, Jess recognises their reluctance to engage with her about Ben's whereabouts and also witnesses several troubling interactions between them. She quickly comes to the realisation that there's something very strange going on here, intensifying her fears for her brother. After a disappointing attempt to notify the local gendarmerie of Ben's disappearance, Jess seeks out the assistance of Ben's friend from university, Nick, who also lives in the apartment building, and a work contact, Theo, to whom Ben had been intending to pitch a sensational article.
Adding to the intrigue, the narrative unfolds from several perspectives - a prologue from Ben's point of view, that of Jess herself, and those of her fellow-residents: diffident Nick, skittish Mimi, haughty Sophie and the observant, eavesdropping concierge of the building. Thus, the reader experiences the gradual revelation of what is going on beneath the elegant façade of the building, but from different and sometimes competing sources. Who can Jess trust in her quest for the truth of what's happened to Ben? What shocking secret or secrets has he uncovered and what might any one of the suspects be willing to do to protect themselves?
The Paris Apartment is a twisty tale, with several stunning surprises along the way and a fabulously dramatic denouement. It contains well-executed gothic elements, recalling classics such as Jane Eyre and Rebecca, not to mention shades of Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant suspense-thriller film "Rear Window" (1954). Lucy Foley evokes the Parisian setting masterfully, using the protagonist's lack of familiarity with the city and language to raise the sense of lurking danger and tension. Snippets of French language are sprinkled throughout, lending additional authenticity, and should be understood by those with only a basic level of comprehension.
I'd highly recommend The Paris Apartment to any reader who enjoys well-executed mystery thrillers and/or engrossing multiple-thread narratives. It's a great read that's difficult to put down once started.
Sarah, 04/03/2022
