The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley Book Review

Title: The Paris Apartment
Author: Lucy Foley
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Year of Publication: 2022
Date of Publication: February 22, 2022
Pages: 368
ISBN-10: 0063003058
ISBN-13: 978-0063003057
Audiobook Read by: Marisa Calin and Gemma Dawson

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The Paris Apartment follows Jess, a young woman who arrives in Paris to stay with her half-brother Ben, only to find him missing upon her arrival.

At the start of the book, Jess shows up at Ben’s apartment and is completely shocked by how upscale it is. When she arrives at the front of the apartment building, she has a strange feeling that she is being watched and when she looks down the street, she sees a silhouette of a person who appears to be watching her.

When Jess eventually enters the building (or more like breaks into the building), she is even more surprised by how large each unit is. She notices Ben’s unit has a smell and the fact that he has a cat that appears to have something that looks like blood on it. She is reluctant to call the police because she has a secret of her own and convinces herself that not only is it too soon, she is in a foreign country, does not speak the language and doesn’t have enough to conclude that there is a problem.

Jess has always viewed herself as the problematic sibling and Ben as having the perfect life with good luck. We learn very quickly that she is running away from something or someone in London and that she has no money to go back.

Initially, Jess assumes Ben was simply running late and would show up apologizing but when he does not, she starts investigating his disappearance. She learns dark secrets among the residents of Ben’s upscale apartment building. Each neighbor harbors hidden motives and secrets and this leaves Jess questioning who she can trust.

“…like this place, this building is some huge creature ready to swallow me whole.”— Jess

Main Plot & Characters

Jess Hadley: She is a woman from England who travels to Paris to stay with her half-brother, Ben. Jess becomes the central figure investigating his disappearance.
Ben Daniels: He is Jess’s half-brother and a journalist living in a Paris apartment building. Ben goes missing shortly before Jess arrives. Jess let’s him know she would be coming to Paris to stay with him with very short notice. He agrees and says he would be waiting and that she should ring the buzzer when she gets there.
Sophie Meunier: She is a very elegant woman. Sophie is married to the wealthy owner of the building. She has a secret and someone is blackmailing her.
Jacques Meunier: He is Sophie’s husband and the owner of the apartment building. Jacques is much older than Sophie.
Antoine: He is a bitter, troubled man living in the building. Antoine is married to Dominique. He resents many of the other tenants.
Dominique: She is Antoine’s wife. Dominique is quiet, anxious, and caught in an unhappy marriage. The first night Jess arrived at the building she noticed Dominique arguing publicly with a man.
Mimi: She is an introvert who lives in the building and is connected to Ben’s investigation. She is a roommate to Camille.
Camille: She is Mimi’s roommate. She is outgoing, loud and loves being the center of attention. Camille and Mimi are complete opposites. Most of Camille’s friends are convinced that the friendship is financially motivated.
Nick Miller: Nick and Ben know each other from their university days but nick harbors serious resentment and jealousy towards Ben. Nick actually invited Ben to live in the same apartment building.
The Concierge (Madame): She is the caretaker of the building. She is always watching although she is not always inclined to open the door and let people in. She also knows more than she reveals.
Theo Mendelson: He is a London-born editor that works at The Telegraph. He regularly commissions Ben to write restaurant and bar reviews, and when Ben goes missing, Theo steps in to assist Jess in figuring out what happened to Ben.
Irina: She is a dancer-turned-entertainer at La Petite Mort, a secretive club. She meets up with Jess and Theo during their investigation and reveals key details about the club’s inner workings.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley -Reading

Memorable Quotes

“We can do our family members down as much as we like. But the second an outsider insults them our blood seethes. At the end of the day I don’t like him — but I love him. And I see my own failures in him.”— Nick reflecting on Antoine
“You know, I read somewhere that sixty percent of us can’t go more than ten minutes without lying… White lies to avoid causing offence.”— Jess
“You don’t have hair that perfect, unless you spend your days doing basically nothing”— Jess’ reflections
“The voice of blood is the strongest.”— Nick reflecting on his choices
“This may be a gilded cage, but it’s the life I had chosen.”.”— Sophie Meunier

Writing Style

Foley tells the story using multiple perspectives. The story unfolds from the perspective of Jess as well as the different tenants. Each chapter is from someone different but one thing that is clear is that Ben is central to a lot of people’s feelings and actions.

The author does a great job with suspense and as a reader your curiosity is picked and you many find yourself trying to piece the puzzle together in order to figure out what happened to Ben and why the other tenants feel the way the do. The book gives you the same kind of suspense and feeling you get from reading We Were Liars.

Although the overall pacing of the book is slow, when the narrative starts to come together, things really pick up and everything comes together in a beautiful way.

Impact of The Paris Apartment

The Paris Apartment has a tension-filled plot and will appeal to readers who enjoy suspense and thriller.

What are your thoughts on this book? Have you had a chance to read it? Let us know in the comments!

Authors

Ufuoma Akpotaire
Ufuoma Akpotaire is a passionate book, movie and music reviewer with a love for travel and culture. She combines her enthusiasm for storytelling with her experience exploring new places and stories. Through her reviews, she celebrates creativity and inspires readers to appreciate the connections between books, movies, music, travel, and global cultures.
Nathaniel Adebayo
Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.