By Carolina Moriello
Content warning: sexual assault, violence, domestic abuse
Welcome to number 12, rue des Amants, where everyone is a suspect, and nothing is as it seems.
When Jess Hadley escapes England looking for a new start, she expects to stay with her half-brother Ben Daniels in his beautiful Paris apartment. Broke, out of a job, and escaping a scary past, Jess is hoping to use her time in Paris to figure out her next move. However, when she arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found. The longer Ben is away, the more alarmed and curious Jess gets. She turns to Ben’s neighbours for help, only to be met with hostility and unfriendliness at every turn. Jess believes the truth about what happened to her brother lies within the walls of the apartment building, and the more she unearths the more determined she is to find him…dead or alive.
Within the first few chapters of this book the reader is introduced to many characters. As a matter of fact, not only are there many characters, but the majority of them have their own POV in the story. Such is the structure of this book: a constant rotation of characters and POVs. This gives the reader insight into each character, their history with Ben, and perhaps their own motives for wanting him gone. As you progress through the story and learn more about their connections to Ben, everyone becomes a suspect. Even though this book allows the reader access to the thoughts and feelings of each character, there isn’t much overall growth or character development. They remain pretty stagnant throughout, which made it hard to connect to or appreciate any of them.
The Paris Apartment is a slow burn mystery novel more than it is a thriller. The first two hundred pages don’t reveal much in terms of where Ben could be, or the type of relationship he had with his neighbours. One could easily become frustrated with the lack of information or leads into what could have possibly happened to Ben. However, things pick up once you reach a certain point, and it becomes difficult to put the book down. Overall, Lucy Foley has written an intriguing story with a slew of messy, reticent characters. If you enjoy slow burn mysteries, with twists and turns scattered about, then this book is for you. Just be warned, paying attention to the small details is how you figure out what really happened to Ben Daniels.