Paris – the city of love, light, and apparently, labyrinthine mysteries. In Lucy Foley’s latest thriller “The Paris Apartment,” the glamorous French capital takes on a decidedly sinister air. Gone are the romantic notions of strolling along the Seine or sipping espresso at a quaint café. Instead, Foley plunges readers into a claustrophobic Parisian apartment building where danger lurks behind every ornate door and beneath every polished floorboard.
With shades of Agatha Christie’s locked-room puzzles and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” Foley crafts a deliciously twisty tale of secrets, lies and murder set against the backdrop of an exclusive Parisian address. But don’t expect picture-postcard scenes of the Eiffel Tower or Champs-Élysées – this is a Paris of shadowy courtyards, hidden staircases, and rooms with very dark histories.
A Masterclass in Misdirection
The Set-Up: A Brother Gone Missing
The story kicks off as down-on-her-luck Jess arrives in Paris, hoping to crash with her estranged half-brother Ben. But when she shows up at his swanky apartment, Ben is nowhere to be found. As days pass with no word from him, Jess grows increasingly suspicious. How could Ben afford such a posh place? Why are his neighbors so unfriendly and evasive? And what’s with that giant bloodstain on the floor that someone tried (badly) to clean up?
Foley expertly ratchets up the tension as Jess plays amateur detective, questioning Ben’s mysterious neighbors and uncovering unsettling clues about her brother’s disappearance. There’s Nick, the charming British expat who seems a little too helpful. Antoine, the volatile drunk who clearly has anger issues. The ice queen Sophie and her meek stepdaughter Mimi. And don’t forget the silent, watchful concierge who seems to know all the building’s secrets.
A Perfectly Calibrated Cast of Suspects
Each character is deliciously suspicious in their own way. Foley rotates through multiple perspectives, giving us glimpses into the minds of the key players. But can we trust what any of them are telling us – or themselves? Everyone has something to hide, and sorting the red herrings from the real clues is half the fun.
The author does a masterful job of planting seeds of doubt about each character. Just when you think you’ve got someone figured out, a new revelation forces you to reconsider everything you thought you knew. It’s the literary equivalent of a high-stakes shell game, with the truth hidden beneath layers of misdirection.
Peeling Back the Layers
A Tightly Plotted Page-Turner
Foley keeps the story moving at a brisk clip, parceling out new information and shocking twists at perfectly timed intervals. The short chapters and frequent perspective shifts create a sense of urgency that propels the narrative forward. It’s the kind of book that has you saying “just one more chapter” until suddenly it’s 3 am and you’ve devoured the whole thing in one sitting.
The plot is intricate but never convoluted. Each new revelation slots neatly into place, gradually building a complete picture of what really happened to Ben. Foley plays fair with her readers, leaving enough breadcrumbs that an astute mystery fan might piece things together. But she’s also got some genuinely surprising twists up her sleeve that even veteran thriller readers won’t see coming.
Atmosphere You Can Cut With a Knife
While the plotting is top-notch, it’s Foley’s gift for atmosphere that really elevates “The Paris Apartment” into something special. The titular building becomes a character in its own right – a decaying grande dame with secrets tucked into every nook and cranny. You can practically smell the must and feel the chill seeping from the stone walls.
Foley has a knack for unsettling details that create a pervasive sense of unease. The creaky old-fashioned elevator that might break down at any moment. The eerie doll collection gathering dust in an abandoned nursery. The muffled sounds of arguments and slamming doors echoing through thin walls. It all adds up to a delightfully creepy reading experience.
Themes That Resonate
The Masks We Wear
At its core, “The Paris Apartment” is about the facades people construct and the lengths they’ll go to protect their secrets. Each character is putting on some kind of performance, presenting a carefully curated version of themselves to the world. But as Jess digs deeper, those masks begin to slip, revealing the often ugly truths beneath.
It’s a theme that feels particularly relevant in our social media-obsessed age, where the gap between public persona and private reality can be vast. Foley deftly explores how easy it is to be fooled by appearances, and how dangerous it can be to assume we really know someone based on the face they show to the world.
The Past That Haunts Us
Another key theme is the way past trauma shapes our present. Several characters are grappling with dark episodes from their history, and those old wounds inform their current choices in ways both subtle and dramatic. It’s a nuanced look at how the things we’ve survived (or haven’t) continue to reverberate through our lives long after the immediate danger has passed.
Jess in particular is an interesting exploration of this idea. Her difficult childhood and fraught relationship with her brother cast long shadows over her actions in the present day. Her determination to find Ben is as much about resolving old hurts as it is about solving the immediate mystery.
A Few Quibbles
Suspension of Disbelief Required
While the plot is generally air-tight, there are a few moments that require a rather generous suspension of disbelief. Some of Jess’s riskier choices strain credulity, and there’s an awful lot of convenient eavesdropping and stumbling upon vital clues. But the story moves at such a clip that most readers will be happy to go along for the ride without picking at the occasional loose thread.
Limited Sense of Place
For a book set in Paris, we get surprisingly little sense of the wider city. The action is almost entirely confined to the apartment building, which does amp up the claustrophobic atmosphere. But it feels like a missed opportunity to not incorporate more of the iconic Parisian setting. A few scenes exploring the contrast between the touristy, romantic Paris and the seedier underbelly hinted at in the plot could have added another fascinating layer to the story.
The Verdict
A Must-Read for Thriller Fans
Despite those minor quibbles, “The Paris Apartment” is an absolute knockout of a thriller. It’s the kind of immersive, stay-up-all-night read that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. Foley continues to cement her place as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary suspense fiction.
Fans of Foley’s previous hits like “The Guest List” and “The Hunting Party” will find plenty to love here. She brings the same deft touch with character and atmosphere, while pushing herself to new heights with the intricacy of the central mystery. It’s a more ambitious plot than her previous works, and she pulls it off with aplomb.
For readers new to Foley, this is an excellent entry point to her oeuvre. It showcases all of her strengths as a writer – razor-sharp plotting, richly drawn characters, and an atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. Just be warned – once you’ve checked into “The Paris Apartment,” you may find yourself reluctant to leave.
The Bottom Line
With its clever premise, taut pacing, and genuinely surprising twists, “The Paris Apartment” is destined to be one of the buzziest thrillers of the year. Clear your schedule and prepare to be up all night – this is compulsive reading at its finest. Lucy Foley has delivered another addictive page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself eyeing your neighbors a little more suspiciously after finishing this deliciously paranoid tale.