Slow and unrealistic
I enjoyed The Guest List so I was excited to have Lucy Foley's latest read The Paris Apartment on my TBR. I love a crime thriller and the setting of an old apartment building in bustling Paris really intrigued me.
Unfortunately, I really struggled with this book and although it wasn't particularly long, I found myself not wanting to pick it up to keep reading it. It certainly didn't hook me in or keep me gripped. I found it very slow-paced and it was too easy to guess what the twist would be at the end. The final few chapters really spoilt the build up for me and it felt like a ridiculous and far-fetched ending that was just trying to tie everything up in a nice bow. Despite being an interesting setting, the crumbling apartment complex with its secret passages and dumbwaiter system felt under-used, the grittiness of Paris was also downplayed and the club they visit right towards the end just felt disappointingly vague.
The narrative is split across several perspectives, but I didn't seem to sympathise or engage with any of them. They all obviously had secrets and weren't telling us the whole truth but this just built up a barrier between the reader and the characters. I didn't like any of them and that meant I found it hard to invest in their storylines. I also found the character of Jess to be incredibly naive, especially when she goes along to the police station or hands important items over to a character she barely knew. There were also a few things that are not factually accurate as well, as a solo traveller I know that you can pinpoint your location on Google Maps on any smartphone without needing to switch on data so this felt very convenient as a plot device rather than realistic.
I know that Lucy Foley is a great author so I would recommend you go and read one of her other novels and give this one a miss. I'll still be on the look out for her next book but this one was not for me! Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
