Jess needs a place to stay, so she hits up her half brother. When she arrives at his residence, she finds a fancy building with questionable tenants, but no sign of Ben. As she digs deeper and asks around, she starts to realize that all is not as it seems at this apartment building. Dun dun dun!

In this case, we end up with a cast of relatable (although flawed) characters, a very spooky setting, the added layer of there being overlapping and shifting alliances, and several fascinating historical elements between the characters themselves. I will agree that there was a chunk towards the middle that felt like it dragged a bit. However, overall, I felt fully submersed in that secluded and creepy Paris apartment, right along with Jess, trying to figure out whodunit and what had been done."But, like other Foley works, The Paris Apartment does feature other perspectives from those living in the complex, which helps raise the intrigue and suspicion of everyone. Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

Having read a few of Lucy Foley's books, I feel like she's really good at building up anticipation. Every moment in this book is so dramatic, with dark shadows and scary sounds at every turn. That's all good, but after a while, it gets to be a bit much, you know? There's no natural ebb and flow in the tone. It's just all high anticipation, all the time. Don’t get me wrong – there were some considerable twists that I didn’t see coming whatsoever, however, by about the halfway mark I felt myself piecing things together in a way that felt premature from what the author wanted. Not wanting to consult with the police, Jess turns to the other residents, hoping to find out when or where Ben was last seen, and by whom. Meh. The Paris Apartment feels mostly like melodramatic dithering, but I guess I was somewhat entertained.

Detailed Plot Summary

I love the old building with its hidden staircases, servant passages and a wine cellar. So many secrets....and she has no one to rely on and a language barrier with the local police. To me, The Paris Apartment is a mixed bag of genuinely thrilling revelations that really work, and others that fall so short of the mark they leaves a reader feeling underwhelmed. The story opens in the summer of 2017 in Paris France to an apartment left empty and buried under years of dust by Aurelia 'Lia" who inherits the apartment from her great grandmother for whom it seems has a secret past, and Lia is determined to find out. Inside the apartment is a lavishly furnished home with art, couture gowns, and some memorabilia from the past she hoped her great grandmother was never a part of. It’s a beautiful building, but there’s something rotten at its heart. Now he’s discovered it he can smell the stench of it everywhere.” Brilliantly executed, and with perhaps the most relatable, and reliable protagonist in recent memory.

The Paris Apartment is a spellbinding and enthralling work of historical fiction. I’ve read a couple other novels inspired by an actual secret, untouched apartment from WWII, and this was a unique twist completely different from the other novels. The historical detail is phenomenal, and the characters are richly drawn. I’m talking around this one because I don’t want to give away the heart of the story. He puts his phone down on the kitchen counter, voicenote forgotten. Waits and watches dumbly as the door swings forward. As the figure steps into the room. The Paris Apartment in question is 12 ru Des Amants-a character in itself. Divided into 5 separate residences, one per floor, with the common areas of a rooftop terrace and a a wine cellar (cave in French). Overall, I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Agatha Christie, Shari Lapena, and Ruth Ware. Yet, this shift also allows Foley to make the outside world of Paris itself feel as important to the story as the hidden staircases which turn up behind the titular apartment building’s walls, a city that’s beautifully charming and strangely threatening all at once. Widespread riots and police violence in the larger city adds an intriguing frisson of tension whenever Jess leaves the building, while her inability to speak even the most basic French makes her seem increasingly isolated in a world that already feels disposed to ignore her and her fears.

Though I have read many World War II stories, this was very interesting and readable that highlighted a different perspective. Adding the mystery of the art pieces was very enjoyable for me especially with Lia and Gabriel working together to discover what happened in the the past. It may seem like I was daring and dauntless but I wasn’t, not really, not like you. I kept myself safely insulated by my strengths, hidden behind my books and lessons because those were easy. It took falling in love to make me understand that the things worth most in life are hard." From the very first paragraphs, this just felt like a Lucy Foley novel. The way in which she has been able to establish an identity and feel of her own is a real testament to her skill and growing standing in the thriller genre, and it isn’t pulled me into the book. THE ATMOSPHERE – A creepy, old, but once elegant apartment building in Paris – what’s not to like? Once elegant but now showing it’s age with peeling wallpaper, no air conditioning, nothing really updated about these apartments.

Wow I have been missing out!!!! I have never read Ms. Foley’s novels so this was a wonderful surprise for me. But it also left me with plenty of questions too. If Ben knew just exactly what type of business Jacques ran and how toxic he was—why did he want to stay at the apartment? Characters The modern story line gives us a bit of romance between Lia and Gabriel Seymour, the art expert she hires to help her dig into her grandmother's life in Paris. The WWII time-line gives us suspense and drama. The author also weaves in a few other unexpected connections between the characters; all leading to a very satisfactory conclusion.Overall though, a super fun read. I love the way Foley always brings a sort of classic-format to very modern mysteries. It's so appealing to me. Also, the “twist” that Camille and Dominique are lovers? Totally out of left field and also, who cares? Well researched and compelling, the switch from past to present is done seamlessly giving the reader some light-hearted moments in between the more heart-wrenching and suspenseful ones. There are a couple of romantic scenes in the novel but they are not the main focus; rather they serve to add another dimension to the characters making me care deeply about each person's fate. There is no way to read the story without feeling a range of emotions, from surprise to fear to relief to grief and thankfully, also to joy. While the author is known for her historical romances, this is her first foray into historical fiction and in my opinion, it's a resounding success.