Published by HarperCollins UK
Publication Date: 3rd March 2022
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
My thanks to the publisher for an early review copy of this book via NetGalley however I have indulged in a beautiful hardback copy so I can re-read this excellent novel multiple times and gaze at it on the shelf when I'm not reading it!
Book Description:
Welcome to No.12 Rue des Amants
A beautiful old apartment block, far from the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and the bustling banks of the Seine.
Where nothing goes unseen.
And everyone has a story to unlock.
The watchful concierge
The scorned lover
The prying journalist
The naïve student
The unwanted guest
Something terrible happened here last night.
A mystery lies behind the door of apartment three.
Only you – and the killer – hold the key . . .
My Thoughts:
Never have I read a book where the place felt as much of a character as the individual people. Every time I picked up the book, I was immediately swept into the Parisian way of life and instantly fell under its spell. The author has such a talent for making you part of this world with its glamorous people, famous landmarks, delectable food and drink - but also drags you in to the seedier side streets where life has a decidedly different atmosphere.Ben Daniels is a journalist who has been staying at his mate Nick's apartment in Paris. Ben's sister Jess has found herself in a bit of a tricky situation in her most recent job and has called her brother to ask if she can crash on his sofa for a while until she can sort something out. While he's not overly keen on the idea, he agrees, gives her the address, and tells her he'll be there to meet her. Only when she arrives there's no sign of Ben, he's not picking up his phone and Jess gets an unsettling feeling that something is very wrong. She's had to sneak her way into the apartment block after one of the other tenants refuses to let her into the building and the concierge who seems to live in an outbuilding in the courtyard is decidedly unfriendly towards her. Nobody wants to assist her in her quest to find her missing brother - the language barrier and the fact that she knows nobody in the area are not helping either.The story takes sinister twists and turns, you suspect everyone of having some kind of involvement in Ben's disappearance, yet you can't put your finger on why. There are secrets and untruths paving the way throughout the whole book which will be guaranteed to have you reading just one more of the short punchy chapters far longer than you planned to. Your jaw will drop, your eyebrows will switch from a heavy frown to shocking heights as the facts are gradually revealed and everything you've read suddenly falls into place.Who gets the happy ever after ending and who is left to rebuild their lives is something I'm not going to spoil for you as the author has spent so much effort constructing such a brilliant, intricately woven plot. I will be surprised if there are any readers who don't enjoy this book.
About the Author:
Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham and UCL universities. She then worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry – during which time she also wrote her debut, The Book of Lost and Found. Lucy now writes full-time, and is busy travelling (for research, naturally!) and working on her next novel.
Visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LucyFoleyAuthor and follow her on Twitter @lucyfoleytweets
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