The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley: Foley’s The Paris Apartment and The Guest List have received a lot of buzz. The Guest List is still on my list but the hype for The Paris Apartment is well-deserved. Jess has hit a rough patch. She left her job, is not thrilled about how it ended and is dead broke.
Jess asks her half-brother, Ben, if she could stay with him for a while. Ben reluctantly agrees. Unbeknownst to Jess, Ben’s apartment is very swanky and in one of the best neighborhoods of Paris. More importantly though, Jess arrives to find that Ben is…gone. Understandably, Jess makes it her mission to locate her brother. Most of the building’s other residents seem to know Ben well but won’t divulge anything about his possible whereabouts. Jess uncovers the intimate interconnectedness of the building’s residents and in the process, their darkest secrets. I couldn’t get through the second half of this book without screaming to myself, “Get out of there, Jess!” If you seek a thriller with brushes of murder and elegance, The Paris Apartment is for you.
[Image from: https://www.amazon.com/Unti-Foley-Novel-3/dp/0063061902/]
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris: Behind Closed Doors is also a thriller involving dysfunctional relationships. I devoured this book in a day. To the outside world, Grace and
Jack are perfect. Apropos to this blog, Jack is a successful attorney with a seemingly unbreakable winning streak representing domestic violence victims. Grace appears to be the happiest housewife, an excellent cook and even better gardener. To the mystery of her social circle, Grace eats for three at public gatherings but grows increasingly gaunt. Grace is never seen without Jack, does not take visitors at their home, and never answers their phone. What is going on inside the walls of this beautiful home (which has metal shutters on the downstairs windows, btw)?
[Image from: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-B-Paris/dp/1250132363/]
People Like Her by Ellery LLoyd: On Instagram, Emmy goes by Mamabare and appeals to millions with her seemingly down to earth and realistic depiction of motherhood.
Lloyd vividly describes the immense efforts behind the flashes of photos Emmy and her follow mum-fluencers post online. Coco, Emmy’s daughter, had two birthday parties. One featured Emmy and her husband Dan’s “real” circle of friends and for the most part, remained off of people’s Insta feeds. The other event was an extravaganza carefully curated for social media, with only the most popular influencers in Emmy’s pod making the invite list. The pressure Emmy faces to keep up her virtual image causes her to lose sight of who her real friends are and more importantly, who she has become. As if this plot is not attention grabbing enough, cue an Emmy stalker with uncontrolled malice and evil intentions towards Emmy and her family. [Image from: https://www.amazon.com/People-Like-Her/dp/1529039401/]
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