So, has Foley given us a decent enough
thriller after her global success? Though this blog post is going to be strictly
about that, for those readers out there with limited patience to go through
this long post, here is my take- the author has succeeded in finding the right
balance between retaining the flavor of her previous smash hit and, bestowing a
distinct identity, for her follow-up work in
‘The Paris Apartment.’
Told from multiple perspectives, ‘The
Paris Apartment’ might not be entirely fresh, but it is undoubtedly an
entertaining read. As the title suggests, the setting is an upmarket Apartment
in Paris. We are introduced to Jess, who came to Paris from London for a fresh
start. She is half-sister of Ben, who had recently moved in here on the
persuasion of his childhood friend, Nick. Jess has had some run-ins with the
law in her home country, and she has moved to Paris to start a new life here
with the help of her half-brother. But when she reaches her brother’s rented
Apartment, she is aghast to find that he has suddenly gone missing but not
before leaving clues in the form of a WhatsApp voice message. The other
inhabitants of the swanky Apartment, except for Ben’s old friend Nick, seem
unwelcomed by her presence, and pretty soon, she discovers that each one of
them is hiding skeletons in their closet. What happened to Ben and how Jess
manages to solve the mystery is all this Novel is about. Old Love, Family
Secrets, and a Past Crime catch up in this page-turner.
The plot structure and the narrative
style of Paris Apartment are pretty much similar to Guest List.
We have a host of characters in a closed setting, and the story is told from multiple
perspectives. Right from the beginning, the reader feels that something
sinister has happened somewhere but just as in ‘Guest List’ till the Novel reaches
its third act, the author cleverly conceals the ‘who’ and ‘what’ of the central
suspense. The chapters are short, but the detailing is apt, with the reader
getting a vivid description of Paris and the posh Apartment where the story unravels.
I liked how each incident is narrated from different perspectives and how the
author has tried to build anticipation. Agreed, some of the cliffhanger endings
fall flat, and the reader rightly feels cheated when the ‘other side is unfolded
in the very next chapter.
One major issue I have with the book is
that the core suspense in the tale is not that fresh, and if you are a genuine
fan of this genre, there is a high chance that you figured it out much before
the author intended it! Also, some of the attempts by the author to pull off
thrills fall flat. Most initial chapters had (silly) red herrings, which were
annoying after a point. Common, what is the point in creating so much drama in
each chapter when you already know that nothing much is going to happen in the
very next chapter? Ben, Jess, Concierge, Sophie, Antonie, and Mimi are some of
the other characters in the story, and none of them, including the protagonist,
are likable, to be honest. Infact Jess also behaves in a pretty idiotic manner
at times. Also, towards the climax, the author seems confused about the choice
of ‘villains’ in her story!
Overall, The Paris Apartment is a fast-paced
but passeable thriller. It’s not bad, but not that great either!
-nikhimenon
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