The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Author Lucy Foley begins The Paris Apartment with a slow build, allowing the reader—along with the protagonist—to settle in for the night before the mystery ramps quickly up with a trail of clues and strange neighbors who all are suspect. This story left me turning the pages quickly, trying to figure out how it would all end up. The story has a strong plot and interesting, well-developed characters so well described I could see them. The writing style of spinning this mystery from not just the protagonist’s point of view, but the POV from all the key suspects, was one I found irresistibly engaging as their hidden back stories and secrets were revealed with a tantalizing lure that kept me guessing until the end. I was thoroughly entertained.  

Short summary: The protagonist, Jess, is down on her luck again, broke and looking for her half-brother, Ben, who is living in Paris, to bail her out. Ben agrees with a reluctance Jess chooses to ignore, as she desperately needs to get out from under her far-less-than-good circumstances and get a fresh start, only to find Ben missing. The apartment building is old with a sinister feel, far posher than she expected, filled with an eclectic bunch of residents who, except for one, welcome her with suspicion and hostility and all seemingly intent in hiding what happened to her missing brother, who, she fast realizes, did not leave of his own free will.  

If you are a lover of mystery stories, then I highly recommend this fun, fast-paced read.