sharkemoji's review against another edition
3.0
Jess was so annoying I couldn't stand her. I nearly dnfed because of how many “she gave me a look. a look that said [somethjng that cannot necessarily be put into a look]” and “i know her… idk why” or “i know him…. i can’t recall why he’s so familiar”
but the twist was actually a bit exciting and the actual writing was really good.
the date rape-esque scene in the middle was literally awful. i dont care that she didn't actually get date raped it was just so out of place and unnecessary. would have liked to see mimi do something more in line with anything she had already done (as she isnt a drug girl...so it was just...weird) to show her being like. crazy. idk.
i liked the twist of jaques being buried in the garden!!!! that was super exciting i loved nick's reaction to the initial body and then the reveal that it was his father. amazing
but the twist was actually a bit exciting and the actual writing was really good.
Spoiler
the nick being gay thing / them hooking up was so predictable from page 1 that I was actually disappointed. the Camille/Dominique thing fell super flat and I was not impressed by the "shock" it was supposed to provide. Camille could have moved in with some random dude that we never learned the name of.the date rape-esque scene in the middle was literally awful. i dont care that she didn't actually get date raped it was just so out of place and unnecessary. would have liked to see mimi do something more in line with anything she had already done (as she isnt a drug girl...so it was just...weird) to show her being like. crazy. idk.
i liked the twist of jaques being buried in the garden!!!! that was super exciting i loved nick's reaction to the initial body and then the reveal that it was his father. amazing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
james1star's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was rather moyen (French for average… blame Google translate if it’s wrong) in all honesty. It started out great with our ‘main’ character Jess hastily arriving in Paris to live with her step brother Ben for some time but when she gets there he’s seeming disappeared and there’s some concerning clues in his apartment that make her question what’s going on. After sleeping if off she consults the other occupants in the building but no one really wants to help… and can she trust them? … and a mystery ensues. Most of the chapters are from Jess’s POV but we also get ones from Ben, Nick, Mimi, Sophie, and the Concierge who all live in the complex in the current timeframe with flashback moments to the near and more distant past.
I’d say this book is very well written, it has suspense and a good story arc that builds up to the main twist with others along the way. From the start, I was really intrigued and on the whole it’s an easy, engaging read but it fell flat as the book developed. I liked the high angst and drama with the ‘what’s next?!’ cliff hangers at the end of the short chapters but then it gets rather meh. I think once or twice to build up this tension but then the situation not being as bad as we thought is okay but when it occurs multiple times the reader somewhat loses trust in the storytelling and, for me, become rather uninterested in following on - it’s a little like the ‘boy who cried wolf’ scenario where you don’t really care what’s going to happen as the book moves on because you can already tell it won’t be that bad afterwards. It’s billed as a mystery and yes I would still classify it as such but Jess isn’t really the best (or good in fact) at sleuthing out the clues as to what has happened to Ben. Instead she stumbles across things and continually makes herself known, I guess the reader has to piece things together more so which I get (and liked) but Jess didn’t really fulfil her purpose.
She’s also again rather meh. I liked her back story and her drive at times but on the whole she was quite irritating. The same goes for the rest of the characters where I did feel for some of them at times but there’s always this barrier up between them and the reader I feel. All are relatively unlikeable and unrealistic portrayals too. I think Ben was my favourite but more the best of a bad-mediocre bunch. A certain character’s sexuality being a plot twist-like part was a bit ‘eye roll’y to be honest, I liked the inclusion of a queer character but to make it a ‘what?!’ moment felt a little crass. At the end things are explained but I still felt like a few loose ends were left and I’m very 50:50 on if it liked it or not, I think some characters got off a bit too easily.
Overall, I would still recommend this book but it’s moyen, it’s average and I was rather let down. I would be interested in reading more by Lucy Foley as it’s still well written just fell flat so maybe others can deliver where this got lost in transition.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Murder, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Child death, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Cursing, Alcohol, Slavery, Rape, and Police brutality
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Body shaming, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Rape, and Police brutality
jsmileysad's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Lucy Foley did it again! Starts off slow but stick with it. She really stuck the landing. I did not see it coming. If you liked the guest list this is a great next read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
mimiiisreading's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment
thistle_clover's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
As much as it had me enthralled to keep reading, by the end, this book left a neutral feeling within me. Now, that's not to say this wasn't a good book - it was, it had plot twists and turns. It was a nice introduction to the thriller genre. Some would say my introduction. I enjoyed it, though there were many moral questions raised, but that's maybe what makes it thriller? I think I'll give The Guest List a shot, too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Murder, Drug use, Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Stalking, and Addiction
aoife_03's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Death, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Suicide, and Infidelity
Minor: Addiction, Infertility, Grief, Death of parent, Classism, and Homophobia
midnightbelles's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This kinda dragged and I didn’t love the split perspectives at times but it was pretty interesting to see how everything unfolded and to piece together the mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Cursing, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Gore, Infertility, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
ekclar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
meaghanslibrary's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Hmm I feel like this is more in between a 3.75 and a 4.
The way I realized the author writes mysteries is with light cliffhangers. The chapters are short and alternate points of view. Each chapter ends with a bit of a longing for wanting more but it’s not so much that you’ll get nightmares or stay up all night thinking about it if you don’t read the whole book in one sitting.
To some extent, I enjoyed that for the health of my sleeping habits. But on the other hand, I think the best mysteries on the ones I couldn’t put down.
The way I realized the author writes mysteries is with light cliffhangers. The chapters are short and alternate points of view. Each chapter ends with a bit of a longing for wanting more but it’s not so much that you’ll get nightmares or stay up all night thinking about it if you don’t read the whole book in one sitting.
To some extent, I enjoyed that for the health of my sleeping habits. But on the other hand, I think the best mysteries on the ones I couldn’t put down.
Spoiler
The big twist that they were a family really got me that had a lot of shock factor. But after that the subsequent twists I semi expected. For instance the connection between the housekeeper character and the granddaughter seemed the most obvious. The wine cellars being used as a way to pay for women was not surprising. The fact that Ben was still alive was kind of shocking although I did suspect the dad was in fact killed but that Ben probably also was killed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Classism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Alcoholism, Blood, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Trafficking