Reviews

I love the concept of this book; that a woman sitting in a cafe is asked whether she is waiting for Monseiur Bellivier and, for whatever reason, says yes. This is what happens to Helena, whose curiosity leads to a mysterious job, where she spends the day on the deserted top floor of an office block forwarding coded emails to Monsieur Bellivier, and where the day ends with her being handed a bouquet of flowers by the receptionist. In another part of Paris, Mancebo accepts an equally mysterious job: to spy on the writer who lives in the building opposite his shop and apartment, whose wife is convinced he is having an affair. But both these jobs entangle Helena and Mancebo in bigger mysteries than they could have anticipated, mysteries which eventually entwine.

This was a charming book based on a brilliantly imaginative concept. The characters are vividly portrayed and are a real driving force for this story where nothing much seems to happen, but where the slow pace nevertheless had me gripped throughout. I would advise you to go into this book expecting little beyond an answer to the question, "Are you waiting for Monsieur Bellivier?", and let it surprise you.

P.S.: This book's beautiful cover fits perfectly on my colour-coded bookshelves. What's not to love?

crazygoangirl's review

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2.0

Another dud after The Fourteenth Letter 🙁 Clearly my reading mojo has gone seriously awry 😜 I liked the premise of the story however far-fetched. It seems incredible to me that a women would accept an assignment the way Ms. Helena does in the book - especially given the times we live in (the book is set in contemporary times as well), but perhaps that's because I've never known her level of depression or is it desperation? That's the problem with this story for me - plenty of hints but not much clarity. I'm fine with a certain amount of of ambiguity but after a while it starts getting on my nerves! Monsieur Mancebo was my favourite of the two characters - his background was clearer and in consequence, I could understand his characters motivation for behaving the way he did, better. Another major issue I had was that although the story is set in a Paris, there was a marked 'lack of atmosphere'. Except in bits and pieces where the author describes the city reeling under the heat and swarms of tourists, the story could have been set in an anonymous city and been none the worse for it! Sad.

Disappointing. I really must choose the next one carefully! Maybe a re-read of a Christie is what I need 😊

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review

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4.0

Helena Folasadu is approached by a man while she is working on some freelance journalism in a cafe. "Are you waiting for Monsieur Bellivier?" Bored, and on impulse, she says yes.

Mancebo, a greengrocer, is taken aback by a woman who visits his store. Would you spy on my husband for me? she asks, and he says he will.

Helena and Mancebo tell their stories of their adventures into worlds where secrets are the norm, and in the process, they learn that they are not the only ones who are keeping silent on things in their lives.

A fun romp set in Paris that kept me curious about what would happen next all through the story.

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