Having read and enjoyed Lucy Foley’s previous books, ‘The Hunting Party’ and ‘The Guest List’, I was pleased to pick up ‘The Paris Apartment’ – another standalone mystery/thriller. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story centres on Jess, a young woman visiting Paris to stay with her half brother, Ben (as well as running away from her life in England). He lives in a luxurious apartment block but – when she arrives – Ben is missing. The other residents of the block are not helpful – and some are downright hostile to Jess and about Ben. As Jess struggles to piece together the events surrounding Ben’s disappearance, she also begins to uncover some shady secrets about the residents of 12 Rue des Amants…
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the latest fast-paced and tense thriller by Adele Parks, who just happens to be queen of fast-paced and tense thrillers!
Thanks to HQ for inviting me on to the tour and for supplying a copy of the book for review – opinions are my own, as always.
I love Miles Jupp’s comedy and came to this book with very high expectations – thanks to NetGalley and Headline for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story is about Clive Hapgood, a History teacher in a small private school. He is having a tough time both at school and in his family life, so a trip to France at half term looks to be the answer to all his problems. However, an incident at school refuses to be forgotten and Clive’s life starts to unravel.
I devoured Cooper’s first novel, ‘The Chalet’ in one sitting during a heatwave – and I’m pleased to report that ‘The Chateau’ was every bit as gripping! This is another one that I sailed through with remarkable speed.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Happy publication day to ‘The Road Trip’ by Beth O’Leary – published today by Quercus.
I absolutely loved Beth O’Leary’s previous two books – ‘The Flat Share’ and ‘The Switch’ – and so was very happy to be granted an advance copy of this one by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Chalet’ by Catherine Cooper. This blog tour is organised by Random Things Tours. The book was published on 12th November, 2020 by Harper Collins.
With thanks to the blog tour host, author and publisher, as well as NetGalley, for my free review copy.
From the Publisher:
Four friends. One luxury getaway.
The perfect murder.
‘I was gripped from start to finish’ CASS GREEN
FRENCH ALPS, 1998 Two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one returns.
20 YEARS LATER Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort.
Each has a secret.
Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer-in-waiting. Someone knows what really happened that day.
And somebody will pay.
An exciting new debut for anyone who loves RUTH WARE, LUCY FOLEY, and C.L. TAYLOR.
My Review:
This felt like a strange book to be sitting down to at any time other than a bitter cold winter’s evening – a book set in a snowy ski resort and rooted in the treacherous conditions of a bitter blizzard!
Still, this was an engaging and pacy read that I devoured in one sitting – almost unheard of for me. It is really quite astounding that this is a debut novel from Catherine Cooper as it feels very assured.
The narrative moves between a tragedy in 1998 (when two brothers were lost in a snowstorm in the French Alps) and the modern day. Twenty years later, four friends hire a luxury chalet in the same French ski resort, but it soon becomes apparent that there are tensions under the surface and no-one is quite as they seem – and links back to the day the brothers got lost on the mountain begin to become evident.
Many of the characters are quite unpleasant, but this makes for an interesting and toxic environment and the luxury chalet soon becomes a claustrophobic nightmare.
The characters are all well developed and have their parts to play in the narrative. Ria seems to dislike her husband, Hugo, and keeps her secrets well hidden. Hugo is trying to impress an obnoxious client, Simon, and his downtrodden wife, Cass. Chalet girl, Millie, is trying to keep their holiday on track and chalet owner, Cameron, is there to promote his business. All these characters thrown together, each presenting their own stories through first person narration, make for a twisty and engrossing story as it becomes clear that someone is seeking revenge for the 1998 events.
This reads as a confidently plotted novel with plenty of twists and turns. I am genuinely surprised that it is a debut as the plot strands are so cleverly woven together and the range of narrative voices well-handled.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers as we do get to see the workings of the minds of various characters and what has brought them to the French Alps. As secrets are revealed and lies are told, you will want to carry on reading into the night!
About the Author:
CATHERINE COOPER is a freelance journalist writing for many national newspapers and magazines, specialising in travel. Most recently she has written several ski pieces for the Guardian and is currently compiling a 50 best family holidays round up for the Telegraph. She also makes regular appearances as a talking head on daytime TV. She lives in France with her husband and two teenage children, and is a keen skier.
This looks like a gorgeous book, but I wouldn't usually have chosen it if it hadn't been for recommendations from people on Twitter. It's not my usual period for historical fiction and is actually set in an era that I knew very little about - Eleanor of Aquitaine's revolt against her husband and King of England, Henry Plantagenet (Henry II). The novel is beautifully translated from the original French by Ruth Diver.
The narrative covers the period of Eleanor's marriage to Henry II (after her first, to Louis VII of France, was annulled), the birth of their children and the revolt that Eleanor - supported by some of her sons - leads against Henry. The story then follows Eleanor's favourite of the sons, Richard I (the Lionheart), as he embarks on crusades in the Holy Lands.
What makes this book compelling is the fact that the narrative is delivered through monologues from the key characters; Eleanor and Richard lead the storytelling, but there are also chapters where we hear from the vanquished king Henry and others, including a poignant input from Alys, Richard's rejected fiancee. These imagined voices make the story vibrant and modern - this reads as real people exploring some pretty incredible events and emotions. The language is also striking in its beauty with some really vivid and striking imagery and snippets of songs recalled by the characters.
The character of Eleanor is a big draw for the novel. She is presented through her son's eyes as being absolutely formidable and majestic, something supported by the historical fact that she was Queen Consort to two kings and ruled Aquitaine in her own right. She is put in the impossible situation of a woman in that time period and patriarchal society, yet manages to find her own ways to gain power through her own determination and through her sons; however, we do also see her human frailty as in the scene when she is caught in the storm on board a ship, pregnant and afraid. The relationship between Eleanor and Richard is also explored in detail and seems a little claustrophobic and intense at times.
This is a highly engaging and fascinating book and I think can be enjoyed regardless of how much knowledge you already have of the time period. The voices are lively and feel authentic, linking us to these extraordinary events in history and an amazing woman at the centre of the French and English monarchy. The writing/translation is beautiful and this book is a short but sweet treat.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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