Thursday, February 22, 2018

REVIEW...The French Girl by Lexie Elliott

Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: February 20th 2018 by Berkley Books

They were six university students from Oxford--friends and sometimes more than friends--spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway--until they met Severine, the girl next door.

For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group's loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. And after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can't forgive, and there are some people you can't forget, like Severine, who was never seen again.

Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine's body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Desperate to resolve her own shifting memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the woman whose presence still haunts her, Kate finds herself buried under layers of deception with no one to set her free. 

My Thoughts…

The French Girl is a story of a group of friends on vacation when the neighbor mysteriously disappears.      Ten years later the case is reopened when her remains are found in a well on the property.     These friends are forced to examine their friendships, who they were then vs. who they are now, and what could have happen to Severine.  

I found myself making guesses as to what had happen to Severine and found that I figured it out rather early in the story yet there were a few other side stories that I was invested in and had to know how they would work out.     The friendships, the relationships, and the current lifestyles of the friends were all interesting.   I was intrigued by the dynamics between the friends as they were all questioned by the police.   I could feel the questions and the doubts as more was told of that vacation they all took.

This was a slow mystery/thriller.    As the story went on, I got more involved, and it moved a little faster.   Usually I’d quit a slow read but this was a good book.   I had to know, I couldn’t stop, and I am glad that I finished it.    I’d recommend picking up your own copy.

Thank you Tara O’Connor from Berkley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads
Purchase your copy at AMAZON or BARNES AND NOBLE

Praise for THE FRENCH GIRL

“Scottish debut novelist Elliott, who holds a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford, launches a fiction-writing career with a smart, suspenseful thriller.” –Booklist

“A gripping mystery that delves into the past and the darker side of friendships...TheFrench Girl is a fantastic debut about tangled relationships, shifting perceptions, and the memories--and people--that haunt us. I was completely captivated from beginning to end.” –Megan MirandaNew York Times bestselling author of All theMissing Girls

“Reading Lexie Elliott's The French Girl is like getting caught in an undertow. It might look as though the waters are calm and the skies are blue as you dive into the story, but beneath the surface lurks a powerful riptide of misunderstandings and missed opportunities, murder and betrayal that suck the reader into a maelstrom of complicated friendships and shifting alliances. This addictive debut will keep you up late into the night!” –Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King's Daughter

“As the narrator, Kate is smart, funny, and attractive, with some confidence issues, making her relatable. The friends fill the archetypes of supporting characters: thenemesis, the BFF, the ex, and the buddy, but Elliott fleshes them out so well they aren’t stereotypical. As the detective continues to dig, the shifting dynamics within the group will keep the reader guessing until the end….First novelist Elliott has done a phenomenal job of combining a whodunit with a Big Chill vibe.” –Library Journal, Starred Review


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