The French Girl by Lexie Elliott Published by Berkley Books on February 20th 2018
Pages: 304
Goodreads
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.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The French Girl by Lexie Elliott!
I love an unreliable narrator and one that come with a whole host of suspect friends is even better! Add an old missing persons case and a newly found body and we have the makings of an engaging read, indeed!
This book is somewhat unique in that there are several suspects and they all know one another. They’re Oxford chums, once so close they vacationed together at a quaint farmhouse in France. It’s there they make the acquaintance of the victim, Severine. She’s a beautiful, haughty French girl who happened to be staying at the farmhouse next door. Any man would desire her and any woman would be jealous of her. But who would go so far as as to kill her? Not our sweet narrator, certainly. And not her beau or her beau’s cousin and certainly not her best friend! It couldn’t possibly be the up-and-coming attorney they’ve know for so long. And who could possibly consider the soldier who died fighting for his country?? We must depend on Monsieur Alain Modan, Investagateur, OPJ to solve this mystery!
Lexie Elliott did a great job of balancing the information she provided on each character. There was always a hint of doubt and no one was cleared in my mind until the very end. Modan’s character was very interesting and I even found myself questioning his integrity. If we can’t trust him, who can we trust?
I found The French Girl to be a very fast-paced read. I easily finished it in two sittings. It’s more mystery than thriller but there was one scene where I was definitely at the edge of my seat.
The French Girl is an impressive debut and I can’t wait for Lexie Elliot’s next book!
4.25/5 stars
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Many thanks to Berkley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been debating about this one but now that you’ve given it a pretty high rating and mentioned that it’s more mystery than thriller I’m adding to my tbr!
It was a very quick read with no guts and gore. Perhaps a little lighter than a typical thriller but for me that was a nice change of pace. I hope you enjoy it!
I have no idea if this is US only but I entered anyway because I want to read this one! Love the cover plus the synopsis!!
Sounds like a fun read. I’m not big on mysteries, but do like an unreliable narrator!
Thanks, Susie. Mysteries and thrillers are my guilty pleasures! This one was a fun a read.
Sometimes I enjoy a slow burn so long as it’s well-written. I’ve entered the giveaway – now it’s in the lap of the Blog Gods… 😉
I thought it was very well-written. Thanks for entering and good luck!
I lve an unreliable narrator too. Plus a fast paced read is what I want in a book like this. Great review!
Thanks, Grace. Truth be told, this was so fast it could probably be a one-day read for some people.
I too love an unreliable narrator and this debut sounds quite good! Lots of suspects and guessing!
Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer recently posted…Zero Day A Novel by Ezekiel Boone
Exactly, Kimberly. 🙂
Looks good and I’ve entered–hopefully only once if more gets you disqualified!
Thanks for entering and good luck!
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