October 7, 2020

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise was good, but it lacked clarity in execution.

I liked the set up – heroine (Astrid) out to avenge her mother’s death gets close to the person she suspects of killing her mother. I mean, who can’t go for a good revenge story? Unfortunately for Astrid, her plan is not as simple as she hopes it to be. The deeper she goes, the more she realizes that what she thinks she knows may not be accurate.

I thought the characters were interesting. None of them exactly fit the stereotype (vengeful woman, suave billionaire, henchman) they represented; each of them had a few different traits that kept them from being caricatures.

The plot was decent. It was fairly tight. While I wouldn’t exactly call it a page-turner, it did keep moving along. There was a definite noir feel to it that I enjoyed.

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2F4wV4Y
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2GEkAVN
NOOK: https://bit.ly/2ZdQajz
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2F9kNzR

Where I thought it faltered, however, was in the actual telling of the story itself. I got the distinct feeling that the author’s native language was not English (or this was a translation) because a lot of the dialogue seemed very stilted. This resulted in sometimes awkward exchanges between characters. At times, this was distracting.

It was also very short; took me just over an hour to read it. On the one hand that’s a good thing because it really did speed along and came to a rapid conclusion. On the other hand, it felt like there could have been more meat on the bones of the story, more details to flesh it out.

If you’re looking for a quick read with an interesting plot in a foreign setting, this one is definitely for you.

Twitter: @helenefermont
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About Hélene Fermont:

Hélene is an Anglo-Swedish fiction author currently residing in her home town of Malmo, Sweden, after relocating back from London after 20 years.

Her thrilling character-driven psychological fiction novels are known for their explosive, pacy narrative and storylines.

Hélene is the proud author of four novels – One Fatal Night, Because of You, We Never Said Goodbye and His Guilty Secret.

I really enjoyed this author’s Beyond the Horizon. I thought it had interesting (and little-known) history and realistic characters. When I saw that more of her books were available, I was excited to see what else the author tackled.

On the surface, this one had a fantastic premise. Cat receives a mysterious letter and key in the mail; the letter urges her to call a lawyer in Paris. When she does, she is told that she has to fly to Paris to settle…something. But it’s mysterious.

Once everything is settled, she finds that she has inherited a Belle Epoque apartment that hasn’t been touched in decades. Everything from the furniture to the artwork and personal letters is just as the owner left it.

I loved these parts of the novel. The author vividly created the apartment and its furnishings so that I could practically feel the dust tickling my nose and see the moth-eaten fabrics. This was well-done.

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I also liked how Cat was a bit “vintage” herself. She seemed to prefer dress styles from the 30s and 40s, which made her a throwback perfect for the era of the apartment. This was a nice touch and a clever connection.

I gather from looking at publishing dates that this was one of the first novels (if not the first) written by the author. It shows in the dialogue and plotting. The conversations between characters seems very stilted and unnatural. For example, there are times when a name is used repeatedly instead of a pronoun.

There was also overuse of some words. Christian calling Cat “honey” ALL of the time comes to mind. I mean, I know that it’s possible he was just one of those people who only uses a pet name and that reflects his actual lack of commitment or connection to Cat. But it was a little too much.

And while we are on the subject of Christian, I didn’t like him. He was a snob (as were his friends and family) and pretty much a jerk. I know that was the point, but it was jarringly obvious that he was not the one for her.

The plot also meandered a bit. Loic and Cat seemed to argue too much about who the apartment actually belonged to – at times, it seemed as if neither one actually wanted it (which was weird). The middle could have used some tightening and each character’s perspectives could have been clarified.

These are some things about the book that indicate it was an early attempt by the author because they seemed unpolished. I still liked the plot of this one, and (since I read a later book of hers) I know that she has improved over time, so I look forward to more from her!

Website: http://www.ellacarey.com/
Facebook: ellacareyauthor/
Twitter: @Ella_Carey

Author Bio:

Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.

Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.