The Paris Files: A Novel

by Eva Jurczyk

“A super stylish thriller. I found myself truly transported to Paris in this gloriously vivid, gripping read.” —Lucy Foley

“As rich and layered as a mille-feuille, this gripping novel of a missing lover in Paris is utterly addictive. Eva Jurczyk is a major talent.” —Shari Lapena

Told entirely through police interviews, this stylish, sophisticated thriller captures the disastrous aftermath of Parisian rendezvous following the disappearance of a new lover

Genie St. Onge’s heart is broken more often than it’s not—but that doesn’t stop her from diving in head-first when she meets Jacob Ford. Their connection is instantaneous and consuming, and they agree to meet again in Paris. In a heady mix of sugared pastries and rumpled bedsheets, they begin plotting their future together. In the dreamy apartment they're renting in the 11th arrondissement, they become intoxicated by each other.

Until Jacob disappears.

Genie knows Jacob would never leave her. Not by choice. When phone calls to hospitals turn up nothing, she grows convinced that someone must have taken him. It's the only explanation.

Under the scrutiny of the French police, however, Genie’s story doesn’t quite hold up—and it sounds like Jacob might not be all he seems, either. Through police interviews with Genie and nearby residents of the 11th arrondissement, the truth remains elusive. She swears has no idea what happened to Jacob – so why doesn’t her story align with anyone else’s?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, Adult, Adult Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published October 6, 2026

Reviews

[Saray · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Paris Files tells the story of our FMC, Genie, who after spending 2 weeks with Jacob after their initial meet, fall in love and rent a Paris apartment. Jacob suddenly goes missing, and Genie is convinced something has happened to. him. The story is written through interviews of the characters that have interacted with Genie throughout her trip to Paris with Jacob. All POVs are told in relation to Genie. We're introduced to a plethora of side characters and it's a 'whodunit' story.

I really liked the premise at first, and the way the story was told through the series of interviews. We're introduced to characters of different ages and backgrounds. A lot of these characters were arab, and as an arab woman, I did not enjoy some of the statements written in the book about arabs. I'm not sure if it's me being sensitive, but I don't understand why the majority of the characters were made to be arab if the setting's in france (they clearly have arab names). They could have easily just been...idk french? All the arab characters were made to be aggressive which made me looking at the author sideways a bit. From my understanding, the author is Polish. So I just dont get it. Nonetheless, I won't let my personal feelings cloud my judgment for the review. I don't think the author knows how to write for these different age groups or for so many POVs. All the characters all started sounding the same, there was no uniqueness in any tone. The entire story just felt so flat. I also did not feel any shock value to any of the twists, I figured who whodunit and where everything was nearing the middle of the book.

The interviews are discussed in first-person point of view, which is fine, however the dialogue was so intricate and precise that it felt more like it belonged as a third person pov. I had difficulty grasping that these detailed paragraphs were discussions and that each character has perfect memory to recite what had happened to the interviewer. I think the book altogether would've been better if it was told from a 3rd POV because near the end, it was so confusing. Genie and other characters were still in their interviews but discussing what the interviewer was saying to the reader. Girl Idk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Elodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I don't even know how to review this book without saying WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS HAPPENING? 😂

This was such an interesting reading experience.

I really enjoy books that use alternative formats, and The Paris Files has a really interesting structure, with the story being pieced together through different accounts and interviews. At first, though, I wasn't completely sure how I felt about it. We only get one side of some of the interviews, so without seeing the questions being asked, there were definitely moments where I had to stop and think about what exactly I was supposed to be taking from certain responses. It did take some getting used to, but I enjoyed it in the end.

That said, I really liked that we weren't getting the story from just one perspective. Different people would describe the same situation slightly differently, and every once in a while there would be some tiny detail that didn't quite line up with what someone else had said.

Above all else, my favourite part of this book was that it kept me guessing the whole way through! Not only about the events that may or may not have taken place, but also about the characters. They were all unique and multilayered. As twists and turns came, I was constantly changing my perspective of many of the characters.

If there's one thing this book did perfectly, it was making me question what I thought I knew.

Who was telling the truth? Who was lying? What details actually mattered? Was I supposed to trust these people? Was I supposed to trust ✨ anyone? ✨

I also found it really easy to become invested in the characters themselves and what they were experiencing. Part of this is because there were some moments where I was internally screaming at them.

Girl, he's strongly against phones. No photos. No texting. No calling. That's not weird to you?! 🚩

And then there's Henri, who seemed almost suspiciously nice. This man and his wife are apparently the sweetest neighbours ever. And I'm sitting there like, "okay, what has Genie supposedly done to these lovely people?!" 😭

Also, I will not take macaron slander, Genevieve. I simply won't. 😂

Speaking of Genie, I did struggle with her at times.

Girl...

After everything she's been through, I had a hard time understanding some of the choices she was making and how quickly she became so invested in certain things. There were multiple moments where I was just sitting there thinking, "Genie, do you hear yourself!?"

And when she started making some increasingly questionable decisions, I was like...Oh, you have lost your ever loving mind. May I suggest deep breaths and possibly an Ativan?

Additionally, this book had some excellent twists! Around the 40% mark the book took a hard turn and I was left staring at my wall for a second because WHAT!? Like, excuse me? What the actual hell did these people just say!? 😭

But that's also what made this mystery work for me, because I genuinely wasn't sure what I was supposed to believe.

At one point, I genuinely felt like I was losing my mind trying to keep track of what was real, what wasn't, and who I was supposed to believe. 😂 Like I said, this book made me question everything.

Lastly, that ending? Damn. Can't say I expected that. I was sitting there like, "Oh okay, everyone's lost their damn minds. Got it 👍🏻"

Overall, I honestly had a great time, even though the author was subjecting me to a psychological gaslighting campaign. Seriously, I think I have whiplash, y'all.

The Paris Files kept me guessing, made me suspicious of basically everyone, and gave me several genuine WTF moments that I absolutely did not see coming.

Was Genie unhinged and bat shit crazy? Yes.

Did I question approximately 97% of her decisions? Also yes.

Did this book have me questioning my own ability to distinguish reality from someone's increasingly questionable recollection? You bet 😂

This book comes out October 6th, 2026 and I highly recommend you check it out!

[suspenseisthrillingme · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Clever, addictive, and original, The Paris Files combined a classic whodunnit feel with delicious Lisa Jewell vibes. You see, the initial slow-burning suspense and multiple unreliable narrators came together to amp up the psychological tension until my fingers flew through the pages at an ever-increasing speed. Transporting me into the avenues of Paris as well as the unforgettable locked-room setting of Genie’s apartment building, I felt as if I was right there as I raced to find out all of the the whos, whats, and whys. That, however, wasn’t the best part of this one-sitting read. Oh no. The unique interview-transcript-style format topped everything else on my list of what I loved about this one. Pulling me directly into the police investigation while also giving a fly-on-the-wall view of the whole thing, I was given chance to have some armchair-sleuthing fun. Don’t get me wrong, the twists kept twisting the entire time.

Speaking of those twists, boy did they do an excellent job of shifting the plot just enough to keep me guessing time and time again. From Genie’s untrustworthy memories to the fast-paced explosion of an ending, despite the fact that there were plenty of subtle clues to the truth, I totally missed who’d dun it and why. I mean, the very feel of the story actually changed shape as I read further into the book. Have no fear, though, because the short chapters and cliffhangers galore kept me reading “just one more page” until I flipped the last one. Along with an atmosphere that shifted from romantic and sweet to claustrophobic and doomed, the whole thing came together to be a *chef’s kiss* read. Just know that you need to be prepared for a completely different kind of novel before diving in. With a reading sensation similar to one of Janice Hallett’s mysteries, it was wonderfully deceptive, complex, and ingenious read. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Read if you’re a fan of:
- Original formatting styles
- Multiple POVs
- Evocative descriptions
- Untrustworthy characters
- Unreliable perspectives
- Short chapters
- Slow-burning suspense
- Explosive ending
- Escalating paranoia
- A whodunnit feel
- Lisa Jewell-esque vibes

SYNOPSIS:

Genie St. Onge’s heart is broken more often than it’s not—but that doesn’t stop her from diving in head-first when she meets Jacob Ford. Their connection is instantaneous and consuming, and they agree to meet again in Paris. In a heady mix of sugared pastries and rumpled bedsheets, they begin plotting their future together. In the dreamy apartment they're renting in the 11th arrondissement, they become intoxicated by each other.

Until Jacob disappears.

Genie knows Jacob would never leave her. Not by choice. When phone calls to hospitals turn up nothing, she grows convinced that someone must have taken him. It's the only explanation.

Under the scrutiny of the French police, however, Genie’s story doesn’t quite hold up—and it sounds like Jacob might not be all he seems, either. Through police interviews with Genie and nearby residents of the 11th arrondissement, the truth remains elusive. She swears has no idea what happened to Jacob—so why doesn’t her story align with anyone else’s?

Thank you Eva Jurczyk and Pamela Dorman Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: October 6, 2026

Content warning: missing person, violence, infidelity, murder, death of a parent, blood, mention of: miscarriage

[Richard Derus · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Told entirely through police interviews, this stylish, sophisticated thriller captures the disastrous aftermath of Parisian rendezvous following the disappearance of a new lover

Genie St. Onge’s heart is broken more often than it’s not—but that doesn’t stop her from diving in head-first when she meets Jacob Ford. Their connection is instantaneous and consuming, and they agree to meet again in Paris. In a heady mix of sugared pastries and rumpled bedsheets, they begin plotting their future together. In the dreamy apartment they're renting in the 11th arrondissement, they become intoxicated by each other.

Until Jacob disappears.

Genie knows Jacob would never leave her. Not by choice. When phone calls to hospitals turn up nothing, she grows convinced that someone must have taken him. It's the only explanation.

Under the scrutiny of the French police, however, Genie’s story doesn’t quite hold up—and it sounds like Jacob might not be all he seems, either. Through police interviews with Genie and nearby residents of the 11th arrondissement, the truth remains elusive. She swears has no idea what happened to Jacob—so why doesn’t her story align with anyone else’s?

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: I reviewed Author Eva's 6:40 To Montreal last year, that marvelously involving remake of Murder on the Orient Express the same 4.5* as here. The close model for the police-interview transcript format (of the answers only) used to tell the entire story...a kind of take on The Lady Vanishes... in this book is Robert Pinget's The Inquisitory , one of his noveau roman works from the 1960s. Permaybehaps Author Eva is using this stylistic, if not thematic, hopping around to participate in an unjustly underknown effort to sharpen appreciation of the novel...whatever truth there might be in that, I'm just grateful she chose not to emulate the absence of punctuation Pinget chose for his transcripts. That made for a long read.

So, Genie (!) and Jacob's mildly astounding story. A woman mets a man while she is on holiday; they feel It; they (bizarrely) being to plan a life together in Paris; and then they start the said life in Paris...without ever so much as texting each other in the months between making these plans, traveling other places, and then meet to begin their new life.

Jacob promptly vanishes. Genie goes to the police.

Presented with that story as the beginning of the novel, the police begin to investigate and—to absolutely no one's surprise—can't verify Genie's story. Bits and parts of it match bits and parts of others' stories. It was, in fact, a touch odd to me that Genie annd Jacob's private lives felt as though they were pretty much a more open book than certainly *I* would be comfortable with. But a lot of that is Genie herself...she does not do demure or discreet. Her emotions run hot, her presentation of self is so deeply unnervingly *On* that I would find her a wearing person to keep company with. Jacob, now, is someone I'd look at Genie and then at him and think, "...???...maybe Jacob's just ghosted you, dear lady, so maybe lick your wounds and move on...?"

Police pursuing this line of discovery get a roaring earful. It is an uneasy thing to read about a woman being disbelieved by Authority in 2026. It is not unrealistic. And that is why it feels so...unsettling, so uncomfortable, to be with Genie as she negotiates the process of giving statement to Authority that Authority simply does not think reflect the facts when I don't entirely believe the statements myself. Compounded by the fact that it's painfully clear that every person giving Authority their statements is lying about something, and has a reason to dislike and mistrust Authority so to be dishonest.

At no time were my readerly feet firmly under me, at no point did I have any idea other than a developing one, at every turn of the page or change of chapters I had to brace myself for the next course alteration. It kept me fully engaged with this improbable story's improbable course, and ultimately its surprising if not fully convincing resolution.

It was a lot of fun, and while I was always sure there was going to come to light a huge international government-toppling plot or a dreadfully cruel revenge scheme a la the Monte Cristo gag for something Genie'd done to a grudge-holding tech billionaire, what actually happened was...condign.

No one who calumniates macarons should get a HEA.

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an ARC review, and I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

I really wanted to love “The Paris Files” by Eva Jurczyk because the premise behind the storytelling is genuinely intriguing. The idea of unraveling a mystery entirely through interview transcripts is bold and creative. On paper, it promises an immersive experience, almost like the reader is sitting in on the investigation and piecing everything together firsthand. That concept alone deserves credit.

Unfortunately, the execution just did not work for me.

The entire story unfolds through one sided interview transcripts, and instead of feeling clever or innovative, it quickly became frustrating and difficult to follow. Without hearing the questions being asked, the responses often felt disjointed and unnatural. It is hard to believe that detectives could call in potential witnesses or suspects and have them immediately launch into exhaustive, uninterrupted monologues about every detail of their lives. And I do mean every….little….detail.

Most detectives would probably love that level of cooperation, but it simply is not realistic. The interviewees frequently repeated themselves, circled back to the same points, or wandered off on tangents that added very little to the plot. What might have felt layered and complex instead felt repetitive, with too many interviews revisiting the same information without adding anything new to the mystery.

What made it even more frustrating was investing so much time wading through all those transcripts and waiting for the big reveal, only for the ending to feel abrupt and rushed. After spending so many pages on excessive detail, it almost felt like the story reached a point where the author decided it was time to wrap things up and quickly tied everything together. Instead of feeling satisfied, I felt shortchanged.

There is a solid mystery buried here, and I truly believe the structural idea had strong potential. But between the unrealistic interview format, the repetition, and the rushed conclusion, the execution ultimately undermined what could have been a much stronger read.

[Krickette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Paris Files is a slow burn book that puts the reader in the driver seat. This book is written more like a set of interviews. As the story unfolds it is told from every characters point of view, and it reveals their version of what actually happened on each particular day. Almost making the reader the investigator. Interesting presentation style.

Do I like this style of writing? For me, this style takes away a lot of the enjoyment of reading a story. It felt unnatural -I wasn’t really ready for that type of book… I like becoming engrossed and watching events unfold naturally…this was not that and it felt a bit disjointed and lacked suspense.

Was it worth the read? Well, I felt the writing was clear and well written. The characters were keenly developed with good voice, and the overall story was good. I just had issues with the way the author chose to reveal the story. That’s a personal preference…. Others may truly like this style. However, because of this, the story didn’t flow easily for me and was a bit bland. It left me wanting to be better connected to the characters and the plot.

A fun read, I give this book a 2.5 star rounded up to 3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Interesting idea, but slow and repetitive execution.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genie knew this man for approximately one international layover before they were planning a future in Paris, and somehow that is not the most suspicious thing happening in this building. She meets Jacob while traveling, they have one of those immediate, consuming connections that makes your friends smile supportively while starting a private group chat, and then they agree to reunite in Paris. No texting in between. No checking in. Just “See you in another country!” And HE DOES. They move into an apartment in the 11th arrondissement, put their phones away, eat pastries, stay in bed, wander around Paris, and start discussing their future like these two didn’t basically meet during the lifespan of a rotisserie chicken. Genie is forty and still falls in love with the confidence of someone who has never once had to explain a situationship to her friends. I respect it. I am also terrified for her.

Then Jacob goes out one morning and just...doesn’t come back. His stuff is gone. Genie knows something is wrong because Jacob would NEVER leave her. The absolute confidence with which she believes this about a man she has known for roughly the freshness window of an avocado is incredible. There is no “maybe the whirlwind vacation romance has ended.” No “perhaps I have misread the gentleman.” Someone has TAKEN HER MAN, and Genie is prepared to drag the entire nation of France into this.

Except everybody around her starts acting weird as hell. The neighbors don’t remember Jacob. People in the building don’t remember seeing Jacob. The police are basically looking at Genie like, “Madame, respectfully, are we sure there was a boyfriend?” Her best friend back in Toronto is not exactly sprinting forward with testimony that Genie has historically been the Warren Buffett of romantic decision-making. And suddenly I’m sitting there thinking...wait. Did WE have a Jacob? Because I remember Jacob. I was there. Why am I now being gaslit by an apartment building?

And this is where The Paris Files turns into the worst group chat imaginable, because the whole thing comes to us through police interviews. Every person strolls in, tells their version, and casually makes the previous person sound insane. Genie says something and I believe her. Then a neighbor talks and I’m like, oh no, Genie needs help. Then somebody else talks and suddenly I want the neighbor detained. There’s a shopkeeper who is deeply fed up with Genie while also knowing an impressive amount of her business, neighbors with their own mess, a concierge situation that immediately made me suspicious of everyone with access to a key, and not one person can simply answer a question without making three more questions appear.

Genie herself is A LOT, and I mean that with tremendous affection and occasional exhaustion. There is no casual setting on this woman. She loves at full volume. She worries at full volume. Once she decides something is true, you are not getting her off that horse without tranquilizers. There were several moments when I wanted to take her gently by the shoulders and say, “Babe. I need you to entertain one alternate theory before we contact another government agency.” But the second everyone started dismissing her, I became aggressively Team Genie. Because watching a woman insist something happened while an entire room debates whether she’s too emotional to understand her own life will activate something primal in me every damn time.

Meanwhile Paris is just standing there looking gorgeous while behaving suspiciously. Genie is wandering around beautiful streets trying to find a missing boyfriend while simultaneously being asked to prove she ever had one. There are baguettes. There are fruit stands. There are neighbors peeking around corners. And somehow, at one point, I became suspicious of an elevator. AN ELEVATOR. Do you understand how badly these people had scrambled my brain before I started assigning motives to vertical transportation?

I will say there were stretches where hearing another version of the same events started feeling like being trapped at brunch while six people explain the same breakup and every person swears they alone possess the truth. Yes, Jacob disappeared. Yes, Genie is behaving strangely. Yes, everyone is lying about something. I HAVE RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION. Somebody please bring fresh gossip. But once those little contradictions start connecting, I was right back in it, reopening cases against people I had mentally cleared thirty pages earlier. Eventually I stopped pretending I was solving anything and accepted my natural role here, nosy woman holding a margarita and whispering, “Wait, go back. What did the neighbor say?”

And underneath all that mess, Genie’s need for this relationship to have been real got me. Not just whether Jacob existed. Whether what happened between them meant what she thought it meant. Because realizing somebody can share your bed, your plans, your tiny routines, your version of the future, and still be living inside an entirely different relationship than you are? God. That’s awful. Moving on before I develop feelings at the margarita table.

By the end, things get WILD, and I’m not convinced every piece landed exactly where I wanted it to, but you could not have pried this book away from me until I knew what these people were hiding. The Paris Files gave me a whirlwind romance, a vanished man, approximately nine thousand contradictory statements, French people judging a Canadian tourist, and enough psychological warfare that I briefly wanted notarized proof of everyone I’ve ever dated. Three stars. Messy, frustrating, deeply suspicious, and I absolutely needed to know everybody’s business.

Whodunity Award: For Making Me Demand Proof of Boyfriend, Proof of Residence, and a Full Mechanical Inspection of That Goddamn Elevator

Huge thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC of The Paris Files. You promised me Paris, pastries, and romantic intrigue, then left me interrogating neighbors and distrusting elevators. Consider my vacation ruined and my group chat FED.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

The title should have been a dead giveaway: yes, this is an epistolary mystery. But I enjoyed it! Told in a series of police interviews by the residents of a Paris apartment building (plus a few friends of the victim) this story tells a tale that reminded me of Before Sunrise with murder. (Remember that movie with Ethan Hawke about the vacationers who strike up a whirlwind romance?)

In this story, Genevieve, a Canadian woman pushing 40 and Jacob, an American guy 10 years younger, meet cute in the Philippines and hit it off. They decide to meet up in Paris, but things go terribly wrong and the guy vanishes. The rest of the book is a study in gaslighting and misogyny. Did a desperate woman pick the wrong guy? Or did Genie imagine the whole thing? This book really kept me guessing. I liked that all the clues were there in plain sight for me (and the French police) to mull over. If you like Janice Hallett books, try this one out!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

[Judy Collins · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

"The Anatomy of a Disappearance: How Eva Jurczyk Redefines the Epistolary Thriller"

Intro
"The Paris Files" by Eva Jurczyk is a masterfully crafted, multi-voiced thriller and a remarkable follow-up to her brilliant debut. 6:40 to Montreal . After previously interviewing Eva on my #LitLitMiniAuthorChats and featuring her on my blog at JudithDCollins.com, I had high expectations for this second release—and she exceeded them completely.

The Hook
A man vanishes from a rented apartment in Paris, leaving behind a frantic lover and a mountain of contradictions. But when the police start digging, they realize they aren't just looking for a missing person—they are unravelling a web of global secrets where no one's identity is secure.

🛗 Elevator Pitch
Told entirely through police interviews, audio transcripts, and official records, the novel follows Genie St. Onge after her new lover, Jacob Ford, mysteriously disappears from their rented Parisian flat. Genie insists he was abducted, but as the French authorities dissect her story, they uncover a labyrinth of deception that suggests Jacob was never the man he claimed to be.

Setting
Location: The vibrant, labyrinthine 11th arrondissement of Paris, France.

Atmosphere
Claustrophobic interrogation rooms contrasting with the deceptively romantic, rain-slicked streets of Paris.

Vibe
High-stakes, immersive, procedural, and intensely psychological. It has the addictive, document-heavy energy of a true-crime dossier mixed with a sleek international espionage flair.

Genre
Epistolary Thriller / Psychological Suspense / Police Procedural.

Themes
~The Fragility of Identity: How easily a person can construct a completely fabricated life.
~Perception vs. Truth: The subjective nature of memory under interrogation.
~The Cost of Secrets: How hidden pasts inevitably catch up to the present.

Standout Characters
~Genie St. Onge: The frantic, deeply unreliable, yet fiercely determined protagonist whose narrative forms the emotional core of the investigation.

~Jacob Ford: The missing lover whose sudden disappearance triggers the entire investigation. Even in his absence, his enigmatic presence dominates the narrative. As the police peel back the layers of his life, he becomes a fascinating puzzle—a man seemingly constructed entirely out of shadows and contradictions.

~The Interrogators: The sharp French police officers who anchor the book, serving as the audience's surrogates as they dissect every lie and omission.

Author Writing Standout
Jurczyk’s absolute standout trait is her impeccable command of format. Writing an entire novel solely through transcripts and interviews is a high-wire act, yet she executes it flawlessly. The pacing never flags, and she brilliantly allows the distinct subtext, hesitation, and cadence of each voice to build a rich, atmospheric world without a single line of traditional prose.

Takeaway
We can never truly know the people we love, and sometimes, the personas we construct to protect ourselves become the very cages that trap us.

Title Significance
The Paris Files perfectly captures the novel's epistolary framework. The story isn't just happening; it is being read, reviewed, and compiled out of official police documentation, transforming the reader into a detective sorting through literal case files.

Metaphor
The novel operates like a Rubik’s Cube of human deception. Every time the police think they have aligned one side of the truth, another twist rotates the narrative, completely altering the color and shape of the entire story.

Why You Should Read
If you love experimental storytelling structures like Sadie or The Appeal, this book is mandatory reading. It is a brilliant puzzle box that respects the reader's intelligence and keeps you guessing until the final page is turned.

My Thoughts
THE PARIS FILES is a masterclass in tension. Having loved her debut, I was thrilled to see Jurczyk push her creative boundaries even further here. The tension is palpable on every single page. It feels raw, urgent, and incredibly modern —a beautifully executed addition to contemporary suspense.

Verdict 5/5 Stars
An absolute 5-star psychological tour de force that cements Eva Jurczyk as one of the most innovative voices in the thriller genre today.

Recs or Read-Alikes
~For the gripping, dark psychological suspense: Anything by Lisa Jewell (especially None of This Is True)
~For the new, high-stakes Paris intrigue and spy vibes: The French Illusion by John Grisham
~For the transcript style: The Appeal by Janice Hallett
~For the missing lover/unreliable narrative: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
~For the international mystery vibe: The Expats by Chris Pavone

🎧 Audio Standout
I am looking forward to listening to the audiobook featuring an elite ensemble cast—including Sarah Reny, Helen Laser, Nick Trengove, Louisa Zhu, Mark Bramhall, Xavier Casals, Mozhan Navabi, Suzanne Toren, Steve West, and Lynnette R. Freeman.

Special thanks to Viking, Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest thougths.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 6, 2026
Creator & Host of #LitLiftMiniAuthorChars
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[Alexandra Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh this was so unique!

A story told in a series of interviews. It took a while to get to the plot. But after about 100 pages I was sucked in. Poor Genie was desperate for love and was made out by the Parisians to have conjured up a whole love story in her head when she asks for help finding her missing lover. This was thrilling and twisty. Definitely recommend!

[Olga Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! Who done it with lots of spins. If you like murder mysteries this book is for you. Beautiful Paris scenery. Thank you NetGalley for the free advances version.

[Corinne Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man goes missing in Paris, and his girlfriend has reported him missing. The entire story is written in an investigative report format, whereby a number of different characters are interviewed. This was different to me, but it worked. All kinds of crazy things go on in the apartment complex the couple is staying in. The story progresses through all of the different interviews until the mystery of the young man’s disappearance is revealed. There was a lot of deception and gaslighting that at one point I thought the female MC was losing her mind. Overall, this was an entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Pamela Dorman Books for the invitation to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Angelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paris Files is told in such a refreshingly unique way. I was sucked in, turning page after page. So many multiple POV character driven novels are hard to follow and it can hard to keep track of who is who, but this author tackled that feat so well telling the story all through police interviews. I liked everyone in their own way. I got a sense of each character, a sense of the atmosphere, and the internal claustrophobia that hovered around everyone.

This story gets a bit out of hand, but in an unhinged way that I like in my mystery/thrillers. I am here for the entertainment, and can say I was thoroughly entertained.

4.5 instead of 5 stars, only because there is quite a bit of repetition, but not so bad. The M-POV makes the repetition sort of necessary to put it all together.

I did have this one mostly figured out before the end, but that didn’t impact it in a negative way at all. I mostly want to just tout my ability to finally solve a twisty book! This was twisty, with no one seeming entirely reliable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for providing the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC of this! What a fun, psychological thriller/mystery! The short chapters and constant switching of POVs makes you feel like you are racing through this book trying to figure out what has happened. Are the narrators reliable, as they give them statements to the police? Who knows! That’s part of the ride. See if you can figure out what’s happening before it all comes crashing down.

[cursedb · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I genuinely don’t know how to rate this book because, despite all its flaws, I can’t deny how captivated I was by it. I finished it in just one day, and I think it has a unique style. Presenting each character’s point of view through police files was a great idea, and it definitely added something distinctive to the storytelling. That said, the main character was so unbelievably stupid at times that it became frustrating to read. As the story progressed, I kept noticing more and more plot holes that seemed to stem from her poor decisions. At the same time, I can’t dismiss the story as unrealistic just because of that. As frustrating as her behavior was, I can imagine similar situations happening in real life, which makes it difficult to judge the book on that basis alone. My other issue was the pacing, particularly in the middle. It felt repetitive, with too many unnecessary details being revisited, and it took longer than it should have to reach the final stages of the story. Still, despite all these criticisms, the book kept me hooked until the end. And that’s what makes it so difficult to rate. It has some pretty noticeable flaws, but somehow, I couldn’t put it down.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

~thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review~

Not a bad read. Each chapter was pretty short and fast paced. Each chapter was also different people that they were interviewing so that was cool. It was just kind of confusing because there were so many characters. It also didn’t pick up until halfway through the book.

[Michelle · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Eva Jurczyk, Pamela Dorman Books and Viking Penguin Books for the free, pre-publication copy (ARC or Digital Review Copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I loved the idea of this book being told in an “interview” style setting and thought it was so ambitious and clever of the author to do it this way...but I struggled to get into the story because of this style, and I really wanted to love the format. I was able to get into it a bit more about halfway through the story, and it did keep me interested...but felt the interview format might have lent itself better to a television series rather than a book format, and I would definitely watch this series.
The storyline itself was fantastic, I loved all the twists and turns the book took with the characters, especially in some of the scenes where characters did things that I certainly did not expect! When our lead Genevieve St. Onge is spinning out of control trying to find her love Jacob she gets quite unhinged and I felt so sorry for her. The way we learned about her past and how it has affected her in her relationships, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for how the events were playing out. With that being said, there were a few times I wanted to shake her and tell her to calm down!
I loved traveling the Rue Oberkampf and its surrounding shops and neighborhoods through the eyes of the tenants of our building, it had me feeling like I was back in Paris strolling through small neighborhoods looking for a delicious café to stop at and enjoy a slow afternoon. I also enjoyed the nightmare descriptions of Parisian buildings and their elevators that don’t work...or ones that don’t have them at all! Always a challenge!
I think the format of the book didn’t allow us to really get to know all of the characters as well as I would have liked to, mainly all except Genevieve. We have snapshots of their lives, but it would have been nice to dive into them a bit more, learn more about their histories and what made them tick. I didn’t find myself caring too much about any one of the characters overall, and I think the format might be why.
Overall, I loved the plot of the story, especially the twists I didn’t see coming, and of course the setting of Paris. Where it loses a bit of luster for me is in the side characters development and the interview format in which the story is told. A clever endeavor to be sure, but I struggled with it unfortunately. I can definitely see other readers enjoying it though, so please don’t let that stop you. I would give this a solid 3.5 stars if I could (update, was able to make it 3.5 on Goodreads).

[Samantha · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

An excellent Thriller and a huge cut above most suspense novels written in this style.

I can’t say enough good things about Jurczyk’s ability to create atmosphere and sense of place, and that’s as present here as it is in her previous novels. The bones of this plot weren’t quite as personally intriguing to me as that of her last two novels, but I found myself gripped by the story anyway.

The format is difficult to get used to and I’m still not certain telling the entire story through short snippets of police interviews was the right structural decision, but at least it brings something new to the equation.

It felt a little obvious who would turn out to be the villain, but the why of it all was a nice surprise and a great solve for the mystery.

Jurczyk remains an autobuy author for me. This was fun and very well paced.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Sasha · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was an intriguing read that literally had me questioning everything. I really wanted to like this book, but I had some issues with it I couldn't overlook

The plot was really interesting - it really had me questioning Genie, especially her state of mind. At one point, even I was convinced that Jacob never existed. The book was fast paced and kept me on my toes, I had to know what had happened!

On the other hand, the way this book was stuctured really annoyed me. Its supposed to be told through interviews of the different characters, however the interviews aren't actually written like interviews. They are written like prose and this really threw me off in the beginning. In addition, some of the interviews went a bit too long and had nothing to do with the disappearence, instead coming off as ramblings.

The idea of this book was very good, however I wish it was executed differently.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastically written and plotted murder mystery set in Paris and told from the alternating POVs of various witness statements involved in the disappearance of an American tourist and his Canadian girlfriend. I loved this on audio with a full cast of narrators. Each witness had a distinct voice, some so VERY French and others very American/Canadian. The characters come alive and each have secrets and lies that are slowly revealed through twists I didn't see coming. A new fav by Toronto author Eva Jurcyzk and highly recommended for fans of books like The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley or The Paris widow by Kimberly Belle. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very rarely read mysteries, but found this book to be enjoyable. The premise of the book is that Genie, who has been unlucky in love, meets Jacob in Bali and has an instant connection with him. They agree to meet and Paris. As there time in Paris progresses, Genie comes home on day to find him missing. Neighbors claim Jacob does not exist. The book is told through a series of police interviews which I found to be unique. Halfway through the book an event occurs which made doubt Venue's sanity. I did not see the ending coming. An enjoyable read.

[PSz · Rating 5 out of 5]

she's baaaaaaaaaaaaack! after her last two books were letdowns I was starting to worry. but she's back and better than ever. maybe even better than her first book?

[Christina Wiendels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Penguin Random House Canada for my seventh ARC Giveaway and the opportunity to write a review for Eva Jurczyk’s fictional novel, The Paris Files! Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

This title stood out to me for a few reasons: though categorized as fiction, the novel has elements of thriller (plots twists and danger), mystery (the classic whodunit), and romance (hence, The “Paris” Files), which make it thought-provoking and complex; the cover, though not final yet, is attention-grabbing, as it features a twisty staircase with two windows on either side and the book title, which is printed in cotton-candy-blue letters that are large and all-caps; and the novel is not only written by a female Canadian writer and librarian, but its main character is also a Canadian woman—she is a Torontonian staying in the eleventh arrondissement of Paris—which, for me, as a fellow Canadian, made the story feel closer to home.

The Paris Files is a fast, wild ride that keeps the reader guessing who is lying and who is telling the truth. Written in seven parts and told through interviews alone—the interviews are implicit, since the questions are never given but they can be guessed from the characters’ answers—Jurczyk keeps the readers’ interest from start to finish through a vast array of well-drawn characters: The Tourist, Genevieve (Genie for short) St. Onge; The Classmate, Aris Tsoulias; The Landlord, Fatma Mbaye; The Best Friend, Partridge Middcoffe; The Caretaker, Rolande LeGoff; The Neighbour, Henri Thiers; The Shopkeeper, Yousef Al-Shami; The Poet, Noor Thiers; and one additional character who will go unnamed here, simply because this review seeks to preserve the novel’s surprises. (Lieutenant Serge Callais and Lieutenant Therese Diouf of the Directorate of the Judicial Police conduct the interviews, but we know very little about them.) Genie, The Tourist, is the main character, and she is on a ninety-day visa when she agrees to meet Jacob Ford—the cute American with curly brown hair that she first met in the Philippines—in Paris for a couple of weeks. Even though Jacob is ten years younger than Genie, they quickly become enamoured with each other and want to meet up again. For Genie, Jacob is refreshing after her series of failed relationships. He is also a bit unusual and mysterious: besides being a thirty-year-old backpacker with a stand-out green backpack and a ridiculously common name, he insists on “no phones” until they see each other again and, when they do see each other, he pays for everything with cash (that is, no cards). He is also startlingly tidy, always folding up his clothing in packing cubes, and oddly stubborn when he has set his sights on something (for example, a certain cake). When Jacob suddenly disappears the morning after he has agreed to extend his time with Genie in Paris (that is, on April 15th), Genie struggles to find assistance from the neighbours who reside at or near 44 Rue Oberkampf in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Part of the problem is that Genie is frantic to find Jacob (in case he is in danger), so everyone thinks she might be crazy, and another part of the problem is that no one seems to have ever seen Jacob while he was staying with Genie! Does/did Jacob exist, does/did Jacob love Genie, and, if so, where is Jacob now? Genie is a photographer, but Jacob always said, “No phones,” so Genie seems to have no evidence of Jacob’s existence to share with the individuals around her . . . Genie’s hasty hunt for Jacob—captured through her repeated mantra about how Jacob is real, Jacob loves her, and he needs her help—is mirrored in the novel’s form through its short, fast chapters. The chapters range from a single page to eight pages, with a number of chapters just two pages in length. Notably, the longest chapters are told from Genie’s perspective, so the reader is inclined to believe Genie’s retelling of the events that took place in Paris. Should we trust Genie, though?

Because The Paris Files is told from the first-person point of view, and from a plethora of perspectives, it is both a deeply personal story—we learn a lot about each of the character’s precise thoughts and feelings (sometimes these thoughts are surprisingly humorous)—and a story that limits what the reader can know, since we only know what that specific character sees, hears, and experiences. The only way to try and determine what actually happened to Jacob is by trying to see through each character’s biases or opinions and comparing the characters’ retellings of the events that occurred during those two weeks in Paris. As we learn each character’s side of the story, we gain insight into his or her personal motivations and how he or she truly feels about Genie, the beautiful forty-year-old (that Genie is beautiful seems to be unanimous) whose French is, from The Shopkeeper’s perspective at least, abysmal. Besides the characters who reside in or near 44 Rue Oberkampf in Paris—Rolande, Henri and Noor Thiers (they are husband and wife, have two sons named Sebastian and Andre, and are Genie’s next-door neighbours who live in flat 4B), and Yousef Al-Shami—there are a few outlying characters who are able to provide perhaps more objective perspectives and help us understand more clearly the personalities of Genie and Jacob specifically. Partridge, a married woman with a little son named Theo, is Genie’s closest friend—she probably knows Genie best—while Aris, a young man living in Cleveland (where Jacob is supposedly from), is Jacob’s good friend from high school and was his roommate after college, so he probably knows Jacob best. Fatma, the elderly landlord who is renting out her flat (4A) to Genie from the 1st of April, rents out her place when she goes on holidays or stays with her granddaughter. Though some characters are more prominent in the story—for example, Henri and Noor and their children—what makes Jurczyk’s novel so compelling, at least in part, is how each and every character’s interviews are in in some way critical for the reader’s understanding of not only the mystery of Jacob’s disappearance, but also how the various characters’ lives are connected to each other. The mystery aspect of this character-driven thriller is, in my opinion, a success because the various characters’ lives feel simultaneously close (first-person perspective) and at-a-distance (overlapping and sometimes conflicting event retellings) due to the perspective and structure of the novel.

While The Paris Files is moreso a thriller and a mystery, it also has aspects of romance, in part because it is set in the most romantic city (Paris) and in part because it is about the challenges that intimate relationships pose. Up until Jacob’s sudden disappearance, Genie and Jacob’s relationship is dreamy and fun. They spend the first weekend of their time together in Paris completely inside the flat: they make pasta and have coffee, and simply enjoy telling each other stories about their lives as they flip through old photos on Genie’s phone (the only time they use a phone together). Afterward, they explore the city together: Genie is interested in seeing the city, while Jacob is interested in eating the food. Jacob soon becomes determined that they visit all of the farmers’ markets. Besides Genie and Jacob’s romance, however, there are a number of other relationships in the novel, as well as a preoccupation with the difficulty of finding a committed romantic partner. Henri and Noor’s relationship as husband and wife is explored through their sometimes at-variance retellings of events, while Partridge and Aris reflect on the challenge of maintaining a relationship. In this way, The Paris Files gives a more even-handed—in a word, realistic— representation of romance: it is important to love love, like Genie does, but it might take some time to find the right person.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The Paris Files is scheduled for release on October 6.

I was genuinely excited to pick this one up. A mystery set in Paris seemed like it would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

The biggest issue was that I never connected with a single character. I found every one of them unlikeable, which made it difficult to stay invested in the story. The interview-style narrative also didn't work for me. Instead of building suspense, it made the story feel disjointed, and I often struggled to follow the flow. I also found many of the witness statements to the police highly implausible, which made it hard to suspend disbelief.

I will give the book credit for an ending that managed to surprise me. Unfortunately, by that point I had already lost interest and found myself skimming much of the second half just to reach the conclusion.

While the premise had so much potential, the execution simply didn't work for me.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books entertain you. Some books keep you turning pages. And then there are the rare ones that quietly rearrange your brain furniture while you're still standing there holding a throw pillow. The Paris Files is another one of those books.

Told entirely through police interviews, this novel unfolds piece by piece, layer by layer, like a puzzle you don’t realize you’re solving until you're already deep inside it. At the center of the story is Genevieve St. Onge, Genie to her friends, a woman who falls in love easily and has endured her fair share of heartbreak. Now 40, she believes she’s found something real with Jacob Ford while traveling abroad. Their whirlwind romance leads them to Paris… and then Jacob disappears.

From there, the story unfolds through a series of interviews: the landlord, the neighbor, the best friend, the shopkeeper, the caretaker, the classmate, and even Jacob’s wife. Each voice adds another layer. Each perspective shifts the ground just a little more. And before long, you find yourself questioning everything and everyone.

Did Jacob exist?
Is Genie a reliable narrator?
Are any of these witnesses telling the full truth?
And what about that elevator?

What I loved most about this book was the structure. The police interview format felt fresh and incredibly effective. Rather than building tension through action, the author builds unease through contradiction, omission, and subtle shifts in perspective. The tension starts quietly, almost gently, before tightening slowly until I realized I couldn’t stop reading.

This is very much a psychological thriller, but not in a don't-close-your-eyes way. Instead, it creates a creeping unease. I wasn’t scared; I was more unsettled. I felt like there was something deeper happening just out of reach, something I needed to understand but couldn’t quite grasp.

The characters were another highlight. Genie is romantic, hopeful, and vulnerable in a way that makes you root for her even as you begin to doubt her. The supporting cast is equally compelling, their perspectives adding layers of uncertainty. Each character felt distinct, believable, and important to the unfolding mystery. The plot was brilliantly constructed. The layering of perspectives creates a perfect storm of unreliable narration. By the end, I trusted no one. Absolutely no one.

If I had to offer a small critique, it’s that the tension builds slowly at first. Readers expecting immediate suspense might need to settle into the pacing. That slow burn, however, is exactly what makes the payoff so very effective.

Content warnings to consider: themes of psychological manipulation, dementia, emotional distress, and disappearance.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, layered storytelling, and stories that leave you thinking long after the final page. If you like books that quietly get under your skin, this one is absolutely worth your time. The ending was one of those stare-at-the-wall-for-a-few-minutes endings that makes you immediately want to reread the book and see what you missed the first time. And yes… I’m already considering a reread.

Thank you to Viking Penguin for providing this advanced copy for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun for a book where I was so frustrated by how people treated a woman (gaslighting and out right lying to her) and also a book where I was sort of annoyed by her extreme reactions to being gaslit and lied to.

The Paris Files is told in the form of witness statements given to the police. So each interview reads sort of like a long monologue. You have the Tourist - the woman in question, Genevive St Onge, a Canadian traveling around Asia until she can re-up a European visa; the Shopkeeper - a brusque, regimented man who is both mildly attracted to and completely fed up by Genevive; The Neighbor - Henri who lives in the flat next door; The Poet - Henri's wife Noor, a writer and mother to their young boys; The Best Friend - the improbably named Partridge, Genevive's best friend who is reached via phone from Toronto; and so on.

On her last night in a small surf town, Genie meets a cute boy, not really a boy - Jacob is almost 10 years younger than she is - and the flirtation is all grown up. They spend the night together and, in the morning, impulsively make plans to meet up in Paris in a few days.

Genie arrives first, anxious that their one night together meant more to her than it did to him, and that perhaps another, younger, woman has turned his head in the meantime. But Jacob appears and they proceed to have an idyllic, honeymoon like time, with Jacob insisting that they put their phones down and focus only on each other and on Paris. She is charmed; this reader was suspicious. They fall into a sweet little routine where he gets up to buy fresh baguettes for breakfast, while she goes and buys fruits from the crabby shopkeeper.

One morning, after an evening of planning their future together, starting with extending their stay in Paris, Genie wakes to find Jacob is gone. She guesses he's off getting breakfast but when he doesn't return in a few minutes decides he must be spending some alone time and they will surely meet up later. She goes off exploring the sights, taking photos, etc and soon the entire day has gone by and she realizes that she hasn't heard from Jacob. Knowing his aversion to the phone, she heads home, figuring that he must be there but instead the flat is empty, his things are missing. Something is terribly wrong.

Where things go from here takes twists and turns not to be believed. There are some cultural, generational, and misogynistic issues at play. She is dismissed for not doing things the French way, for being too pretty, for not speaking the language, for being in the way. In the end the person you'd least expect is the one that gives Genevive a chance to heal.

[hannah ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love The Paris Files because the premise had SO much going for it. It's located in Paris and it involves a missing lover, a suspicious apartment building, and a story told through police interviews. It’s definitely a unique format, and I can appreciate the ambition behind it. The Paris setting was atmospheric, the cast of characters was quirky, and there were plenty of moments where I genuinely wanted to know what the heck was going on. Genie was also such an interesting character to follow because she's sometimes sympathetic, sometimes frustrating, but always complicated enough to keep me invested in her version of events.

Unfortunately, my biggest issue was the way the twists were handled. The book repeatedly withholds crucial pieces of information from the reader and then presents those omissions as revelations. I don’t mind being misled in a mystery... in fact, I love when an author makes me question everything, but there’s a difference between planting clues that I overlook and simply not giving me information that the characters already know. Several of the twists felt less like "WOW, I never saw that coming!" and more like "Well…of course I didn’t see that coming because you didn’t tell me ANYTHING to make that revelation seem plausible.” It made some of the reveals feel disingenuous rather than clever, and unfortunately that took away some of the satisfaction for me.

I also found the interview format a little repetitive at times. This is a format that I'm not always a huge fan of, so hearing different characters recount the same events with slightly different details was interesting initially, but eventually it started to feel like I was watching the same scene from twelve different camera angles. That said, there were definitely some twists that worked for me, and once the story picked up, I was invested enough to keep reading because I wanted answers. The atmosphere and underlying mystery carried me through even when the storytelling choices were frustrating.

The Paris Files was an ambitious mystery with a fantastic setting and a genuinely unusual (complimentary for the most part) format, but the execution didn’t completely work for me. I think readers who enjoy unreliable narrators, interview-style storytelling, and mysteries that make you question everyone will probably have a better time with this one. For me, though, too many of the “twists” depended on information being deliberately kept from me rather than clues being cleverly hidden in plain sight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for this widget/ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, thank you to Eva Jurczyk, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House/Viking Books/Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC of The Paris Files in exchange for my honest review.

My, my, my Eva, you wrote quite the story!

Genie, a Canadian tourist meets her dream guy named Jacob in the Philippines and begins a wild tourism affair, ending in Paris. One night though, he disappears and through police interviews, the story unfolds that Genie's story doesn't match up at all with anyone else's. Because this story is told through police interviews, a section at the beginning calls out that though Genie's interviews were spoken in English and French citizens spoken in French then translated, the [conduct of the lieutenants on the case didn't hinder the investigation] (paraphrased, not quoted). The unreliable narrator trope was immediately at the forefront of my mind. Let alone, Genie's interviews (and who we come to know of her as a person), adds to the unreliable narrator theme. This made the entire novel a very fun read.

The buildup and tension at the beginning is quite slow but steady. You're introduced to a variety of characters, all of which stand out from each other. This is quite a task to mentally keep track of who is who. Each chapter functioning as the next person's interview (or continuation of a previously heard character's interview) are conveniently labeled "The Neighbor," "The Poet," etc. so you could keep track. The entire framework of the novel was creative, exciting, and enjoyable. I do just think the first 20% was slow but necessary for the plot.

My only other real critique was that Genie was a tad insufferable. She was sooooooo in love with her Jacob that I think this point was literally nailed into my brain like a nail in a coffin. I got the point. Not that this is bad, just bad for me. It greatly sold the storyline by the climax of the novel and overall, I understood why it was necessary.

Overall, I'm giving this book 4 out 5 stars. It was enjoyable, I couldn't stop reading it once I got to the 45% mark, and loved every single character. The book made me want my own life in the 11th Arrondissement, getting a fresh baguette in the morning every morning, arguing with the most French looking Frenchman who owns the fruit market across from my flat, and wary of any future conciergerie in Paris. A brilliantly fun, twisty turn read.

Thank you again to Eva Jurczyk, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House/Viking Books/Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC of The Paris Files in exchange for my honest review.

[Carole Barker · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Its the promises that will get you

Genie St Onge is almost 40 years old and, despite a disappointing track record in the romantic department, a firm believer in true love. She meets Jacob when both are traveling in the Philippines and the two have an immediate and intense attraction. Genie is scheduled to meet her best friend in London in a few days while Jacob has plans to stay where he is for a while, In a move right out of An Affair to Remember, Jacob suggests that they set a place and time to reconnect in the near future. Paris will be where they will rendezvous, and Jacob imposes a condition....they are not to have contact during the time in between Genie's departure and their reunion in Paris. With plans of their future together in her head, Genie can't wait to see Jacob again....that is, if he shows up at all. When he does they spend an idyllic few days together....and then he disappears. Genie is frantic to find him, convinced that something terrible has happened, but others have a different perspective on events, Is Jacob really who he said he was? Where has he gone, and why? The truth is hard to pin down, and Genie herself falls under suspicion. As her happily-ever-after dreams dissipate, can Genie find out what has caused Jacob's disappearance?
The Paris Files is a psychological thriller in which the plot unfolds through a series of interviews with and statements to the police from Genie, people in or near the building in Paris where Genie and Jacob were staying, and others. Genie may or may not be an unreliable narrator, and the reader must sort through the various accounts of events in the days leading up to Jacob's disappearance as well as perspectives on Jacob's life before he met Genie, Is Genie unhinged, or just a hopeless romantic who has found herself in the middle of a puzzling mystery? Paris is a glamorous setting, and the quirky French neighbors add an element of humor to the narrative. I found it to be a solid and entertaining read, using an interesting narrative device, 3.75 ⭐️ rounded up to 4, one likely to appeal to readers of Lucy Foley, Shari Lapena and Alex Michaelides. My thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books for allowing me access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.