The City of Lights above, the darkness of evil below…
“Dark, gripping, and impossible to put down”—Los Angeles Book Review
In 1985, Kelly Burke has spent the past year working as an au pair in Paris after finally summoning the courage to take the first step toward her dream of becoming a French teacher. No more grinding away at two jobs back in the United States to support her freeloading mother and brother. No more living with the ghost of her murdered best friend.
But when her classmate and fellow au pair, Erin, goes missing, Kelly worries history is repeating itself. She wasn’t able to help her friend back home. She at least has to try to help Erin.
Seeking a second year in the program, she requests an assignment with the same family for whom Erin worked. Were they, or anyone else in the building, involved in her disappearance?
The deeper Kelly looks, the more dangerous her probing becomes, and soon she falls prey to a terrifying scheme, deep within the Paris underground.
Content warning: This novel contains a few scenes of violence that might be disturbing to some readers.
Carrie Rubin is a physician-turned-novelist who writes thrillers. She enjoys exploring other genres as well, and has a cozy mystery published under the pen name Morgan Mayer and a novel of magical realism under the pen name Dannie Boyd.
To learn about new releases or promotions, follow Carrie on BookBub. Or, to receive a free ebook, you're invited to sign up for the author's new-release alerts.
The title alone was enough to grab my attention, and the premise had me curious from the start. When Kelly’s fellow classmate goes missing, she decides to take matters into her own hands by becoming an au pair for the same family in hopes of uncovering the truth.
For me, the story took a little while to find its groove. It wasn’t until around the midpoint that things really started to pick up and the mystery became more engaging. Once the pieces started coming together, I found myself much more invested in finding out what had happened.
One challenge I had was keeping track of the characters. There were quite a few people involved, and at times I found myself trying to remember who was who. That said, the twists around the 80% mark were definitely the highlight for me.
Overall, I felt the plot was a bit drawn out, but the intriguing premise and late-game twists made it a worthwhile read. A decent mystery that may especially appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn suspense.
I have loved a few of Carrie Rubin’s medical thrillers in the past, so I was very excited for this ARC! Unfortunately for me, this book felt completely different in terms of setting, themes, writing style, and pacing - so much so that it felt as if it was written by a different author altogether. While the first part of the book was a bit slow, the second half did pick up and become more suspenseful, and I did enjoy certain aspects about the storyline. In some parts of the story, the writing felt quite basic and seemed as if it could have been edited to be more concise and streamlined. The motives of the characters felt like they needed a bit of fortification as well, as the “why” for many of the characters’ actions seemed weak to me throughout the book. This read may be a hit for those who are new to thrillers and prefer more of a mystery read, enjoy a big of a historical read, or want a Parisian/European setting. I did really enjoy the author’s note at the end that highlighted her own experience in Paris as the inspiration for this book!
Thank you Book Sirens for this free ARC. My review is left voluntarily.
'The Missing Au Pair' is a fast-paced story of a young American woman working as an au pair (child minder) in 1980's Paris, attempting to solve the mystery of a missing classmate.
Carrie Rubin, the author, takes advantage of her experience living in Paris as she worked in this exact occupation. The story comes to life with colorful descriptions of Paris street scenes, museum visits and especially the darker side of the city in the form of the Catacombs, where the remains of over six million people are found.
There is always some movement to the plot, which I found extremely entertaining - I knew every time I returned to the story, there would be a new development. The characters are either easily likeable or completely evil - because in this story there are definitely both types.
Yes, there are some morbid scenes - but I found the setting deep within the Catacombs to be so unusual and intriguing, that I was more interested in the history of the location than being horrified by the activity. I will say I definitely will visit the Catacombs should I find myself in Paris (but hopefully won't stumble into the situations the main character of the book found herself).
One more note - this is one of the only books I've read that actually wraps up with a few pages on what happens next with each of the main characters - I found that very satisfying.
This is a quick read and would make a great beach book. Carrie Rubin always tells a good story and opens up a new world for her readers in every one of her books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received a advance review copy (eARC) of this book thought BookSirens with the request to leave an honest review.
This book will be published half way next month, so in the middle of June 2026.
What do I think of it? Well. i have mixed feelings. Did It like the characters? No. Or rather, I liked only Wayne. Sorry not sorry🤷🏻♀️ I was very much annoyed by the arrogance of Kelly, who kept nagging about Erin's disappearance and how that reminded her of the disappearance of her friend back home. And she not only bothered the police about it, also anyone else in ger circle. I was also not amused by her lack of sense of danger. Well, she knew what she set off to do was dangerous, but the foolish/ignorant part of her decided to go on with it anyway.
And the stereotyping of 'the Americans' and 'the French' as arrogant/ignorant and hautain/xenophobia/self conscious respectively did also not a lot to make me happy to read this particular book.
But, and that was the game changer for me, the plotting was very clever. I was feeling like I stumbled around blindfolded while reading. Not having a clue who had done the crimes. At least not until the very end, when all came together. I also loved the descriptive way the scenery was depicted. From Kelly's room at her au pair family's house to the walk through the Bois de Boulogne. I could almost deel the cold, damp air in the catacombes and the fear of getting lost. Well done!
The cover describes this as a mystery thriller set in Paris. It begins with the main character, Kelly Burke, admitting she is taking a job under false pretenses. She is taking the unusual step of taking a second year in an immersive language program in Paris, and working as an au pair while doing so. The reason for her decision involves the disappearance of the previous au pair of the family employing her. The reasons for her choice are revealed during the story in a way that makes you understand the personal nature of her motivation. As the story continues, other characters are introduced that add layers to the story, in the development of Burke’s character and the mystery of the missing au pair. The chapters regularly change the focus among the characters. My expectations were modest after reading the description, but it quickly sucked me in. The chapters are short and kept me moving quickly. The tension builds steadily, and toward the end, the claustrophobic feeling had me holding my breath in spots. The underground quarries of Paris seemed to become a character of the story. As my excitement built, I became worried that the climax was going to disappoint me. Happily, I can say that the conclusion was greatly satisfying to me. I would consider this a great, summer beach type read. I received an advanced copy through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Seeing the seedy side of Paris may cause nightmares The last half of this book was edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Admittedly, it took a while to get suspenseful but when it did, oh my word! In Paris, France Kelly Burke was enjoying the life of an au pair with a single mother and one daughter when a friend disappeared. Kelly was not able to help her friend back home in the States so she was determined to be there for Erin who also went missing. Her best friend is another expat by the name of Wayne Larson, both of whom take French language classes together and formerly with Erin. Kelly goes so far as requesting to be an au pair for the family for whom Erin had worked, hoping to get some insight into her disappearance. Wayne is a good friend and is there to help her when he can, even when it gets very scary. The reader will find out why Kelly left the US to work in Paris and what she dreams of doing one day. There will be likeable characters and some very unlikeable people along Kelly’s journey. Will she discover what happened to Erin? Does she get her dream future? Why will I have a hard time sleeping tonight? Answers are found in this book. Expect surprises! If you like suspense and mystery with no romance, you will like this book. I volunteered to review an ARC of it through BookSirens.
This book has a slow build to a dramatic conclusion where the pages just fly by because you must know how it end. Kelly, an American who is an au pair, lives in Paris France. She does so she can learn the French language and see her dream city of Paris and all it has to offer culturally and visually. She must go to a French language class so she can become more fluent in French and meets her buddy Wayne a budding artist a.so taking the class. Kelly is replacing an au pair who just disappeared and she wonders what happened to her and where she may be. Kelly becomes an amateur sleuth and begins to investigate her disappearance. One thing leads to another and another and soon Kelly is in the underground world of Paris crawling through the dark and very scary subworld of the Paris underworld. From here on the pace of the book picks up and the slow burn becomes more life a wildfire moving across an open field. She is driven to find answers as to what happened to Erin. Though the answers only begged for more questions ultimately.
It is a good book though the pace initially is a little slow for my taste the ending was much more rapid and fulfilling. I’d recommend reading the book.
The story requires total suspension of belief and reason for most of it, although, as you keep reading, you will be told that, because the author does not seem to trust the reader to have any critical thought and ELI5 everything.
Stereotypes? That is all this book is based on. Arrogant French people in berets (no striped shirts mentioned, but I am sure they were there). Stupid Americans (no comment). They even took a swipe at Canadians. Not. Cool. Should I have parked ma bicyclette, donned a striped shirt and beret and safely tucked my bagette into my carrier bag before reading this book? Sure felt like it.
Having been an expat (not an au pair mind...) in 3 different places, I know it's easy to assume that "all XX people do YY" and that is a dangerous trap to fall into. This book is just that. If the FMC has just stepped off the plane and was hitting all the major touristy spots, I could see it, but she was meant to have been there for a good while, so that felt wholly unbelievable.
The narration was fine and enabled me to finish this (at 1.5 speed) in one morning as I did not wish to draw out the agony of this story too long.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. Alice is a French au pair in the 80's who extended her stay to help find out what happened to her friend who suddenly disappeared. Her friend Erin has no family and no one at home to miss her so Alice takes the investigation into her own hands. She constantly talks to the detective on the case and her friend Wayne who both remind her that everything is being done that can be done, but that's not good enough for Alice. This story had me on the edge of my seat. It's mostly from Alice's POV, but there are a few chapters from Wayne's POV which added some depth as well. It's so well told from Alice's POV since Rubin drew off of her own experience in France as an au pair (less murdery according to her comments at the end). This book also took a darker turn than I anticipated, but I still really enjoyed it and didn't want to put it down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I haven't read a thriller/mystery in a while, so this was a nice book to get back into the genre. It was a bit slow in the beginning for me plus I had a hard time trying to keep track of all the characters, but the story really picked up towards the middle/end. The author did a great job with the description and emotions so I could feel the characters' anxiety while they were in the catacombs. When the villains' identities were revealed, I was pretty surprised with the exception of one, which I thought was easy to connect the dots.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and especially loved Kelly and Wayne's friendship. I would check out other books by this author.
I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review. The book had me thinking I knew what was going to happen but I was sorely wrong. I managed to connect with two of the characters and at times I wanted to knock one silly and beg the other one to help knock some sense into the equation. I commend Kelly for her feelings but I could never have done what she did. To watch her discover the events and try to understand had me wanting to wrap her in a cozy blanket and give her a cup of tea. The story begins slowly but quickly captures your attention and leaves you needing to know what happened.
This was a really good book! It takes place in Paris. When an au pair goes missing another from her program goes looking for it. This book explores the many wonders of Paris, the museums, culture, family life, the language and customs. This book explores depraved behavior of men and women. The underbelly of Paris and the catacombs below the city. It also highlights the unlikely friendship of two French language students who couldn’t be more opposite but form a strong lifesaving bond! This was an exciting , heart pounding book. It will keep u on the edge of your seat! It was truly hard to put down. I highly recommend this book!
I received an advance copy of this book and am leaving this review. I like the way this author tells the story of Kelly, an au pair working in Paris. When her friend, Erin, disappears, Kelly requests a placement with the same family Erin worked for. This reminded me in part of The Nanny Diaries, where family members seem to ignore the hired help without realizing that nannies, au pairs, etc. are very cognisant of what is going on in a home. In this book however, Kelly's sleuthing opens her to all kinds of dangers. Disturbing but noneless good. 4 stars
Received as a review copy from Booksirens, this is an honest review.
An interesting read as Au Pair Kelly Burke is employed by the Garron family in Paris as she believes these people could have something to do with Erin; whom they employed before Kelly. Beyond the family being just the kind of people you'd never want to work for, no one around Kelly seems to thinks that someone just up and vanishing means something sinister. Set in the mid eights, shadows are lurking within the beautiful, ancient city.
Kelly works as an au pair in Paris- a dream she has that allowed her to escape a terrible childhood in the states. When Kelly’s friend goes missing, she must find out what happened; almost in tribute to a friend who was lost to her years before.
Follow Kelly and her friend Wayne as they search the streets and catacombs of the city for answers. I thought I knew where this story was going to go, but it was much darker than I expected. No one in Kelly’s orbit is who they seem to be. A dark thriller.
I received an advance copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is about a second term Au Pair in London. She is taking the second year because a classmate of hers went missing, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it. She hires on with the same family and starts searching for clues. There are few to deal with at first, but as she expands her search, it leads to dark places beneath the city of Paris. This is a thriller mystery. If you like things a bit scary, this book is for you. Makes you wonder what actually happens underneath the city in real life. Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC of this book.
This book had me hooked! I felt like I was right there with the characters, I could see the places she described, and I totally didn’t see those twists coming! I like how every few chapters switched view points but the plot didn’t miss a beat - they were all connected well and it was easy to stay on track with what was going on throughout the book. It had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next!
Even though I received an ARC for free, my review is voluntary and valid.
I really enjoyed this story. It was fascinating from beginning to end. The plot, the characters, and the settings were all engaging and well-developed, making the book hard to put down.
The story kept me in suspense and completely captivated my attention throughout. What I loved most was the unique theme of a nanny in Paris, which added a charming and refreshing touch to the story.
Overall, this was an engaging and enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone looking for an entertaining book.
I think that this was an interesting story, I liked Kelly and storyline was an interesting one. Paris in the 1980's is quite an interesting setting. I think that the author did a good job showing the atmosphere of that time. The mystery of the story was done very well. I was kept guessing what happened to the missing au pair. I liked the actress who read the story. Her voice was nice and clear. She did her job admirably.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this immensely, as I’ve enjoyed Rubin’s previous books. In The Missing Au Pair, she develops the unusual setting of an American au pair in Paris into a chilling tale of macabre events in the city’s underground. The setting is enhanced by Rubin’s own experience as an au pair, but it’s her imagination that carries the protagonist through her search for a missing colleague to the depths of the underground where the chilling plot is revealed.
This was an great story about an American au Pair that tries to find a missing au pair she knew. The twists and turns are wonderful page turners that lead her into a very surprising discovery. The characters in the story are well thought and added so much depth to the book. This is a recommended read if you want to be engaged in a wonderfully written story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book has a mystery at it's core and a protagonist who is determined to solve it. I was swept away in the depths of danger and guessing at every turn and there are a lot of them. It feels exciting but desperate.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Missing Au Pair was a good read. The characters were well written. I would have given it 5 stars, but the plot of the story triggered memories of a movie that was disturbing for me, to the point where I almost didn’t finish the book. But, I continued on and it ended better than I expected.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I always enjoy Carrie Rubin's dark suspense. This had a few surprising twists and the bonus of giving a great feeling for the atmosphere and environment of Paris in the 1980s. I found myself doing the audio equivalent of continuous page-turning: lengthening my walks and tackling new chores so I could keep listening!
The Missing Au Pair by Carrie Rubin is a great mystery thriller. Susan Marlowe did a great job with the narration. The story is entertaining, suspenseful, interesting, exciting, thrilling, mysterious, and more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Starts out a whodunit, finishes up a nail-biting thriller, and I loved every minute of it. I liked the 80s references, and I found the characters to be engaging and relatable. I received an ARC of this book.
Interesting from the au pair experience, but you need to suspend disbelief for everything else in the book. Not bad, good ending.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This thriller kept me guessing throughout. I enjoyed being along for the ride as Kelly searched the streets of Paris for her friend Erin. I thought I knew where the plot was going, but I was shocked by the twists and turns leading to the surprising conclusion. Thank you BookSirens for my copy.
The Missing Au Pair was an engaging domestic thriller that kept me guessing. I enjoyed following the investigation into Elise’s disappearance and uncovering the secrets hidden within the seemingly perfect household. The shifting suspicions and tangled relationships between family members made it difficult to know who could be trusted, which kept the tension high. While some twists were more predictable than others, the family drama and steady sense of unease kept me invested. A solid suspense novel with plenty of secrets and surprises along the way.
Thank you BookSirens and Indigo Dot Press for the advanced ebook! All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.