“The French Girl” by Lexie Elliott • Book Review

Published: Feb 20, 2018 by Berkley Books
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages, English

★★★★ (3.8 / 5 stars) The French Girl is a British thriller/mystery novel, which is not my usual genre. But it was thoroughly enjoyable regardless! The storyline is very intriguing, like a more mature (and appealing) “Pretty Little Liars,” which I was 100% here for.

A few downsides for me, which might not matter as much to an avid thriller or mystery reader:

• The pacing felt a tad bit slow. I still enjoyed it, but it could be off-putting for readers who are expecting a high-intensity, suspenseful crime novel.

• We never did find out if Caro was behind the rumor that was costing Kate her business, although I think it’s safe to assume it was.

• I wish we had been told more about the “political pressure” from France that Modan was feeling. I know Kate didn’t know much about it either, but I wanted to better understand the gravity of the situation and why it was such a big decision for him to simply close the case.

I thought the where-they-went section was pleasantly surprising. it was handled in a unique way, as Kate talked about how the ghost of Severine has been weaving in and out of the major milestones of her life. Meanwhile, Elliott's really telling you that Kate and Tom get married, have a set of twins, and are very happy. Kate's tone as a mother is even extremely realistic!

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend. Plus, this was Elliott’s debut, so I look forward to following her career and reading more from her in the future.