Book review: The French Girl + competition

By Lexie Elliott
Published by Corvus Books

Synopsis: She appears, lithe and tanned, by the swimming pool one afternoon. Severine - the girl next door. It was supposed to be a final celebration for six British graduates, the perfect French getaway, until she arrived. Severine's beauty captivates each of them in turn. Under the heat of a summer sky, simmering tensions begin to boil over - years of jealousy and longing rising dangerously to the surface.

And then Severine disappears.

A decade later, Severine's body is found at the farmhouse. For Kate Channing, the discovery brings up more than just unwelcome memories. As police suspicion mounts against the friends, Kate becomes desperate to resolve her own shifting understanding of that time. But as the layers of deception reveal themselves, Kate must ask herself - does she really want to know what happened to the French girl?

How did this book end up in my hands? The publisher sent me this book in exchange of my honest opinion ahead of publication day. The presentation of the review copy was complete with red scarf and sunglasses. Very French. Very mysterious.

Was it a page-turner? OMG, yes! Once started, I couldn’t put the book down and I begrudged having to do anything else but read. The author has cleverly managed to keep the plot twists coming at all the right times in the narrative.

Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? I liked the synopsis from the first moment and my expectations were met and exceeded. 

Did I like the ending? [no spoilers] I did. After having been suspicious of absolutely everyone in the book, I didn’t find it predictable. Nor was it rushed. Perfect closure.

Three words to describe it. Intriguing. Well-paced. Sultry.

Do I like the cover? I am not wildly crazy about it but it’s ok. I find it more dark than mysterious, while I find the narrative more mysterious than dark!

Have I read any other books by the same author? This is the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading what she comes up next with.

Will I be recommending this book? Yes, it’s the perfect summer read if you like a suspenseful and fast-paced read – and don’t mind not being able to trust any of the characters!

Anything else? Yes! The publisher has kindly offered one copy of The French Girl to go to a lucky reader! All you have to do is follow me on Twitter and retweet the competition post by 26/08. UK only. All comments left below will count as extra entries (one per person). Good luck!