Review: The French Girl by Lexie Elliott

The French Girl

by Lexie Elliott

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 304

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  They were six university students from Oxford--friends and sometimes more than friends--spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway--until they met Severine, the girl next door. 

For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group's loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. And after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can't forgive, and there are some people you can't forget, like Severine, who was never seen again.

Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine's body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Desperate to resolve her own shifting memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the woman whose presence still haunts her, Kate finds herself buried under layers of deception with no one to set her free. 

Kritters Thoughts:  The concept of the book was just great.  A group of six friends take a vacation during their years in university and the mysterious neighbor goes missing.  Ten years later her body is found and the death is ruled murder and they are all under investigation and was they have parted ways since university they are brought together and old drama is brought up and rehashed.  

I always love a book that brings characters back together and they have to wrestle with the people they were and are now.  And the wonder is if they are the same or different and if you learn more about the person will your opinion on them change.  I loved that throughout the book Kate's suredness of everyone's innocence breaks down and you see her start easily pointing the finger of blame amongst her former friends.

Although there were some definite points where the book was dragging because I didn't feel as though any new clues or tips were being given and there was just the wonderment of who killed her.  I would say that this book didn't have the usual breakneck speed that a mystery usually has and I wanted there to be less lulls and more speed in the story.  

I sit on the fence for this book.  In concept I loved it, but in complete execution it was just ok by me.  I would hesitate completely passing this off to my fans of the genre.  If you are a reader who primarily reads women's fiction, then this may be the perfect mystery for you to dip your toes in with.  Little gore and slow unveiling, you may just like it!



Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 19 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.