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When Your Neighbors Have Secrets and the Walls Are Thin
Let’s be honest—The Paris Apartment is the literary equivalent of eavesdropping through a glamorous keyhole. You’re not supposed to listen, but you just can’t help yourself.
Set in a decadent Parisian building filled with secrets, shady characters, and just enough wine to make you trust the wrong person, Lucy Foley’s bestseller blends the claustrophobic unease of a locked-room mystery with the chic decay of European noir. And the result? Utterly bingeable.
So if you’ve already raced through those pages and now feel a little… abandoned (kind of like Jess arriving in Paris to find her brother missing and his apartment giving off ✨bad vibes✨), I’ve got your back.
This list is packed with books like The Paris Apartment—atmospheric, twisty, and crawling with unreliable narrators, hidden agendas, and buildings that feel like characters themselves. Let’s snoop together, shall we?
Books by Lucy Foley to Read Next
If The Paris Apartment was your first ride with Lucy Foley, welcome to the fan club. Foley has a signature style—dual POVs, luxurious-yet-menacing settings, and secrets buried in every conversation.
Here’s what to read next:
- The Guest List – A glamorous wedding on a remote Irish island turns deadly. Think Big Little Lies meets Agatha Christie, with stormy cliffs and stormier relationships.
- The Hunting Party – A group of college friends reunite at a snowy Scottish lodge for New Year’s… and one of them doesn’t make it to the champagne toast.
- The Midnight Feast (upcoming) – Her next mystery is set at a high-end wellness retreat. Think: spa robes, secrets, and sabotage. (Mark your calendars!)
Lucy’s books are perfect for fans of The Paris Apartment—they all drip with tension, keep you flipping pages past bedtime, and make you look suspiciously at your own neighbors.
Meet the Author Behind the Locked Doors: Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley wasn’t always writing glamorous murder. She actually started in publishing—she worked as an editor before deciding to chase her own characters full time (good call, Lucy).
Her breakout hit was The Hunting Party in 2018, which sparked a wave of destination thrillers—mysteries set in isolated, often luxurious locations. She’s been compared to Agatha Christie more times than I can count (fair), but her voice is distinctly modern.
Foley’s trademarks include:
- A rotating cast of narrators (usually one is lying)
- Tense, isolated settings that act like additional characters
- Plot reveals that drop like wine glasses smashing on marble floors
Her books consistently top bestseller lists, and they’ve been optioned for screen adaptations—so don’t be surprised if you’re streaming The Paris Apartment on Netflix soon.
Mystery by the Numbers: Why The Paris Apartment Hit So Hard
Some quick, juicy stats for the mystery-obsessed:
📚 The Paris Apartment debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list
🔎 It has over 400,000 Goodreads ratings with an average of 3.6 stars (some people just hate multiple POVs—can’t relate)
🎬 The book was optioned for a TV adaptation by Sony Pictures Television, so expect moody Parisian streets and very suspicious dinner parties
And the trend of locked-room thrillers in glamorous settings? It’s not slowing down. Search volume for “books like The Paris Apartment” spikes every time someone finishes reading it and gasps out loud on the last page.
What Inspired The Paris Apartment?
Foley has said she wanted to write something a little “darker and more urban” than her previous books. Inspired by classic French noir films and the Gothic grandeur of Parisian architecture, she created a building that’s more haunted by secrets than spirits.
Think:
- Rear Window by Hitchcock (watching your neighbors = red flag)
- Classic Christie like Evil Under the Sun
- A sprinkle of The Secret History by Donna Tartt for that elite-European-underworld feel
Also, she wrote much of it during lockdown. Which explains the claustrophobia.
The Core Six: Books Like The Paris Apartment
Ready to get tangled in more beautiful places with terrible people? Let’s go.
The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas
When Saffron and Tom move into her grandmother’s cottage, they discover something horrifying buried in the garden. Cue secrets, past timelines, and some seriously untrustworthy family members.
Why it fits: Like The Paris Apartment, this book explores a seemingly idyllic home with a rotten core—and you won’t trust anyone by the end.
3 interesting facts:
- A UK bestseller with multiple foreign editions
- Was inspired by a real-life murder case from the 1990s
- Claire Douglas is known for her twist-heavy plots
Goodreads excerpt:
“Reminded me so much of The Paris Apartment—layered, creepy, and full of buried secrets (literally).”
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Grace and Jack seem like the perfect couple. But behind their polished façade lies a disturbing truth—and Grace might not be able to escape.
Why it fits: Locked-room vibes, psychological tension, and the unsettling feeling that everything is too perfect.
3 interesting facts:
- Over 1.5 million copies sold
- Translated into more than 35 languages
- Inspired a wave of domestic noir novels
Goodreads excerpt:
“This book gave me The Paris Apartment energy: a seemingly perfect setting that hides pure menace.”
The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
A college reunion. A dark secret. And two friends with a past that someone’s not going to survive. Twisty, toxic, and tense.
Why it fits: Like Foley, Flynn writes about shifting friendships, dark secrets, and the lies we tell to keep our pasts buried.
3 interesting facts:
- Inspired by the author’s own college experiences
- Compared to Mean Girls meets Gone Girl
- Film rights optioned in 2021
Goodreads excerpt:
“If you loved the tension and messy relationships in The Paris Apartment, this is your next obsession.”
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Jules lands a gig apartment-sitting in a Manhattan building with a very spooky history. Then her fellow sitters start vanishing. You’ll never look at rent-controlled housing the same way again.
Why it fits: Creepy building, glamorous decay, and a main character trying to piece together a dangerous puzzle in a high-end property.
3 interesting facts:
- Featured on Good Morning America’s book club
- Inspired by the real-life Dakota Building in NYC
- Riley Sager is a pen name—his real name is Todd Ritter
Goodreads excerpt:
“Think The Paris Apartment, but NYC and with even more ghosts (maybe).”
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
A mysterious inheritance. A house with a dark past. And a tangled web of lies connecting strangers across decades.
Why it fits: Gothic house, dual timelines, and a family so dysfunctional it makes Jess and Ben look well-adjusted.
3 interesting facts:
- Spent 16 weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list
- Sequel: The Family Remains
- Inspired by real stories of cult-like families
Goodreads excerpt:
“Jewell’s haunted house in London felt like a cousin to Foley’s Parisian mystery. I couldn’t look away.”
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Yes, Sager’s back again. This time with a lakeside house, binoculars, and a woman watching her neighbors like it’s her job… until one disappears.
Why it fits: Rear Window vibes, a possibly unreliable narrator, and that delicious feeling of “wait, what is really happening here?”
3 interesting facts:
- #1 NYT Bestseller
- Was inspired by both Gone Girl and Rebecca
- Includes a paranormal twist (don’t worry, it works)
Goodreads excerpt:
“If you loved not knowing who to trust in The Paris Apartment, this one’s for you.”
Comparison Table: Which One’s the books Like The Paris Apartment?
| Book Title | Setting | Narration Style | Themes | Suspense Level | Trust Issues? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Couple at Number 9 | English cottage | Dual POV | Family secrets, buried past | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Yes |
| Behind Closed Doors | Suburban home | Single POV | Psychological control | 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Very |
| The Girls Are All So Nice | College & reunion | Alternating POVs | Female friendship, revenge | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Yep |
| Lock Every Door | NYC apartment | First person | Isolation, privilege | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Oh yeah |
| The Family Upstairs | Gothic London home | Multiple POVs | Inheritance, cultish vibes | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Big time |
| The House Across the Lake | Remote lake house | First person | Voyeurism, obsession | 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 | Who even are they? |
FAQs About Books Like The Paris Apartment
Is The Paris Apartment part of a series?
Nope, it’s a standalone novel. But Lucy Foley’s other thrillers follow a similar vibe and structure.
Is there a movie adaptation of The Paris Apartment?
Not yet—but a TV adaptation is in the works through Sony Pictures Television. Get ready.
Why do people love books like The Paris Apartment?
They’re fast-paced, immersive, and loaded with secrets. Plus, that mix of luxury and danger? Totally addictive.
What makes it similar to Agatha Christie novels?
The closed circle of suspects, the emphasis on character motives, and the elegant-yet-deadly setting are all classic Christie touches—updated for modern readers.
Can teens read The Paris Apartment?
It’s definitely adult—some language and violence. For teens, try Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying.
Where can I find more books like this?
Follow thriller-loving creators on #BookTok, check publisher catalogs like HarperCollins and Penguin Random House, and of course… stick around this blog 😉
