The Paris Affair

Book Review: The Paris Affair by Pip Drysdale

The Paris Affair’s heroine is Harper, who has just moved from London to Paris and begun a new job, writing for the Arts section of a local online magazine. Eager to make her mark, as she ultimately hopes to crack into crime journalism, she pursues a story of a mysterious up-and-coming artist, Noah X. Harper finds herself as attracted to Noah as she is to his edgy artworks — and the feeling seems to be mutual. But the story she planned on writing takes quite a deviation when she realises Noah could turn out to be at best a witness to a murder, or at worst the actual murderer.

Harper is an interesting heroine. She could almost be described as an anti-heroine at times, given that she often makes very questionable choices. Circumstances have led her to find real strength and independence, however, and this, combined with her intelligence, makes her no pushover for any potential serial killer.

Drysdale’s mystery plot was multi-layered and complex. She managed to link everything together. A lot of the scenes I thought she’d written to merely highlight some character trait of Harper’s, ended up being integral to the main plot in the end. Very clever indeed.

The book is written from Harper’s first person point of view which felt very intimate. The action scenes were very clearly described and, given the Paris location, almost had an old fashioned Hitchcock-like way about them. The suspense and tension built gradually, with interactions Harper has with other characters going from innocuous to threatening at a nice pace.

Drysdale takes full advantage of the Paris setting when it comes to the suspense and tension. The style of the houses — their less than secure entrances due to numerous sets of stairs, and their internal designs that allow neighbouring properties a clear view of each other — add to the Harper’s sense that someone is watching her. Drysdale also throws in a few dimly lit back lanes and (in the complete reverse really) the crowded Metro carriages and stations, to great effect.

This book is very modern, its young characters are effortlessly tech savvy and conversant in all things social media and app driven. Harper’s relationships are [mostly] initiated on dating apps. She investigates the murders via videos, Instagram and podcasts. Her previous job was writing a blog. As such, I’m not sure every older reader will be able to easily relate to the book. (I think a lot of it would go over my 84 year old mother’s head.) I would, however, highly recommend it for those new adult readers who are in their 20s and looking for something relevant to their generation.

In fact, Drysdale is fast becoming the queen when it comes to the modern contemporary thriller and I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a sleek and stylish thriller. 5 out of 5

My 2018 Aussie Top Ten Reads

                  

I am jumping on the bandwagon and posting my best books of the year.  As choosing only ten books though is just way too difficult, I’ve decided to post my top ten books by Aussie authors first.

Suspect by Michael Robotham:  How did I only discover Robotham this year?  This is the first book in the Joseph O’Loughlin series and I adored it. Although this thriller/mystery has so much going on in it, it’s still an easy read, fast paced and a definite page turner. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out how Joe would get out of his dilemma. Just a warning, sitting up late at night to finish the book will happen. There was an unexpected twist in the end that left me breathless for a long moment.  5 out of 5

Lost by Michael Robotham:  It’s a gutsy move to relegate the character you’re planning to make the star of a series to a supporting role in only the second book, but I also thought it was a master stroke. In this thriller/mystery, we follow the story of DI Ruiz who’d pursued O’Loughlin in Suspect. The action moves along with breakneck speed and again Robotham made me gasp out loud a couple of times with shock at the many plot twists and unexpected scenes which occur.  5 out of 5

Life Or Death by Michael Robotham:  A stand alone Robotham thriller/mystery.  Set in the US, it starts with the book’s hero, Audie Palmer, escaping from gaol only one day before he is due to be released on parole. Robotham’s skill for writing action sequences is highlighted, especially during the first part of the book which is full of above average fight and flight scenes. The book is much more though. Robotham’s observations of family and society and the dark side of human nature are remarkable and he manages to present many literary elements.  5 out of 5

The Right Place by Carla Caruso:  Nella and Adrian’s story was probably one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read for a while. The book also comes under the genre of historical fiction by featuring Nella’s grandmother’s, Esta, story of migrating to Australia from Italy in the 50s.  There’s beautiful Italian recipes included (and not just a couple — as many as some high priced recipe books I have purchased in the past) which makes  The Right Place double the worth. 4 1/2 out of 5

The Art of Preserving Love by Ada Langton: This rich and unique tale is about preserving love; ensuring it doesn’t fade, no matter the circumstances.  Love in all its forms, not just romantic.  There is romance, of course, but it isn’t written in the traditional form. The romance more or less just weaves its way through what I’d probably class as a historical women’s fiction book.  4 1/2 out of 5

The Way Back by Kylie Ladd: I thought The Way Back would be a mystery cum physiological thriller, perhaps police procedural.Instead it is the dramatic story of a typical Australian family coping with an unbearably heartbreaking situation. I think my favourite thing about this book is that it felt so real. No character or plotline seemed over the top.  I shed a tear more than once.  4 1/2 out of 5

Beautiful Messy Love by Tess Woods:  A contemporary romance done right.  Woods uses modern references and topical political subjects to actually add to the plot and characterisation. Social media, terrorism, fear of Muslims, asylum seekers, Australia’s off-shore detention centres – they’re all integrated into the plot seamlessly. If you’re looking for a book that represents how Aussies really think, talk and act, this is the book for you. The dialogue and slang are spot on.  4 1/2 out of 5

The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale:  An addictive psychological thriller in the vein of Girl on the Train. Instead of the big shock twist, Drysdale just keeps the tension on one blood pumping level. She has a knack of making even the most mundane moments feel frightening. From a parrot squawking to a yellow ribbon, you just know, as you read, that these small things will be dangerous.  4 out of 5

The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge by Kali Napier:  Set in 1932, WW1 is still affecting many of this book’s characters either physically, mentally or financially. The secrets of the title are many and varied. Napier covers tough issues: sexual abuse/rape, child abuse, adultery, arson, extortion. The book can be quite harrowing at times but is an impressive debut and will believe it will become an important piece of Australian literature in the future. 4 out of 5

The Memories That Make Us by Vanessa Carnevale:  Our heroine, Gracie, suffers from complete amnesia after being involved in a car accident. She can’t remember her best friend, her mother, or her fiance, Blake, who she was supposed to marry in three weeks. Yes, the old faithful amnesia trope. But with this book and her heroine, Carnevale has really done an excellent job at looking at the fear of memory loss instead of simply using it as a cliched romantic plot device.  4 out of 5

The Sunday Girl

Book Review:  The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale

I think Aussie author Pip Drysdale will have a long and successful career if her subsequent novels are as good as this debut.

Sunday Girl is an addictive psychological thriller along the lines of Girl on the Train. Written in the first person point of view of our female lead, Taylor, it starts off with the usual woman scorned seeking revenge plot.

Taylor has just left her boyfriend, Angus, after learning he has gone on a skiing holiday with his ex-girlfriend. It’s soon revealed that Taylor knows not only Angus’s email password but how to break into his flat without being detected on the building’s security cameras and his work credit card details.

Taylor’s plan to wreak havoc is foiled when Angus returns from his holiday and begs forgiveness. It’s here that the tension starts to build as Angus gains the upper hand when it comes to playing confidence tricks and mind games.

I flew through the second half of the book, eager to find out how Taylor was going to sort herself out of the mess of an abusive relationship she soon finds herself in with Angus.

Instead of the big shock twist, Drysdale just keeps the tension on one blood pumping level. She has a knack of making even the most mundane moments feel frightening. From a parrot squawking to a yellow ribbon, you just know, as you read, that these small things will be dangerous.

I took a half a star off for the ending though. After such a thrill of a ride up to this point, I think I was expecting more.

The book’s short chapters along with Drysdale’s writing style make it an easy read. It also had a very modern feel to it. The technology felt contemporary and fresh without being forced. The characters too acted their age and their dialogue seemed spot on.

The other half star came off as there seemed to be some characters and situations introduced into the book for no reason. I’m unsure if this was an editing issue, but I just felt that some things were initially an integral part of the plot until they were not fully explained or used by the last page.

Maybe Drysdale is thinking of a sequel? I must note, however, that I doubt most people would notice or care.

Anyway, the book is still a strong 4 out of 5 and I’d recommend grabbing a copy.