'The French Girl' by Lexie Elliott – Book review by Kimberly Foreman

Genre: Psychological thriller 

For fans of Lucy Clarke and Sarah J Naughton – The French Girl by Lexie Elliott is a fantastically eerie destination thriller that will have you more and more intrigued with every page. If you enjoy creepy settings and hard-to-guess mysteries, you might want to pick this one up! Set in a rural country-house in France, this slow-burn novel oozes atmosphere and suspense.  

A decade ago, six friends from Oxford decided to take a much needed break from their studies by staying at a quaint farmhouse in the French countryside. But even though they should all be relaxing and taking it easy whilst on holiday, tensions are running high within the group of so-called friends… Along comes Severine, a local French girl who lives near the farmhouse. She’s your typical “girl next door” and seems to cast a spell over the group, and it’s not long before she’s accepted into their circle. However, just as quickly as Severine came into their lives, she seems to disappear…   

But ten years later, a body is found in the farmhouse’s well. And as an investigation ensues, the old friends are called back to France to reveal what they know. The story largely follows Kate, our main female protagonist as she battles with her fragmented memories of that fateful summer and subsequently her anxiety and guilt about the whole situation.   

But what really happened to Severine? And will the truth finally come to light all these years later?  

The French Girl is a delicious ghost story tied up in an unsolvable mystery. In fact, one of the things I loved the most about this book was that I really had no idea how it was going to end. I would definitely read more by this author. 4 spooky French stars from me! 

Read this book if you enjoyed: 

*One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke  

*The Guest List by Lucy Foley 

*Summer Fever by Kate Riordan 

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