Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Feb 2018
304 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
One woman becomes trapped in the tangled bonds of friendship in an exhilarating debut novel of psychological suspense for fans of Fiona Barton, Clare Mackintosh, and Ruth Ware.
We all have our secrets...
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...
"Starred Review. First novelist Elliott has done a phenomenal job of combining a whodunit with a Big Chill vibe." - Library Journal
"Elliott has come up with a promising premise and intriguing, if somewhat stereotypical characters, but ultimately doesn't seem to know quite what to do with them." - Publishers Weekly
"Scottish debut novelist Elliott, who holds a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford, launches a fiction-writing career with a smart, suspenseful thriller." - Booklist
"A gripping mystery that delves into the past and the darker side of friendships, this book will have you questioning everything you think you know. The French Girl is a fantastic debut about tangled relationships, shifting perceptions, and the memories - and people - that haunt us. I was completely captivated from beginning to end." - Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Stranger
"A maelstrom of complicated friendships and shifting alliances. This addictive debut will keep you up late into the night!" - Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King's Daughter
This information about The French Girl was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lexie Elliott has been writing for as long as she can remember, but she began to focus on it more seriously after she lost her banking job in 2009 due to the Global Financial Crisis. After some success in short story competitions, she began planning a novel. With two kids and a (new) job, it took some time for that novel to move from her head to the page, but the result was The French Girl, which will be published by Berkley in February 2018 - available to pre-order on Amazon now!
When she's not writing, Lexie can be found running, swimming or cycling whilst thinking about writing. In 2007 she swam the English Channel solo. She won't be doing that again. In 2015 she ran 100km, raising money for Alzheimer Scotland. She won't be doing that again either. But the odd triathlon or marathon isn't out of the question. Visit her at lexieelliott.com and at facebook.com/lexieelliottwrites
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