On Sunday, Nick helps Jess report Ben as an official missing person to Commissaire Blanchot from the police. Meanwhile, in the building's dumbwaiter, Mimi finds a bloodied sharp object wrapped in fabric which she accidentally cuts herself with. However, when Jess goes to sleep, someone breaks in and takes the notebook containing the notes. When Jess says Ben in nowhere to be found, the woman runs off before Jess can find out who she it.īack at the apartment, Jess find Ben's notes about something called Le Petite Mort (meaning 'little deaths'). On the way back at the Metro, a young Eastern European woman stops Jess saying she overheard that Jess was looking for Ben. Theo says that Ben was supposed to pitch a story to him that morning, but he hasn't heard from him. Nick is old friends with Ben, and he was the one who invited Ben to stay at the building three months ago. Nick helps let Jess out when the cellar door gets jammed, shutting her inside. She also explores the building's basement, which houses an extensive wine cellar. Jess finds a hidden secondary stairwell in the building that leads up to the old Maid's Quarters at the top of the building.

Sophie has been getting monetary demands threatening to expose “what you really are”, but now she feels she no longer needs to pay. On Saturday, Sophie rips up the most recent blackmail letter she has received. There's also a lodge at the building which houses the Concierge, an old woman.

And on the 1st floor is a couple with an unhappy marriage, Dominique and Antoine. On the 4th floor, are two young female roommates, Mimi and Camille. On the Penthouse floor, Sophie Meunier is an older woman whose husband is Jacques Meunier.

Jess soon meets the various residents of the building. She finds his wallet containing a metal card and contact information for Theo Mendelson, an editor for The Guardian. On Friday, the Prologue opens with Ben, a journalist, working on a story in his 3rd floor apartment in Paris when someone unlocks his door and attacks him.īen's half-sister Jess, who recently lost her job, shows up shortly afterwards to stay with him and realizes he is missing. Jess finds Ben nearly dead and being kept in the old maids' chambers. Jacques attacked Ben, but Jacques was stopped and stabbed by Mimi (the daughter who was infatuated with Ben). Ben was investigating and was found out by Jacques (the father). She explores the building which has an extensive wine cellar and meets the various other residents of the building.Īs she investigates what happened to Ben, Jess realizes that most of the residents of the building are one family and that they make their money running an illegal sex-trafficking club (that masquerades as an exclusive club selling expensive wines).

The two-paragraph version: Jess arrives to stay with her half-brother Ben at his apartment in Paris, but Ben is missing.

The paris apartment a novel book review