I enjoyed The French Girl but it was not as thrilling and as fast-paced as I thought it would be. The story is rich in character development, its strength deriving almost wholly from Kate's narrative voice, but I felt there was too much emphasis on Kate's job and the ghost of Severine (the girl next door). The dialogue, backstories and changing dynamics of the friendship group helped to propel the story forwards but in my opinion, there was not enough action and suspense for this book to be a real thriller. The book is well written but it was not as dark and gritty as I thought it would be. It did not shock or surprise me in any way and I would have liked more twists and turns within the plot.