The French Girl, by Lexie Elliot

Ten years ago, six English University students were celebrating graduation at a holiday home in France that belonged to the family of one of them. Around the time they left for home, the young French woman who lived next door disappeared. It was a mystery never solved. Now her body has been found on the holiday property and the French police are once again questioning the former students. Recruitment lawyer Kate is shocked by the discovery of the French girl’s body and uncomfortable with the way it has drawn the group of friends – and ‘frenemies’ – back together. As the investigation only raises more questions about the group and their behaviour on the holiday, Kate finds herself haunted by the dead girl and increasingly doubtful about who did what and when. Suspense is maintained throughout this taught and largely enjoyable tale of love, jealousy, betrayal and murder. Elliot gets a little too enamoured of one particular romantic-sounding metaphor towards the end, but this is a minor quibble about what is a satisfying story.