French Windows is a literary psychological mystery that pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window, but with a French twist and Antoine Lauraine’s classic wit. The story centers around Nathalia, a photographer who witnesses a murder through her window and subsequently loses the ability to continue her craft. In therapy, under the guidance of Dr. Faber, she’s asked to write fictional portraits of her neighbors—but as her stories grow darker and more precise, her therapist begins to suspect that they’re not fiction at all.

Laurain’s prose is whimsical and concise—each scene is well crafted with a purpose to either detail Nathalia’s stories about her neighbors or to expand the captivating relationship development between Nathalia and Dr. Faber during therapy sessions. Nathalie provides a story for the people on each floor across the courtyard, and each reads like a poetic parable. The transitions between therapy sessions and stories are sometimes abrupt—if you’re not reading carefully, you may think you’re suddenly reading the POV of a new character in the story. The city of Paris is subtly and artfully embedded as a backdrop—mostly through brief mentions of different arrondissements where events are occurring.

Nathalia is a morally grey protagonist who’s more clever than she first appears—don’t underestimate her storytelling abilities. Dr. Faber comes across as condescending and a know-it-all at the start, but readers learn more about his flaws as the story unfolds. His passion for collecting passepartout keys and smoking, which he sees as an art form, tells the story of a more complex and quirky man. As Nathalia brings him more stories, Dr. Faber finds himself increasingly compelled to discover whether the stories are works of fiction or truth. Their relationship soon becomes a cat-and-mouse dynamic, with Nathalia gaining control as Dr. Faber eagerly waits for her to deliver the next story. Unfortunately, when the final story is revealed, he gets more than he bargained for—even though he surely saw it coming!

The pacing is uneven and occasionally slows just when you think suspense might be building. Some of Nathalia’s writing assignments are quieter and shorter in the middle of the book and don’t add much other than intrigue (and perhaps a detour to the overall mystery). The story culminates with a shocking twist, and just when you think the story is over, it’s NOT—and the final chapters that follow are the most interesting!

Overall, French Windows is a clever, atmospheric mystery full of literary charm and psychoanalysis. Readers who enjoy literary suspense and stories that blur lines between fantasy and reality should give this book high consideration!