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The protagonist of the novel, Jess, flees from a difficult legal situation in England and soon finds herself in Paris at the middle of a mysterious conspiracy involving her brother, Ben. Though the novel alternates between the perspectives of various characters, Jess is the primary narrator of the story, and her values and assumptions shape the reader’s understanding of the events that transpire. For much of the novel, Jess is a fish out of water, both foreign to France and unfamiliar with the luxurious and high-class environments that she finds herself in while attempting to track down her missing brother. Unlike many of the characters she meets in Paris, who were raised in wealth and privilege, Jess was raised in difficult and impoverished circumstances by a drug-abusing mother. Throughout the novel, Jess is haunted by the memory of finding her mother dead after a drug overdose, a traumatic incident which strengthens her determination to find Ben, the only family member she has left.
Though she doesn’t have much experience in navigating fancy restaurants or exclusive clubs, Jess does have several skills and qualities that prove crucial to her in her attempt to solve the mystery of her brother’s disappearance. She is resourceful, persistent, and bold, though sometimes her bold nature borders on hot-headed recklessness, as she frequently finds herself in risky and dangerous situations. Though she is a very different person than her charming brother, who always knows the right thing to say in any situation, she shares his observant nature and dogged curiosity. In retracing her brother’s steps, she proves to be a capable investigator in her own right.
