Trap for Cinderella

A young woman awakens in a hospital with severe burns and complete amnesia after a fire that killed her friend. Following facial reconstruction surgery, she is told she is Michele "Mi" Isola, heiress to a substantial fortune, and is sent to live with her former governess Jeanne. The woman struggles to piece together her identity and the events leading up to the fire at a seaside villa. Her investigation reveals complex relationships between herself, her deceased friend Domenica "Do", and the adults who managed her inheritance. As the woman delves deeper into her past, questions arise about whether she is truly Michele or if she might be Domenica. The relationships between the characters grow increasingly complex as new information surfaces about plans and plots surrounding Michele's inheritance. This noir mystery examines themes of identity, memory, and the malleability of truth through a unique narrative structure that challenges traditional detective story conventions.

Readers describe this as a taut psychological thriller that keeps them guessing until the final pages. Many note they had to immediately reread it to catch all the clues and misdirections. Readers appreciate: - The complex, unreliable narrator perspective - Short length that packs in multiple twists - The way memory and identity themes interweave - Crisp, economical writing style - Atmospheric French Riviera setting Common criticisms: - Confusing timeline jumps - Too many similar character names - Some find the ending unsatisfying - Translation issues in English version Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (80+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (90+ ratings) "Like a jigsaw puzzle where the picture keeps changing as you assemble it" - Goodreads reviewer "Brilliant concept but the execution left me cold" - Amazon reviewer "Never sure who to trust or what's real" - LibraryThing reviewer

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🔸 The novel was originally published in French in 1962 under the title "Piège pour Cendrillon" and won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, France's most prestigious award for crime fiction. 🔸 Sébastien Japrisot's real name was Jean-Baptiste Rossi - he created his pen name by rearranging the letters of his given name, making it an anagram. 🔸 The book was adapted into two notable films: a 1965 French version directed by André Cayatte and a 2013 British adaptation directed by Iain Softley starring Tuppence Middleton. 🔸 Despite being one of France's most celebrated crime writers, Japrisot began his career as a translator, famously translating J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" into French at age 19. 🔸 The story's exploration of amnesia and identity reconstruction was influenced by the wave of psychological thrillers that emerged in post-war European literature, reflecting society's broader concerns about memory and truth after World War II.