Julie's Review: The Breakdown

Author: B.A. Paris
Series: None
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 336
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A quick,page-turning read
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Summary: If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust? Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped. But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby. The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt. Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her… ~amazon.com

Review: Breakdown is the sophomore book by B.A. Paris after her huge hit, Behind Closed Doors. I can say that I wasn't let down by this one; I'm only disappointed I left it on my nightstand for so long. Cass is out with her friends for an end of term celebration when it starts to storm. Before she leaves, her husband Matt tells her not to take the rural road even though it would shave time off of her commute home. She decides to take the road anyway and happens upon a car on the side of the road but when she stops no one comes out of it so she decides to go on home.

When the news breaks that a young woman was murdered on that road, Cass freaks out but she can't really tell Matthew that she took that road. She starts to feel extremely guilty about not actually checking to see if the person in the car needed help. She also starts to seemingly forget things at first it's just little things but because of her mom's medical history, she starts to worry that she's got dementia. Especially because the stress of thinking that there's a killer out there is making her even more forgetful.

Cass is an easy character to feel sorry for and to understand how she might be freaking out a bit. She starts to second guess herself like we all would in this situation. Is she just under a lot stress? Is she really dealing with some sort of memory issue?

As you read the book a lot of different scenarios will run through your head. All of them are plausible especially in this genre.The title of this well crafted novel has a double meaning as you will see throughout it. You do wonder if Cass is losing her mind or if there is something wrong with her. While I wouldn't say there are any shoe dropping moment, there are a couple good twists along the way. I didn't feel like it suffered from sophomore slump because I enjoyed it a lot.

If you are looking for a quick, page turning read, then pick up Breakdown.

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Julie's Review: Behind Closed Doors

Author: B.A. Paris
Series: None
Publication Date: August 9, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 304
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: DAMN!
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better. But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable. Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows. Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed. ~amazon.com  

Review: Behind Closed Doors is the buzzed book about this summer/fall. It's either your cup of tea or it's not. It is the type of book that you won't be able to put down once you start reading and the disturbing parts will probably keep you hooked. In some ways this book reminded me of Room but obviously it's not told from the view of a child.

We learn the story of Jack and Grace from Grace's point of view because frankly, I wouldn't want to be in Jack's mind. At first you aren't really sure what's going on, you are a bit confused until it becomes clear what it is that's going on. In fact, I wasn't sure who was going to be the "bad guy" because of the way Ms. Paris first sets it up.

 Is it the best written book, probably not but it kept me on the edge of my seat, it made me care about what happened in the end. It was fast paced which is good because you really don't want to have that creepiness last long. This is one of those books where the review will be short and really it should just say: Read it. (If psychological thrillers are your thing).


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