Bookish Reviews

Behind Closed Doors by: B.A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Published by St. Martin's Press

Expected Publication: August 9th 2016

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

Pages: 304

Format: ARC

Source: requested by the publisher

Summary from Goodreads:

The 2016 debut bloggers can't stop raving about. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Ice Twins

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.

He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. Though, you'd like to get to know Grace better.

But it's difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Indigo

Review:

Behind Closed Doors is a psychological thriller that focuses on the marriage of Jack and Grace, the seemingly perfect couple. They have the absolutely beautiful dream house, a strong and stable marriage, and the ideal life. Hosting dinner parties, Jack doting on his wife, and Grace's culinary talent on display makes they the envy of all their neighbours and friends. But if you took a closer look, you would see that everything you once thought was perfect was all but a lie. The novel is told through Grace's POV and is set in both the past and present.

'Perfect,' he says softly.

The synopsis of the novel is what initially drew me into the novel, and the first few chapters of the novel were superb. It was well written, the characters well drawn, the plot both captivating and well executed. When I was about half way through the novel, I found myself withdrawing from the novel. The once amazing, well-thought-out, novel was now falling apart. The plot was becoming weaker and weaker, the characters becoming unbelievable, repetitive actions and motions near the end, and then the ending. The conclusion just seemed to appear out of nowhere and was like, "Yep, that's it. This is the end of the novel. Oh wait, were you expecting something more?". The novel just ended. I sat on my couch thinking, "this can't be the ending...no way...who, what, no. No, no, no, no, no".

"We go downstairs and in the hall, he takes my coat from the cupboard and holds it open while I slip my arms into it. In the drive outside, he holds the car door for me and waits until I'm in. As he closes it behind me, I can't help thinking it's a shame he's such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners."

I was disappointed with the novel, especially with the conclusion, and felt let down because people were giving it such great reviews and praising over the book. However, personally I felt that this novel was lacked a lot, especially depth, but was quiet still readable. It just will not be that enjoyable or exciting in the end. 

Rating:

★★

About The Author:

B A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.