Behind Closed Doors
By B. A. Paris
Originally Published in 2016
Genre: Thriller
When I first picked up this book the title seemed to suggest a secret life that was going on in the privacy of ones home. The reason I like these sort of mysterious stories is because things can happen like this in every day life. You think you know someone but you only really know the hard shell, not the sweet or bitterness that hides inside. We all like a bit of the dark side. This is the first novel I have read by B.A. Paris, a British author living in France.
Paris has written from the main characters point of view, switching between past and present. The first time I encountered a book like this I put it back on the shelf as it wasn't my kind of thing. Luckily, a friend was with me at the time and gave me a great recommendation that swayed me and so I read it, but that review is for another day. Fast forward to now and if written in the right way these types of books can really have me at the edge on my seat.
In Behind Closed Doors the main characters, Jack and Grace, are newlyweds with the husband being a successful lawyer that all the ladies appear to be charmed by. Their lives seem perfect and their friends feel comfort in the couple’s home. The couple are inseparable though which makes it difficult for Jacks old friends to get to know Grace properly.
I hope that this novel can teach people that when things seem too good to be true they probably are and this should be applied to everyday life. Without giving too much away, this is a typical controlling husband story with a few little twists and turns. My favourite character has to be Ester, she's behind the scenes throughout, she's misunderstood but comes through when it's needed.
I have to be honest and say that this book didn't turn out quite as I expected and I don't mean that in a shocked & surprised kind of way. Tension was building up throughout the story and I thought it was going to end real crazy. Once you figure out what's going on you're hoping for some sort of psychotic over the top ending. Don’t get me wrong, if this were to happen in real life it would be insane but I just feel like in books you should go way beyond the chance of reality.
HOWEVER, that is the ending in general as in what happens with the couple. I did love what were literally the last few of pages as it showed true girl power and I’m into that. This is also the reason I think Ester is great, the way the author bought up her character to conclude things in such a simple yet terrific way. Just by asking one simple question it reveals what she has been thinking all along.
Will I read it again in the future? Right now my answer to that is probably not. I would say to give it a read once though if you haven’t already.
If you've read this particular book or any other B.A. Paris novel then feel free to drop me a line with your thoughts.
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