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 … 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.
From bestselling author B. A. Paris comes the gripping thriller and international phenomenon Behind Closed Doors.
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING DEBUT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU CAN’T MISS!
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?
“A hair-raising debut, both unsettling and addictive…A chilling thriller that will keep you reading long into the night.” –Mary Kubica, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Good Girl
“This is one readers won’t be able to put down.” —Booklist (starred review)
“A can’t-put-down psychological thriller.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“This debut is guaranteed to haunt you…Warning: brace yourself.” —Bustle (10 New Thrillers to Read This Summer)
“The sense of believably and terror that engulfs Behind Closed Doors doesn’t waver.” –The Associated Press, picked up by The Washington Post
“This was one of the best and most terrifying psychological thrillers I have ever read.” —San Francisco Book Review
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I think I may have burned some food while I read this book…
I could hardly believe it when I finished this book and realized that this was the author’s first novel! I am anxious for her next one to be released in June 2017. I absolutely could not put this book down once I had started. Absolute delicious suspense and anxiety permeated this read.
Psychological Suspense at it’s finest!
Just finished this book in one sitting – It is worth the time and I’m looking forward to reading other books by Ms. Paris. This is a suspense thriller that moves quickly and makes you really think about trusting…..period!
I said I liked messed-up psychological thrillers and BOY did @Nadia deliver when she recommended this one!
This is a super fast read that is a lot of fun if you like your books dark, twisty, and twisted. It has one of the most diabolical villains I’ve read in a while.
The book ratchets the tension up to almost unbearable levels and then gives you a satisfying conclusion.
Omg it was so good! You cannot believe this book, then you realize it might be possible and that gives you the chills!
I read this book in less than 24 hours! Great thriller about a seemingly perfect marriage. Just when you think you have it figured out it isn’t exactly what you thought. GREAT read!
Grace and Jack seem to be the perfect couple, but no one knows what happens behind closed doors…
This story had me absolutely riveted and it was a perfectly captivating psychological thriller. Grace’s husband is an absolute psychopath and you are constantly wondering what he’s going to do next. In such a controlling relationship, you think, well why doesn’t she try to escape? And she does, time and time again, but Jack is always one step ahead of her.
This is a book I would recommend for those who liked the twisted characters of Gillian Flynn.
Grace and Jack seem like the perfect newlywed couple. He’s a successful lawyer and she now stays at home to tend their elegant and spacious house, frequently visiting her disabled sister. Although most of us know that nobody is “perfect” and things are always different behind closed doors, nobody would suspect what happens at Grace and Jack’s home when they are alone.
This book is definitely in the “thriller” category – and sometimes hard to stomach in terms of having to witness someone go through horrendous emotional abuse – but wanting to see justice and resolution propels the reader on and on to turn the pages faster and faster. The action jumps between present day to the idyllic courtship and early days of their marriage, building up with incredible suspense to the explosive ending. You won’t be able to put it down, and you won’t be able to forget about it once you’re finished!
One of the best psychological thrillers I have read! This book is an intense and fast read that I could not put down.
I don’t often get freaked out by thrillers — I guess that’s what happens when you’ve read so many and have seen every episode of Law & Order SVU. But I found this book utterly terrifying. So if you want to read a book that will creep you out long after you’ve set it down, this is for you!
Newlyweds Jack and Grace seem to have a picture perfect marriage, but not everything is as perfect as it seems. That’s all you need to know.
Thanks to a spoiler from a friend, I knew more about the premise than I should have going in, and while I still found what happened deeply disturbing, it took away from the initial shock.
I’d highly recommend listening to the audiobook — the narration is excellent, and made it even more unsettling.
Spoilers/trigger warnings below:
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Severe abuse of a dog, severe abuse of the disabled, severe abuse just all around. Animal abuse does usually get me to DNF, but in this case I simply HAD to know what happened next.
Compelling and thrilling! Wow! You truly NEVER know what goes on behind closed doors. I found myself cheering for Grace, nervous as heck with Grace, and pushing her all the way. “I can’t help thinking it’s a shame he’s such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners.” Excellent read you won’t be able to put down!
This one really hit me emotionally. A perfect marriage, perfect wife, perfect husband, perfect home. At least it appears that way to everyone who knows them. Grace has a sister with Down’s Syndrome whom she adores and is looking forward to her coming to live with them when she finishes her special education at a boarding school. I had a very hard time getting through this book due to the emotions it caused me. However, I could not stop reading it, wanting so badly to see the outcome. This is a heartbreaker so be prepared. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a psychological thriller.
“The key turns in the lock. The door opens and he stands in the doorway, my handsome, psychopathic husband.”
We’ve all heard a statement similar to ‘you never know what happens behind closed doors’ and unfortunately we’ve also all encountered an individual or two that we’ve thought it about. Author B.A. Paris used this as inspiration in her first attempt at writing and Behind Closed Doors was born.
This dark psychological drama is pretty intense and touches on many of the very nonfiction power and control dynamics of domestic abuse: mind games, demeaning comments, threats, controlling access to money, manipulating social relationships, humiliation, isolation, and the list goes on…and gets a whole lot darker. In Behind Closed Doors, the redundant episodes got so darkly creative that it crossed the line into the unbelievable. Don’t misunderstand me, I know that very dark abuse occurs in the real world but the villain in this storyline was a bit over the top for my personal taste and I started to feel my investment in the reading experience decline. I should note that I listened via audiobook and the narration may have added a ‘B-movie’ quality to this story causing it to border on ridiculous, I’m not sure. I thought about DNF’ing (because reading should be fun!) but I’m glad I didn’t because the ending was worth it all. If you enjoy psychological suspense, then Behind Closed Doors is worth the time in my opinion.
This is a good read! Different than most that I’ve been reading. Lots of twists, hard to put down.
Wow. I really had no idea how this would end. Even as I was almost done with it. Someone compared it to Gone Girl when recommending it to me…i don’t think it is. Totally different pace and it basically gives you the secret right away. And then you have to watch the madness unfold. I want to be uppity and say I would never be Grace…but that’s not true. We all have the potential to be Grace when under an illusion. And Jack was a master of illusion.
This is a psychological thriller beyond words. I read it in one sitting and my heart was beating so hard. There isn’t gruesome scenes but the fear never lets up. It’s my Best book of the year
Whoa! I read this book in 24 hours. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It was chilling and terrifying in all the best ways. It made me quite uncomfortable while reading it because I couldn’t figure out how Grace was going to get out of her dreadful situation. The ending was satisfying and made all the angst while reading completely worth it. Highly recommend.
This book is even scarier because the possibility of someone pretending to be something that they aren’t is so plausible. Especially at the beginning of a relationship. However, in actuality, most people aren’t able to hide their true selves so completely as Jack does in this novel. Usually there are warning signs. Simply put, don’t ignore them.. especially in the beginning of a relationship.
Overall, I liked this story and finished it over the course of two days. I really wanted to know how Grace was going to get out of the situation that she found herself in. I felt her hopelessness when Jack painted her as mentally unstable. I don’t know what I would have done in her situation and I hope I never have to find out.
Anyone that is in a controlled relationship needs to read this &
see the light
I could not put this book down, and it’s not my typical genre. Excellent for a first novel!