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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This book was an education for me. I see how any woman could possibly be trapped in a controlled marriage even to the extent that Grace has been . Also, sometimes charm can be very evil. Psychopaths can come in any wrapper.
Interesting and so well done.
Wow. I was on edge right after the wedding. Evil man who was a master at hiding it. Terrific ending. Loved it.
It was such a well written thriller. It was hard to read at times because you got so involved with the characters.
Most terrifying book I have read. Kept me breathless. I still think about it.
A.J. Paris has a way with words to make you feel like you are in the story. I couldn’t put this book down. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a dark thriller!
I loved this book – the story as it unfolded was beautifully told and I really felt for the characters. I adored the ending. So good I read it twice!
One of my favorites.
This book did not disappoint. I read The Breakdown first, not too long ago and I just finished Behind Closed Doors. I don’t know which book I like more. I could not put the book down. Looking forward to reading. Bring Me Back.
Really enjoyed reading this book
Loved this book!
One of the best books I have read in a long time. Original storyline very well written.
Everyone wants a perfect marriage… or do they?
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris follows the story of Jack and Grace, a married couple who has it all. Jack’s a well-known and respected attorney, and Grace lives a life of luxury in their gorgeous mansion of a home. They attend beautiful, upscale dinner parties, and life just seems perfect. Jack is even super supportive of Grace’s care of her sister, Millie, who has a disability.
Life is exactly what Grace dreamed of… or is it?
From early on in the book, it becomes clear that appearances are deceiving, and the couple has some dark secrets. As you read on, you realize that their life is actually the thing of nightmares instead of dreams.
I loved how the story was told from Grace’s perspective both in the past and the present. The timelines carefully weave together, and the pacing was on point. It kept me reading on, and I often found I couldn’t put my book down. I needed to get to the resolution and see how the author would wrap everything up.
The author did a great job at carefully plotting every detail so that the tale was scarily plausible. I felt great sympathy for the characters and, even at times, rage, which is a sign that I was highly invested in the story.
This book was subtly eerie in a way few thrillers can master. Although the plot was somewhat simplistic, the details really drove the story forward and the premise made the entire book bone-chilling in a unique way.
I absolutely loved B.A. Paris’s writing voice and will be looking for more books from her.
5/5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
Absolutely unputdownable.
B A Paris has written a thriller that is unputdownable.
I loved it.
Highly recommended.
Could not put this book down! One of the best books I’ve read!
I love B A Paris’s books; the plot twists keep me guessing until the end.
Behind Closed Doors, the first novel by B. A. Paris, is a Domestic Noir thriller that catapults your interest. Told first person by Grace, in alternating chapters set in the present and the past, the story has psychological intensity. It’s hard to put the book down; I read it in one day.
Grace and Jake Angel are the perfect couple. Jake’s movie star looks and successful career as a lawyer is combined with a never flagging interest in making sure everything is perfect for his newly wed wife Grace. He even embraced Grace’s upcoming custody of her younger sister Millie, who has Down’s syndrome. Grace’s past lovers couldn’t handle her commitment to Millie’s guardianship.
Grace’s happiness didn’t last past her wedding night, when she discovers the nightmare of her new reality.
During their rare socialization with other couples, the other wives note that Grace has given up a career she loved and doesn’t carry a cell phone or use the computer. They don’t really buy her line that keeping house and waiting for her man to come home is filling her days and fulfilling her every need. But Grace can’t reach out for their help, for with every act of escape brings punishment. As the day of Millie’s coming to live with Grace and Jack nears, Grace must figure out how to free herself, and save her sister, from Jack’s control.
The novel is not without its faults. I would have liked a more subtle and measured revelation of Jack’s background and character. Cold and dispassionate with an evil scientist intellect, Jack’s restraint, given his professed obsession, is remarkable. He is a character readers will love to hate; he is totally one sick puppy without a redeeming trait. Jack is more about threat than acts, and his most heinous acts are off camera–thankfully, because I can’t deal with graphic violence!
Grace suffers isolation and starvation but her amazing strength makes her a modern heroine that female readers will appreciate.
Millie is a savvy girl who relishes Agatha Christie murder mysteries. She knows how to play the game and ultimately suggests a solution to Grace’s dilemma. The story has a quick wrap up and a neat ending.
I received a free book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
A great read , great page turner
An excellent thriller, woven with expert skill. The narrator of the audio performed well.
This book is worth reading. Let’s just say that first. The only thing that really frosts my cookies is that Grace is so weak. How she didn’t see half of the things that happened to her coming, is unsettling and annoying at best. The twisty final pages gain the book some cool points, but the ending itself left me wanting more.