Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 hours

Pages - 320

Publisher - MIRA

Blurb from Goodreads

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.


My Review

We open in the present, Grace is entertaining Jacks friends with a dinner party at their home. The opening chapter is very discreet, we are told of Jack and Grace's perfect meeting, how long they have been married & everything seems wonderful. The reader picks up Grace is very nervous but no obvious in your face reasoning why, my spidey senses where up though. We are told of Millie, Grace's seventeen year old sister, who has Down's Syndrome and who Jack has agreed to her coming to live with them once she is eighteen, everything is perfect. We flip between the present and past, Grace meeting Jack, perfect Jack, polite, attentive and accepting of Millie. As we flit between the two time lines it becomes apparent life isn't quite as perfect as it first seems and Jack and Grace are hiding a horrendous deadly secret.

I found this book hard to put down, I think depending on your background the more you will be drawn into Grace's world. I knew very quickly something was wrong and when it became apparent what was happening, how I loathed at least one of the main characters and became frustrated by others. You are desperate to find out what is truly going on and then enraged to be kept waiting for the outcome, what is going to happen, will there be an outing of it all.

I think Paris has done fabulously well to draw in the reader, engage them and handle some very tricky subject matter. So many people have loved this book, some not so much and you can appreciate how it can differ for so many. I was completely engaged, I couldn't put the book down, I went through a roller coaster of emotions and found the end came far too quickly for me. The author does what any good author should, leaves the reader wanting more, very impressive and packing quite a punch for their debut. 4/5 for me this time, I would absolutely read this author again, B A Paris is one to watch out for. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

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