B.A Paris has quite a reputation for writing great thrillers. I read Behind Closed Doors and it was a thriller I really enjoyed so I was hoping that the author would continue to wow me with this next novel.

Compared to Behind Closed Doors, this novel wasn't nearly as engrossing or intriguing. It was definitely more of your traditional thriller and it was quite easy to predict. In fact, I had pretty much pieced it all together before the halfway point of the novel, just based on the few clues that the author gave. There were still a few surprises that I wasn't expecting but there really wasn't much of a twist anywhere in the story. 

I didn't really like Cass's character all that much. She was a bit annoying to say the least and while I felt bad for her and her memory issues, it seemed like she never thought things through properly before saying or doing something. And that got quite tiresome. At one point, Cass took charge of her life and was in control: this was the highlight of the book for me. I loved that Cass didn't just take things lying down, but actually went about getting justice. It was a shame that her strength was short-lived; the scene literally came up near the end of the book and the author didn't really make it a big part of the story. 

The ending itself was unexpected as I never expected so many things (and people) to become connected. To be honest, I didn't really feel like it worked. I understand why the author wanted to make everything connect, but I just wasn't convinced and it really didn't fit in very well. If the novel had been extended a bit more and had had more details dropped at various points that would have made the ending more believable, I think that would have helped make sense of it all. 

Overall, this novel was just okay. There wasn't anything very special to it: the main character is your typical paranoid wife, the story is easy to figure out, and the ending is just really abrupt and forced to be believable.

I just finished this book as I am writing this and I am not entirely sure what to say. This was a fast paced book that I couldn't put down and I know it will be sticking with me for sometime. It is a story that makes you wonder who you can trust and the only thing that it didn't have that I wish it had was an epilogue. I would have loved to see where Cass was after her ordeal maybe 10 years down the road. We get so invested in these characters that its sad when we don't know how their lives are going. Other than that this book was by far amazingly evil.

The cast in this one was fabulous everyone was full and you just couldn't help feeling sorry for Cass and her situation of not knowing if she should go to the police or not. I have to say that if it would have been me. I wouldn't have stopped either, I would have gotten to where I had cell service and called 911 and made sure they knew where this car was. During the entire book you keep wondering if she really going nuts and is just an unreliable narrator or if something else is going on. I really loved the fact that until the end you really don't know.

The suspense in this one is very heavy all the way up to the big reveal I would have liked to know more about what happened after the people were caught I can't say much more of that one since its a major spoiler. But if you read this you will understand I just can't help thinking that this person would have confronted her or something and that not happening kinda seemed anticlimactic. I do have a thought that maybe they weren't released so that might be the reason why.

The entire book was well paced, easy to understand, and is going on my list of the best books of 2017. This by far is one of my favorite adult authors and I know that it will be yours to.

This is an enjoyable thriller, better than behind closed doors I thought and kept me guessing till the end.
The story is based around Cass, who comes home late in bad weather down a lane she promised to her husband that she wouldn't go down. Whilst on this lane she drives past a car, she pulls over to see if they need help but no one gets out so scared something could happen to her she drives home. The next day she discovers a woman was murdered and here things start to happen. Casses mother suffered from early dementia and she starts to think she is suffering the same or is she......
Cass is married to Matthew whom I think the author wanted you to like but I found him completely unlikeable, I don't know why! Rachel is a close friend but is like the sister Cass never had but in reality I thought she was just a free loader and came across as false.
This is a book of deceit and loyalty and I found enjoyable.
I would like to thank netgalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I pretty much guessed what was going on in Breakdown from the get go. That doesn't always spoil a mystery or thriller for me because sometimes I'm happy to read about interesting characters or see how the author puts all the pieces together. But in this case, it was mostly frustrating because if I could see what was going on, it was pretty implausible that main character Cass couldn't see it. It made for a bit of a claustrophobic reading experience. But I don't want to say too much unless I spoil it for others who may enjoy this one more than me. Suffice it to say that Cass seems to have a great life -- nice husband, good friends and lots of money. Then she comes across a women stopped in a car alone at night on a dark quiet road. Cass decides not to help the woman, and things unravel from there. Guilt? Incipient dementia? Inherent ditziness? Who knows, but slowly Cass seems to be losing control of her life. Besides guessing what was going on, my main complaint is that I prefer my female leads in these types of books to be strong and smart even if flawed. Cass was kind of the opposite -- naive and weak and way too sweet. I really liked this author's first book, but it featured a strong smart woman trapped in an untenable situation who cleverly finds her way out. I hope she gets back on track with her next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Imagine you are driving home late at night, in a storm. You see a woman pulled off to the side of the road. You pull over behind her, but she doesn’t get out of her car or acknowledge you. So you eventually drive on. Then you find out the next day that the woman was murdered. Yikes!

And your troubles don’t stop there. You keep apparently forgetting things. Other people are giving you strange looks because you are saying things that must not make sense to them. To top things off, you also start getting phone calls where you answer the phone and there’s just silence.

If this is all enough to freak you out a little, you can relate to Cass, the protagonist of The Breakdown.

I can’t say a lot more about the resolution of this book without giving things away. By the 30% mark (yes, I read it on Kindle), I had figured out pretty much what was going on (I say pretty much, because one character with a “surprise twist” wasn’t one I’d expected). So, probably half of the book kind of dragged for me as I waited for things to be revealed in the end. The last quarter of the book really flew though, as all the shady things hinted at were fully revealed.

I can’t claim too much credit for figuring things out, since the book really only had about five characters who were given any attention. There just weren’t too many options to choose among when it came to discovering the “bad guy” or “bad girl”!

The author, B. A. Paris, had a compelling writing style that made me want to keep reading. The book was also free of profanity and sexual situations, which I appreciated (and which is rare in the genre).

If you’re interested in a psychological thriller that’s a quick read, I think you’ll enjoy The Breakdown.

The Break Down was kind of annoying at first, I mean why do some authors insist on having these weepy, weak women characters..I held off not finishing and was rewarded with an awesome twist. Worth the wait...

I can see why this book is one of the most anticipated thriller novels of 2017! I found myself continually asking "why?" Why is Cass forgetting so many things? The story begins with Cass passing a car in the woods while driving home in the rain. This incident begins her breakdown-she starts forgetting things and doubting herself. I really liked this book, and how the mystery is unraveled. Kept me hooked right from the beginning!

The synopsis is key when it comes to my book reading decisions. Too much information and I feel like there’s no point in reading the book, everything is already there. Too little, and I don’t know if it is for me or not. I guess I’m a bit of a Goldilocks when it comes to the synopsis, and The Breakdown had it just right.

The Breakdown is a slow build, you have to be patient. Paris starts off by introducing the reader to Cass, the protagonist, as well as the supporting cast. She carefully led me down a path that I was happy to follow; into the deteriorating mind of Cass. I felt bad for her, asked myself why she made certain decisions. Truth be told, it was starting to get a wee bit monotonous. I wanted to know what the point was, where the story was going. It was then that B.A. Paris pulled out the sledgehammer and cracked me in the head. I did not see that coming, and that made the whole voyage worthwhile.

The more I read, the harder it is to shock and surprise me. I’ve had a few face-palm moments, when I really should have seen the twist coming. But this was different. Kudos to B.A. Paris, you completely caught me off guard.

While I know that this isn’t B.A. Paris’ first book, it is my first time reading one of her books. When I really think about how The Breakdown shocked and surprised me, I’m really curious about what else is behind her closed doors.

*4.5 Stars

A great, suspenseful second novel from B. A. Paris!

After reading B.A. Paris's previous book Behind Closed Doors, I was anxious to read another book by her because I found her handling of suspenseful material to be well done and continually engaging. This continued in The Breakdown, where I found myself suspicious from page one and trying to figure out what was going on.

Paris is cunning in that she leaves hints that you think will lead one way and then they may or may not end up in the place you expected. Those moments are fun because you're not sure which are the important ones and which are the red herrings.

I won't say that the ending was entirely satisfactory, however. I found the culprits behind Cass's "madness" to not be very surprising, nor their motives for commiting such a crime. The murderer wasn't who I thought it was, I'll give the author that, but it didn't feel like a satisfactory ending. There wasn't a shock or interesting factor behind it, reminding me instead of something like a Lifetime movie plot.

The best parts of the books were Cass trying to deal with what she thought was her dissent into early onset dementia, something her mother had had before her death. These chapters were suspenseful and, until the discovery of a key piece of evidence, as a reader I couldn't be sure that this wasn't the case.

As to that bit of evidence I mentioned, it is incredibly lucky that Cass came into contact with it. If not, the rest of the book couldn't possibly have happened. Something of a Deus ex machina, that mobile phone.

I liked the pathways the story took well enough, though I was disappointed in the ending. I hope Cass will be alright, considering the trauma she's been through during the story and the revelations at the end. Til the next book, eh?

The Breakdown is the follow-up to Paris’ 2016 release Behind Closed Doors, a book that wowed this reader. I was really excited to be approved to read an early copy of The Breakdown and opened the book with high expectations.

Cass is having a hard time. Ever since the night she saw a car on a rural road, in the middle of a downpour with a woman was sitting inside. A woman who was later found dead. Cass has been trying to put the crime out of her mind. But since that night, she’s been forgetting everything from her car keys to appointments.

I read The Breakdown with a furrowed brow. What did Cass’ potential diagnosis of dementia have to do with a dead woman? I was surprised at the connection between the two events. While I was suspicious of who the bad guy might be I hadn't figured it all out. Man! People are cold-hearted. But I thought the book ended too quickly. I needed an epilogue with just a bit more to close out the story.

This was not as page-turning intensive as Behind Closed Doors, but is still an excellent choice for the mystery lovers out there. This book didn’t live up to the expectations I set. However, Paris is still earning herself a place on my “I have to read all of her books” list. While this was not as good as her debut, I’m looking forward to what she dishes out next.

How do you defeat an enemy when the enemy is your own memory? When you're unsafe in your own mind, is any place safe?

These questions are why I requested this book from Netgalley. I loved B.A. Paris's first book, Behind Closed Doors, but wasn't panting to get my hands on her next one. But the premise of this was too good not to jump on. And she didn't disappoint me.

Cass's mother was diagnosed with early onset dimensia at an extremely young age. And when little memory shorts begin happening, she's worried her happy life with her handsome husband is about to go swirling down the drain.

On top of that, Cass saw something. She saw something, did nothing, and now a woman is dead. And Cass thinks whoever murdered her knows what she saw.

Is Cass losing her mind? Is she paranoid, or is she wracked with guilt? What the hell is going on in this book?!

Honestly, the whodunnit is pretty obvious. But this book isn't about the who. It's about the how.

When I was younger, I read a lot of "teen horror" books. Think Christopher Pike. But I couldn't stand not knowing whodunnit. So I would read the last page, then read the book. And I loved seeing how the guilty party gave themselves away, how the scary moments were done.

I've broken myself of this habit, but I think doing that helped me (hindered me?) when it comes to reading mysteries now. I do still tend to fall for red herrings, but not nearly as often as I spot the killer. It doesn't take away from my enjoyment, though. Because I want to see HOW.

The how in here is so twisted. Deliciously twisted. And the comeuppance is so fantastic. It's not until literally the last two or three pages that this book let me down. I think B.A. Paris overdid it with that ending. A few nips and tucks would've made that final twist all the more delicious. It was just a little too convenient.

Those last three pages were a let down to an otherwise kick-ass mental roller coaster. Think twice the next time you find yourself having some memory lapses. You never know.

This book will be published on July 18th. I got a little too into it and finished it way too early.

This book was fast paced and hard to put down. Halfway through the book I kind of had an idea what was going on and why. I really liked Cass and felt bad by what was going down. It did remind me of either another book I read or a movie I saw. I would have given it a 5 star but the book just ended abruptly. I needed a little bit more closure with the characters.

After failing to stop a murder, Cass now fights to keep her sanity, fuelled by guilt and early-onset-dementia. Cass struggles with her decent into madness. But is there more to it than meets the eye?

Although so tense, latterly ‘edge of your seat’ reading, the long build up takes up 90% of the book and the quick, sharp, shock ending takes up the remaining 10%. Plenty of review I have seen have said they don’t enjoy the writing style, and it can take a bit of getting used to, as you quickly approach the end of the book wondering how the conclusion can fit into a chapter or so. As I had just finished Paris’ first book; Behind Closed Door I had an idea of what to expect.

Personally I really enjoyed the long and winding road into craziness. Although focused on the one same subject the story is constantly evolving and moving forward. The deeper the madness goes the more I began to question everything; Who is it? Can I trust Cass? Is she crazy? Is it me misunderstanding?

After so much tension and suspicion building until becoming almost suffocating the quick sharp shock of the ending is exactly what I needed.

Although I felt nothing for any of the characters, main or otherwise, however that doesn’t detract from the storyline, this being a mostly plot driven book as was B A Paris’ first book.

Most of the plot was awfully predictable but the plot was less of a more done it and more of what will happen? How will Cass get out?

I find what B A Paris does best is bring to light your very worst fears that you never knew you had.

Neither the first (Behind Closed Doors) nor the second (The Breakdown) took me more than two sittings to read.

The Breakdown was a great ‘page turner’ filled with dread, mind games and tension. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great psychological thriller with no emotional attachment that will keep you up all night.

Wow! I'm actually really surprised by this book. This is my first read by this author and it won't be my last. It was really good and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for her readers.

So first of all, I honestly did not see the plot twist at the end of the book. I mean kinda, but not really. There was a extra spin to it where I was like whaaaaaaat? The main character had me all over the place in a good way. I didn't know whether to actually believe her or not. About half way through the story, I did start getting a little bored and just wanted to get on with it but I kept reading and I'm really glad I did. This is a really good mystery/thriller. It won't let you down one bit!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book.

What a fun mystery! I had a hard time putting it down. I just finished and am already looking forward to reading another of Paris' books. It was so well written and so cleverly organized that it was a pleasure to read from start to finish. Mysteries often have twists and turns, but this one was like a roller coaster ride! I felt I was hanging on for dear life. The suspense just didn't let up. The clues were so cleverly crafted that I was kept guessing throughout the book. There were lots of plausible red herrings, and I was led astray numerous times and surprised by the truth that came out in the end. This is really a mystery done right.
I don't want to spoil the surprise for you but I will tell you this. The main character, Cass, while driving through the woods at night during a storm, sees a woman in a car by the side of the road and is too frightened to leave her car to see if she needs help. There is no cell phone service in the woods so she can't call for help. Then when she gets home, she forgets to call police about it. She feels very guilty the next day after she hears that this woman has been brutally murdered.
Her mother had early onset dementia and she fears that she may be starting to experience the symptoms of confusion and memory loss too. She begins receiving mysterious calls from a blocked number, and when she answers, there is only silence. This frightens her even more and she wonders if the killer might have seen her that night and is now menacing her with these calls. The scene of the murder is very near her home, so she is afraid he knows where she lives. This fear, combined with her guilt over not helping the murdered woman, sends her into a state of panic and stress, and her life begins to spin out of control. She is a bit dippy, and not a stickler for the truth. She begins lying to cover her guilt. Then she has to continue lying to cover up previous lies, and chaos ensues. You'll have to read the book to find out the rest. I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much.

Highly recommended. A real treat.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Really liked this psychological thriller. The beginning was a bit slow to build, almost to the point of me getting annoyed. I had my suspicions what was going on, and even though I figured it out, it didn't detract from the ultimate resolution. The conclusion really made the entire book worthwhile, it was the perfect way to wrap things up. I liked this book much better than Paris's first book, but mostly because I really disliked the subject matter of the first one. She definitely has a talent for writing suspenseful fiction.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is from the author of the excellent Behind Closed Doors and I was very excited to read it.
Cass is driving home through a storm late one evening when she sees a car that appears to have broken down in a secluded area. She sees a woman's face through the windscreen and contemplates offering her help. Aware of the dangers to herself though, Cass drives on. When she later hears that a woman was murdered that same evening Cass is beside herself with worry and guilt.
As the days go by and Cass is too ashamed to share her secret she begins to spiral into a cycle of doubt and self loathing. However, it would seem that Cass has even bigger problems as she begins to feel that she id being stalked by the killer and no-one seems to take her worries seriously.
I enjoyed this novel and I really couldn't put it down. Honestly though, I did guess the end almost from the first chapter. This didn't detract from my pleasure of seeing how things played out for Cass. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I was a little disappointing in the ending. I had most of the "twist" figured out halfway through the book. I kept reading though because it kept me interested. I still had some doubt in my prediction. Towards the end of the book, I really enjoyed how the text messages were revealed as the story.ine progressed. Definitely a fun read!