Although I have yet to read Behind Closed Doors by this author, I have heard good things about it and figured I would enjoy this book, as I am a big fan of psychological thrillers.

The main character Cass starts to fear that she is suffering from the early signs of dementia, a disease her mother also had. This book begins with Cass passing a car parked in the woods during a storm, with a women inside who seems fine, so Cass continues driving homE. Cass then sees on the news the next day that the same women was murdered the previous night. This causes Cass to feel both guilty and paranoid after some other events occur. I enjoyed the author's writing and the book is quite suspenseful, moving along at a steady pace. The 3 star writing is that I didn't find Cass to be a very likeable character and I felt like the story got to be a bit predictable. There were some twists towards the end and I think that readers who enjoyed Behind Closed Doors and other books such as The Girl on the Train, will also enjoy The Breakdown.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC.

Did you ever have a main character that you just couldn’t stand? I’m leaning over my desk, raising my hand high and wiggling it madly—me me me! Cass, a young schoolteacher wife, sniveled her way through the whole book. She was beyond annoying, with her constant over-the-top worry about a murder, memory loss, and a fear of being stalked. Monotonous, boring, a stuck record. Her anxiety made her seem sickeningly weak, and the way she kowtowed to her husband made her seem unliberated and outdated. I wanted to stick a sock in her mouth, give her a giant chill pill. In fact, when she was given pills to treat her stress, I was elated, relieved, like magically, finally, I had gotten a fussy baby to quiet the eff down. Now I know people who like dear little Cass are going to get their hackles up because I’m bad-mouthing her, but I’m sorry, I just wanted her to shut up. Couldn’t she find something else to do? Like read a book, polish the silver, binge on a Netflix series? Anything but sit there endlessly worrying in her plaintiff 5-year-old voice. But wait. We all, myself included, have to remember that she is make-believe. Obviously, I’m doing a terrible job of this if I get so mad!

I was really excited to read this one. I had loved Paris’s first book, Behind Closed Doors. How does it work that I loved one of her books but basically hated the other? I hear of reviewers loving both or hating both, but I don’t seem to have many others in my one-love, one-hate club.

I’ll go straight to my Complaint Board because frankly, my Joy Jar is empty.

Complaint Board

Stop the sniveling. And please say something interesting. No need to add much here; you already know what I think about the main character, Cass. I will say that the other few characters weren’t snivelers, but they weren’t interesting either. The dialogue was super boring, like: Hi, when did you get up? Oh, around 8. Okay. See you later.

I knew it! It’s not at all fun when you right away figure out what’s going on. I wanted to race to the end so that I could pat myself on the back. And during the whole trek to the end, I was huffy-annoyed that the plot was so predictable. Well, I had to humble myself a little, because I only had it half-right. The surprise part was what made me give this book 2 stars instead of 1.

Where’s the tension? I need some! I guess I couldn’t feel any tension because little miss smarty pants here thought she knew exactly what was happening (it’s only fitting that I had half a comeuppance). But whatever the reason, feeling no tension when you’re reading a thriller is a total bummer.

Nope. I just don’t buy it. There are lots of things that just weren’t believable to me. They are spoilers, though, so I’ll hide them.

[spoiler:]
-Not sure I buy that Cass wouldn’t call the police immediately when she discovered what was going on. By handling it herself, she was putting herself in big-time danger and she knew it. But then on the other hand, she wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box.

-I find it impossible to believe that Cass wouldn’t have noticed that hubby must have switched out her appliances—washer, dryer, and microwave. New appliances would not look exactly like her old ones. No way!

-And when were all the new appliances delivered? How could hubby coordinate their delivery to happen when Cass wasn’t home, when she seldom went out anyway?

-It’s far-fetched that Cass would get her hands on Rachel’s burner cell phone and it’s far-fetched the way it happens (though actually, I give the author credit here for ingenuity).

-It’s hard to believe that the killer would hide the old appliances and the murder weapon in the shed. Hello. Everyone knows you don’t leave incriminating evidence around.

-It’s hard to believe that Rachel could sneak in and out of Cass’s house without being caught.

-Give me a break. Cass goes and sits in the spot where Jane had died and thinks Jane must be telling her what she should do? I thought this woo-woo moment was a cop-out or at the very least unnecessary. I’m very picky about which woo-woo moments I like (because I very seldom like any), and this one didn’t cut it.

-Oh, so many things. I didn’t buy that Cass could “feel” there was someone in her house. Nor could I buy that she remembered leaving a cup on a counter. Who remembers where exactly they put their cup? [end of spoiler]

Really? There’s a stress pill that you can take three times a day? This is minor and perhaps debatable, but I’ve never of a doctor prescribing stress pills to be taken three times a day. In fact, what are “stress” pills? In real life, I think they are all addictive narcotics, which are prescribed with caution. You might take three Tylenol pills a day, but not pills for stress. The author should have done her homework on this one.

Where’s my car? There’s a ridiculous scene in a parking garage, ridiculous because it is a logistical mess. I had to reread the scene many times and in the end it still didn’t make sense. Where oh where did the editor go?

Stop over-explaining. Show me, don’t tell me. I thought the author broke that rule at the end. It’s like she was afraid maybe we wouldn’t get understand it all. We did. [spoiler]: For one, I thought it was unnecessary for Cass to read all the texts and then to go to places and people to confirm what she had read. [End of spoiler]

I’m really bummed (and surprised) that I didn’t like this book. Negative reviews are no fun to write, but I always feel compelled to give my honest reaction. Be sure to check out other reviews, because most of them are positive. I’m sort of the Lone Ranger here.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Thanks to Netgalley. St. Martin's Press and B.A. Paris for this ARC. I loved this book, probably more then Behind Closed Doors. It kept me turning those pages to see if the characters were as manipulative as I thought. And they were :-! Loved it !!
A definite favorite book of mine for this year, and one I'm recommending to my friends and my book clubs. I've passed it on to my daughter to read, and she also recommended it to her friends .
I am a devout fan of Ms. Paris, for sure with this one.
My review is on goodreads and on publisher website as well. Thanks again for this fantastic read !
.

I couldn't put this one down. I found it to be better than her debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, which was also a very quick read! It was less frightening to read than BCD but just as compelling. I made a couple of good guesses early on about what would happen but there were a few twists that surprised me. I definitely read this in less than 24 hours, which makes it a real thriller by my standards.

Paris plumbs the depths of relationships again in this work, and the interplay between husband and wife is taken a closer look at what makes couples work and more importantly, not work here.

This is the first novel by B.A. Paris that I have read and I was very much looking forward to a great, twisty thriller. The Breakdown was rather good but at times it felt like…too much. Don’t get me wrong, the story and premise is very intriguing but there were times I really just wanted to reach into the book and give Cass a good shake and yell “Just tell them already!”

Honestly, this is a good summer thriller (I feel like I keep saying this) if you are looking for a thrill ride that won’t overly tax your brain. Just sit back in your lounge chair, read, and enjoy the ride. About halfway through the book you will probably get annoyed like I did what with the same silent calls and the same reaction by Cass. Every. Single. Time. Keep plugging along because it may be slightly annoying but the ride, although predictable, is worth it.

"I'm determined to avenge Jane."

The Breakdown is the second book I've read by B.A. Paris. I love the cover of this book and since it had an intriguing blurb, I couldn't click fast enough to request it.

The main character is Cass. She's a teacher and a recently married woman who after meeting some of her friends for a night out decides to take a shorter but darker pathway to get to her home. She's traveling at night and during a heavy storm. The storm is scaring her and it doesn't help that her husband told her not to take the shortcut because it could be dangerous at night. Soon after, she almost loses control of her car to avoid crashing into a parked car on the road. A woman is in the car. Cass is afraid it might be a way to entice her to get out of her car and then get attacked. After a few minutes of waiting to see if the woman comes asking for help, Cass drives away. The next morning she learns a woman has been found dead just a few miles away from her home. She, later on, learns the woman was murdered and it's the same woman she encountered on that dark and stormy night. What makes it even more disturbing is that she had met the victim, Jane, a couple of weeks back and they had clicked as friends.

Cass is overwhelmed with guilt because she forgot to call someone to tell them a woman was stranded on the road and later, she decides not to contact the police about what she knows because she feels ashamed. Cass can't stop playing scenarios in her head. She could have helped Jane or maybe the murderer could have killed them both. Her guilt festers and becomes unbearable. It also coincides with Cass having short term memory issues. At first is just something inconsequential like forgetting her purse but soon she's forgetting she has invited friends over or she's buying things she can't remember purchasing. She's terrified she has developed early onset dementia, just like her mother did.

The Breakdown is entertaining and suspenseful. Cass is engulfed with guilt and shame over not helping Jane on that frightful night. She's the perfect candidate to be manipulated. It was easy to guess who was manipulating her and the why but I still found myself absorbed by the plot. The last third of the book was the best and I was happy with the course of events.

So what part didn't I like? It involves a new pet peeve of mine. I've seen this in multiple thrillers I read recently. It involves the lack of common sense against calling the police early on. Why wait so long? Want to get murdered before the bad guys are discovered? No, then call the cops!!!

Anyway, I'm happy to report that The Breakdown is going in my yes thriller column.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is another one of those "Unreliable Narrator" novels and I'd have to say that it really worked here. The reader is in the dark just as much as the main character and I really loved it. Did not see the ending coming which was really fun. I do wish we had gotten a little more background on all the characters and more world building so it was a little easier to get to know these people and where they are. Why was Rachel so close to Cass? The author explained but I would have loved to see more of their history together and what they have been through together before we start to follow their lives. Same with Matthew, how did they fall in love? What was their courtship like? I think it would have helped understand why the main character even wanted these people in her life.

Nit picks:
-For some reason, I kept getting all of the characters names confused. Maybe because we never were given any description on what anyone looked like? I just pictured all of the women having blonde hair and it made it more difficult to discern who was who.

Overall, I would definitely recommend you pick this book up. Really great mystery and I honestly couldn't put it down. I was thinking about it even when I wasn't reading. I've read Behind Closed Doors as well so I'm looking forward to seeing what else B.A. Paris can do!

**Received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The Breakdown is one of those books that made me second guess everything I thought was happening and needing to find out the truth, it kept me glued to the pages for the better part of two days. Paris hooked me from the first page, and at first slowly, then with increasing speed, reeled out details until my heart was beating faster, and I felt sure that something even more terrible was about to happen.

There is so much to like about this book: the main character’s downward spiral was well portrayed with many details that made me feel what it was like to be her and go through what she was experiencing. The supporting cast was either baffled or tried to be understanding as I would have expected them to be. But Paris added small hints here and there that showed that more was going on than met the eye. The book was neatly tied up at the end, and the ending fit the story.
While I was right about one of the characters, I was still surprised by one of the characters.


This is a good choice if you like psychological thrillers. I can’t wait to see what B. A. Paris comes up with next!

Another good page turner by B.A. Paris just in time for summer beach reading, which is when I enjoy reading fast paced psychological thrillers. Would recommend for a good, quick summer book to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful story.
Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the Advance digital review copy.

While the main character, Cass, drove me crazy for the first 75% of this book, eventually I came around to appreciate and understand her a bit more. I definitely wanted to know what was going on and it kept me reading, but man, did I dislike Cass.

When Cass takes a detour home, one she will forever regret and it was the detour her husband Matthew insisted she not drive, but to stay on the highway and not go through the woods, sets the stage for a psychological thriller that will have me hooked.

After seeing a woman she knows just sitting in a car on that back road, Cass thinks the woman has already called someone and will be fine. She keeps driving home because it’s pouring down rain and it’s dark. That decision and what happens to the woman causes Cass to become paranoid, scared and forgetful which leads her to think she has early onset dementia like her now deceased mother.

Sadly, I wish I could say the story held my attention throughout the entire book, but the author's writing lost me because of factors I will not disclose to the reader because the story is a bit “weak”. Also, there are only a few characters which allowed me to figure out who did “it” in a short time.

I did enjoy both the beginning and the ending. Had the author had put little more effort into the middle this would be a five-star read.

Cass and Matthew Anderson have a nice life. They live in a lovely, albeit remote, cottage they have recently renovated and both have good jobs. She works as a teacher and it is while returning from an evening with colleagues she witnesses a woman on the side of the road shortly before she is murdered. Feeling frightened, Cass doesn't stop and vows to call for help when she gets home. Something comes up and she forgets. The next day she finds out the woman was murdered.
Cass is plagued with guilt, shame and panic. If only she had stopped. Could she be the next victim? Does the killer think she witnessed something she shouldn't have. Who is on the other end of the phone calling her and not saying anything.
And why is Cass so forgetful lately? Her mother had recently passed with early onset dementia. Could the same thing be happening to her?

Filled with lots of twists and turns once you pick this book up you won't be able to put it down and you'll be rooting for Cass till the very end.

Stars: 4.5/5
The Breakdown – An intriguing mystery thriller. I loved it.

Characters- I liked Cass. Initially I was impatient with her. I couldn’t understand why she was so much affected by all things. She could do a lot good, trust herself and could save herself. As book progressed and once the things started to come in view one by one, I just liked her. And I thought, ‘where she was all this time,, that’s the woman character I wanted to see in the book’. And yes, I don’t have any complains at the end. Antagonist was wicked, cold-hearted and smart. I liked the way all characters were displayed.

What I liked in the book? First of all, starting of the book, first chapter, it just hooked me to the book. The emotions and feelings of characters especially of Cass- guilt, fear, anger, and frustration- all she was feeling and suffering was just perfect.

Initially I was too impatient to read this part. I just wanted to reach to the climax and wanted to check whether my hypothesis was correct or not and as I was reaching to that point, I don’t regret reading it. In fact, this middle part of the book, about Cass’s emotions and her life after murder, kept me on the edge, kept me thinking what is going to come next, when and how. Her memory lapses just took me to different direction while I was reading, it confused me on my theories for a moment. That was plus point for the book.

Storyline was good. I was reading pretty fast. That happens to me whenever I read mystery/thriller. My reading speed becomes from bicycle to express train. The plot was so nice that increased it more.

Climax- last 30% of the book. Brilliant! Can I give all stars to this part? I just loved it. The twist and turn was unexpected and very exciting.
End of the book was also good.

A hole in the book.- In just first few chapters, I could guess who the culprit was. There was a thing that I couldn’t buy and I had a doubt regarding that character. I made a hypothesis and Bingo! It was 20% correct and rest was a surprise for me. I was right about that person. Author proved me wrong in the way I thought things would be. I liked this book for that. And I love it when I can do that. That’s why I’m saying it “a hole” and not “I didn’t like it”.

I’m not expert mystery thriller reader and still I could guess things, then it can be much easier for those who are reading this genre since long time. Middle part, about Cass’s emotions and feeling, It was little stretched. Some readers can lose their patience here.

Overall, fast-paced, intriguing, a good read. I enjoyed reading it.

The Breakdown is a nail-biting, psychological thriller that will take you through the wringer as you read it. There is a fine line when writing books like these. The author can give too much away in the buildup and it ruins the rest of the book. It didn’t happen with The Breakdown.


I read this book within a day. I had my Kindle on me at all times, I was that engrossed in it. Everything about it had me not wanting to anything but read. See, I am the type of reader that will read a few chapters, put my Kindle down, get involved with other things and then remember…hey I was reading and repeat the cycle. So for me to actually not put down my Kindle, the book had to be good and The Breakdown was.

The two main storylines (the murder and Cass having a breakdown) were wonderfully intertwined. There was a point in the book where I couldn’t help but wonder if Cass had anything to do with the murder. But I was vindicated later in the book and then had to wonder who the murderer was. Let’s just say that I was very surprised by that and by the reason that woman was killed.

I did figure out certain elements of the book before they were revealed. But kudos to the author because she did do a wonderful job keeping who was stalking Cass under wraps until the end of the book. The details and the length that this person went through to actually drive Cass to a nervous breakdown was insane.

The end of the book was very anti-climatic but good.

How many stars will I give The Breakdown: 4

Why: A great storyline and memorable characters.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Woman (Cass) has mental breakdown after new friend (Jane) is murdered. Could Cass have saved her? Did her massive guilt trip lead to her mental breakdown? Is everything as it seems?

Since Behind Closed Doors was such an engrossing read, I was so excited to read and review an early copy of this one. After flying through it, I am pleased to report that this one was, in my opinion, even better than BCD!

Upon completion, I was left speechless and definitely in the thralls of a book hangover. Twenty minutes later, my heart was still pounding and my own paranoia was running rampant. While taking my dog outside, a car stopped near our house, and then sped away quickly as soon as I looked at the driver. Talk about freaky timing hahaha.

This story drew me in from the very first pages, and was so well written that I totally felt Cass' paranoia, panic, frustration, and desperation. This was a fabulous page turner, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#TheBreakdown #WhoCanYouTrust

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book.
I enjoyed this book! At first glance, it seems to be about a car breakdown, but while that is part of the story there is something far more sinister going on. There were times I found it hard to like Cass, but ultimately she won me over. If you like a good mystery/thriller, this book will not disappoint!

Cass’s husband gives her one piece of advice as she heads home from a party. Do NOT take the shortcut home. It’s a dark and windy road, and a storm is coming. But the storm is precisely why Cass wants to take the shortcut. She desperately just wants to be home before the weather hits. As she navigates the curves, and the rain and winds begin to pick up, she notices a car pulled to the side of the road. She can see a woman inside, staring straight ahead. She stops, but the woman makes no move to ask for help. After a few agonizing seconds, she convinces herself that if the woman needed help, she’d get out of her car and ask for it. Cass makes the decision to drive on. The next morning, it’s all over the news—the woman she failed to help was murdered in the very spot where Cass left her. She decides not to tell her husband, or even any of her friends, and the guilt begins to weigh on her heavily. When she begins to forget things—important things—she’s not sure if it’s the stress, or if she is suffering from the same early onset dementia the killed her mother.
I thought this was a decent little mystery, but it didn’t blow me away. The resolution wasn’t terribly shocking, the plot device of Cass’s mom having died of dementia seemed unlikely, and Cass herself was incredibly annoying. The whole book I wanted to shake her and yell, “Just tell them! Tell your friends you could have helped this lady but you didn’t! They’ll forgive you!” Her stubborn insistence on keeping her secret at all costs just didn’t feel real to me. The mystery was compelling, though, and I did want to find out who or what was behind all of Cass’s problems.

I really enjoyed this book! It took a little to get me hooked but when I did...I highly recommend this read!