B.A. Paris, how I love you!

I devoured Behind Closed Doors in one sitting, so when this book became available, I jumped at the chance to read it. It was fantastic! We spend the days of summer vacation with Cass, after she stops - and then leaves - a car parked on the side of a back road on a stormy night. Cass feels like she is slowly losing her mind, and we have to wonder, is she? Or is there something else going on? Such a crazy story, I couldn't get enough. I am going to be eagerly awaiting another B.A Paris book!

In The Breakdown, Cass, a newly married teacher, drives down a deserted road in the middle of a thunderstorm and sees a young woman pulled off to the side of the road. The next day, she hears that the woman was murdered. Plagued with guilt for not stopping to help, Cass begins to worry that she’s losing her mind.

The scariest part of this book, in my opinion, was the idea of someone quickly slipping into dementia. When reading, I put myself in Cass’s place and wondered how I would cope with forgetting how to run the washing machine or trying to remember whether or not I’d taken my pills. It would be terrifying to be sure.

Unfortunately, the book moves very slowly, and Cass is not much of a heroine. Instead of working to find out the mystery of who killed the motorist, she hides in her house for most of the book. There are long sequences involving mysterious phone calls; phone calls that leave Cass debilitated with fear. At times, I wanted to shout, “Just unplug the phone!” I wish Cass would have done some sleuthing and not give up so easily!

The book eventually picked up, but not until the very end. There was a satisfying conclusion; however, it came across as rushed.

Overall, the ending did make the book worth reading, but I would have liked more forward action in the middle.

I could not put this book down! It was one twist right after the other! Cass is driving home from a dinner at a work friend's house and takes a short cut through the woods. It is pouring down the rain but there is a car parked on the side of the road. Cass stops but the driver makes no attempt to signal her that anything is wrong so Cass goes on home. The next morning, Cass finds out the woman is murdered. Cass is beside herself with guilt. Cass starts forgetting things. Her husband and best friend are worried about Cass as Cass's mom had died of early onset Alzheimers. Is Cass having issues because of the guilt or is it Alzheimers? It is a book of love, friendship, trust, and betrayal. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in return for an honest review.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy!

I recently read Behind Closed Doors and it was one of those books that I could barely put down. When I finished, I knew I needed to read everything else written by this author and found The Breakdown.

It starts out with Cass driving down a road that was a bit too dark and not very safe during a major storm where she sees a car stopped by the side of the road. Rather than offering the driver help, Cass drives away and finds out the next day that the driver had been killed. Cass's guilt soon turns into major paranoia and possible dementia.

This book took a little longer to get into and I was starting to get a bit annoyed at the MC's paranoia. But somewhere a little over halfway through, once again I couldn't put this book down. I really thought I had figured out the big reveal almost from the beginning of the book. Nope... The psychological twists were amazing and not "quite" what I suspected. It was much more than I imagined and I loved it.

I'm a sucker for a good twisty storyline and The Breakdown gave me what I hoped for, and more! I've added B.A. Paris to my insta-buy list of authors! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

If you were a fan of Paris' last book, you are sure to be hooked in this new and exciting psychological thriller. I was absolutely enthralled with this book and COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN!

Would highly recommend to any readers who are fans of a good suspense novel.

Let me preface my review by saying, I was not one of those readers that was over the moon for this author’s first book, Behind Closed Doors. While I liked the characters, especially memorable Millie, and found myself engrossed in the storyline, the execution didn’t wow me; in fact, I felt there was something major missing.

Against my better judgment, I let my twitchy and often overeager ARC requesting finger take charge where this book was concerned (will I ever learn self-control?), resulting in a potent dose of regret and a pinch of dread when it came time to pick it up. I tried to pacify myself with the thought that Behind Closed Doors was only my first encounter with B.A. Paris' storytelling, and even though they say first impressions are everything, I figured I should check my skepticism at the door and give the author the benefit of the doubt. Why not sit back and let her try and win me over on our second go-round; it could happen, right? Well, turns out, I liked this one even less than her debut. Sad to say, this author’s writing and this reader’s sensibilities aren’t a great mix. I wish Ms. Paris luck, but it’s probably best if we part ways here.

The author relies heavily on the frantic pacing, which I’ll give her, is a tad addicting, but for me, substance is key. Establishing some type of feelings or connection with the characters whose lives I’m wrapping myself up in is major. Without that I’m pretty much checked-out, just going through the motions. The complete lack of character development, overused plot devices, dramatic tone, very short list of suspects and the predictability of it all, led me down that dreadful road of discontent. On the larger scale, this story is all too forgettable.

Maybe I’m jaded, suspicious by nature or too cynical because it didn’t take much guesswork for me to figure out what was going on; I'm talking within the first few chapters. It's not even worth getting into the nitty-gritty of the plot here, in the off chance I might spoil it for someone else. What it all boils down to is preference and subjectively what makes a story great in your eyes; unfortunately for me, this wasn’t my cup of tea.

Another brilliant psychological thriller by B A Paris. It lives up to the promise of the first book. An absolute page turner.

I enjoyed this book; the first part of it anyway. It had me reading each and every line waiting to see what happened next. The problem is that toward the middle of the book, the story started to become predictable. It became much to easy to dismiss certain characters from being the cause of Cass's problems and easy to see what was really going on. By the end of the story, I was reading only to see if I was right...I was. The story has good characters, Whether they are portrayed as wonderful people or terrible ones, the author makes them come to life. For this reason, I can see myself reading another story from B. A. Paris.

Cass takes a short-cut home on a stormy night. She sees a car at the side of the road, notices a woman inside, but the woman seems to be fine, so Cass heads home. The next morning, Cass finds out that the woman was murdered. Later on, she finds out that she knew the woman and had even had lunch with her and was beginning a friendship with her. Cass has more problems than just that. Her best friend, Rachel and husband, Matthew do not get along. Cass's mom had suffered from early onset dementia. And Cass has been forgetting a lot of things lately. Then the phone calls begin. The calls to the house where Cass picks up the phone but no one is there. These calls that her husband never seems to hear when he's around. Is Cass crazy? Is the murderer after her because he thinks she has seen something from the night of the murder? Is this the beginning of early dementia? Or is something more sinister going on?
I loved this. I thought I knew what was happening. I was wrong. Fantastic book!!!!

I'll be honest. Initially I thought Meh while reading most of this book. But then the last part of the book came into play and BAM that is where the magic happened. I seem to be reading a lot of books like this lately. I found myself awake in the middle of the night and thinking about this book. While I initially thought Meh and wondered why all the high star ratings...it was the last part of the book that really changed things for me. Then I began to see the brilliance of the storytelling and plot twists. B.A. Paris wove her story brilliantly until the very end.

Also can I just say that the title "The Breakdown" is perfect for this book. Is she referring to a diminishing mental status of the main character Cass? The breakdown of her marriage? Or the breakdown of the murdered woman's car?

Cass decided to drive through the woods one dark rainy night. Even after her husband asked her not to drive that way home. The rain was coming down hard and she decided the best way home was to take the short cut even if it did go through the woods. She sees a car parked on the side of the road and pulls over in front of the car to see if the other driver needs assistance. Due to the heavy rain, she decides not to get out of her car. She sees a woman inside the car who does not appear to be in any distress. Ultimately she decides to leave and goes home. The next day she learns that a woman has been murdered on that very road in her car. She begins to have "trouble" coping after she realizes that she may have been one of the last people to see the woman alive. What makes things worse is that she eventually learns that she knows the woman and once had lunch with her. Guilt wears away at her and impacts her day to day life.

Then strange things begin to happen to her. She appears to be losing her memory. She is forgetting things and worries that she has early onset dementia just like her Mother. Plus, she is getting strange calls which she believes is coming from the Murderer. Packages are showing up at her home, her belongings are moved. Is she being stalked? Is she exhibiting symptoms of dementia? Her husband takes her to a doctor and she is prescribed medicine which seems to make things worse. She can't remember if she took her medication. She can't recall if she ordered the items being delivered to her home. Just what exactly is going on and is the Murderer toying with her or is she slowly losing her grip on reality.

From the beginning, I had my suspicions. I was right on the person but not on the reason why. Plus there was more going on behind closed doors (get it? Behind Closed Doors was the Author's other book.)? What really worked was the ending. I will admit, I thought that Cass seemed to pull of out her drug induced haze very fast but I guess revelations will do that to a person. Nothing perks one up like a shot of reality and truth.

This book went from Meh psychological thriller to a nicely done psychological thriller for me. If you enjoyed Behind Closed Doors, I believe you will enjoy this book as well. Don't give up on it in the beginning. Keep reading and decide for yourself.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Behind Closed Doors was one of my favorite books of last year and so I was very happy to get a chance to read The Breakdown early. I must say I loved The Breakdown even more than Behind Closed Doors. This book grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. I couldn't put it down, I couldn't wait to find out if Cass was indeed losing her memory or something much more sinister was happening. There were plenty of twists, turns, and mind games that kept me guessing, and the ending was very satisfying. B.A. Paris is quickly becoming one of my favorite suspense authors and I can't wait to see what other stories she'll come up with.

Drawn in from the very first page this was a book I found nearly impossible to put down. It centres on Cass Anderson a young teacher who ignores her husband’s instructions not to drive through the woods home on a stormy night. On her journey she sees a woman who has apparently broken down and the next day discovers to her horror that the woman has been murdered & was in fact a fairly new friend. The story develops with Cass not speaking out; full of shame & unable to even admit to her husband what happened.
Cass is plagued by silent phone calls & feels someone is watching her, which is compounded by the fact she keeps forgetting things. She loses the car, forgets the house alarm code, orders a pram when she knows she’s not pregnant etc. Is she having a breakdown, have early onset dementia like her mother, or is there something far more sinister going on?
There was one point where I thought the story was a little too drawn out but it soon picked up the pace again for the final reveal so to speak. Whilst I had guessed one twist, which was fairly obvious, the rest took me by surprise. Skilfully plotted and engagingly written I thoroughly enjoyed The Breakdown. Having not yet read Behind Closed Doors it has moved up my “to be read” pile!

Ever since I read Behind Closed Doors I am STILL recommending it to my fellow readers! I will never stop! That book sucked me in and still haunts me to this day. I will forever be a fan of Paris!

I was crossing my fingers that this book would be just HALF as good as BCD. Well IT IS!

You may be a little confused at first, things not adding up. Characters not making sense. DON'T GIVE UP! It's kind of backwards. You find out everything you need to know, just keep going. Everything is for a reason and nothing is as it seems!

Make sure you clear your schedule for this one because you will NOT put it down. Read it in one sitting and enjoy the crazy ride it takes you on. I LOVE that feeling that someone is watching you gives you as a reader, that paranoia. Is our MC crazy? Paris is excellent at creating characters and their traits. Even the one's we're not supposed to like.

Pick this one up if you get the chance. Excellent page turner, gives every other psychological thriller a run for it's money this year.

My rating 5/5 stars

3.5 stars

This was a mind blowing story.There were many aspects that I like in this story but there were also some parts that was predictable.The characters weren't very good I didn't like any of them .But generally the story was good

I loved the premise of this story. It started off perfectly! Cass Anderson is driving home late at night through the woods in a torrential rain storm. She sees a car that seems to have broken down. She slows to take a look but it's so late and secluded and she's scared to stop. She feels the driver is ok and continues to drive home.

The next day she learns the driver has been murdered. She is haunted with guilt and can't get that night out of her mind. Also lately, she seems to be forgetting things and her memory begins to get foggy.

I think the title is very clever. The car's problems from that fateful night and her mental stability seem to collide.

I read, B.A. Paris' first book, "Behind Closed Doors." I think that one was more "shocking" and caught me more off guard. This one was not as "twisty" and I could piece together much of the happenings but I think that's not what she was going for in this book. It's just an entertaining story that keeps you reading chapter after chapter. I like her writing style. It's simple and catchy. Can't wait to read more from this author!

There are lots of twist and turns in this story. I did figure out who was setting her up early in the book but did not figure out who did it. The last half of the book kept me reading this late. It did drag a little in the middle but will be looking for more by this author

Oh my word...I don't even know what to say about this book! I loved "Behind Closed Doors" and it was an incredible read, but I think I enjoyed this even more! While there were times I suspected certain people, it still threw me for a loop and kept me on the edge of my seat. As a busy mom, I very rarely sit down and read for a lot of time solidly, but I read this book in 2 sittings. There were a couple things that felt a little far fetched, but I honestly didn't care. I will automatically read anything this author publishes. Since finishing this book, I've tried to pick up other things and I can't find anything I am interested in. That's the sign of an incredible read!

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Breakdown by B.A. Paris.

Cass attends a celebration gathering at the end of the school year. She decides to leave early to beat the storm. She phones her husband, Matthew, to let him know she is on her way. He warns her not to take the shortcut through the woods. Of course she doesn't listen to him and takes the shortcut. She passed a car with a woman sitting inside of it on the side of the road. She is unsure if the woman is broken down. So, Cass pulls in front of the car. The storm was so horrendous that Cass doesn't get out of the car. The woman in the car never flashes her lights or gives any signal that she is in trouble, so Cass proceeded to go home. When she arrives home she forgets to call the police to tell them about the woman. The next day it is all over the news that a woman was killed along the shortcut road sometime during the storm. Now Cass is living with this feeling of guilt.

This is the first break down of the book. This book is about love, trust, betrayal, amd and friendship. This is trully a page turner!!

The book opens up with Cass leaving a work function. She's driving home in a Mini Cooper in the pouring rain, and decided to take a short cut through the woods near her house. She seems a car that's broken down and pulls over to see if they need any help. The car doesn't signal toward her, and she doesn't want to get out in the storm so she rushes home. She means to call the police and let them know that someone has broken down, but she gets distracted and forgets. She may well have forgotten about it at all, except she finds out the next day that the person in the car had been murdered.

I had a hard time in the beginning because she kept beating herself up for not pulling over. She wonders if she could have saved the woman had she stopped. Her husband told her not to take the woods shortcut when she was coming home, and she didn't listen. She never tells him that she took the shortcut, and continues to torture herself about the situation. I had to reframe my thinking. I see nothing wrong at all with her not stopping for the broken down car. I might have called the police when I could, but I still wouldn't stop as a woman on my own. That said, I live in a big city and there's very little, outside of police lights, that would make me stop for anyone. I also took issue with the fact that she NEVER told her husband about the real reason she's taking the murder so to heart. Once I reframed my thinking and decided that this is a story about someone who's reacting differently than I would and thats okay, I started to enjoy it more. I am working on enjoying unreliable narrators more. I found myself simultaneously annoyed and creeped out by what was going on with her.

Anyway, I did think the author did a good job at creating atmosphere. I was genuinely nervous when Cass was driving through the woods, and again when she's alone in her house. It must also be terrifying to think that your mind is going. When Cass was trying to remain calm, I could almost her herself talking in the back of her mind about 'you're going mad! you're going mad!' The breakdown was slow and very subtle, and I think that's why it was so effective. Honestly, reading this story made me want to do brain teasers to keep my thoughts sharp. There was one key plot point near the end that seemed a little too convenient, but the author does write a brief scene where Cass acknowledges the convenience of what happened, so i appreciate that.

Favorite Quote: "...and the only thing that stops me leaping to my feet and ordering him out of the house is my middle-class upbringing."

This isn't my typical type of choice for favorite quote, but boy did it make me think. There have been so many times in my life where I want to call someone out, or protest because someone ran into me or cut me off, or otherwise intimidated me, and I didn't say anything because I didn't want to come off as impolite. I'm continuing to work on being assertive, but it definitely doesn't come easy. How many women have been harmed because they chose to remain polite?!

Rating: 4/5. As far as thrillers go, this was a pretty good one. The beginning was slower, but if you stick with it the payoff is worth it. I loved how the ending was structured. The book runs with us being in the same frame of mind as Cass, but by the end we find out that she knows what's happening and we find out after. The ending does give us a nice and tidy bow, which I always prefer to the ambiguous!