“The Breakdown” follows Cass Anderson after rushing home one night, she sees a woman stopped in a car in the storm. Fearing for her own safety, Cass heads home instead of getting out of her car to help and forgets about calling the police. That is, until the next morning, when splashed all over the news is the story of a woman who was brutally murdered- right in the place where Cass last saw her alive. This starts Cass down a dangerous path, stressed out and fearful of the murderer never found and losing her mind with fears of early-onset dementia (which her mother had).

Cass is continuously confronted by things that weren’t as she remembered and things she cannot remember doing. It begins with small things like forgetting that she was supposed to buy luggage for a friend’s birthday and forgetting to bring her purse to the shops. It escalates to bigger things such as not remembering ordering an alarm for the house (including filling out a contract) and seeing things which were not there. As her fears over her mind and competence grow, she begins to retreat and find solace in some kind of medication (not explicitly stated) which knocks her out all day.

We get the feeling very early that something sinister is going on, and the culprit is pretty obvious. The book was pretty predictable overall and got a little bogged down in details. The suspense was not so great, as it mostly seems to be memory-related and the consequences are rather small. The cause was really easy to guess, although the motive was unclear.

I really enjoyed “Behind Closed Doors” and was hoping for another, similar suspenseful book, but this one fell a little flat for me. Everything is wrapped up neatly at the end, which was satisfying, and I did find myself wanting to get all the way to the end, but it was a little slower and less suspenseful than what I was expecting. I have mixed feelings about the overall rating because I did keep reading until the end, but I didn’t feel surprised or caught up in it- I was left with a bit of an overall “meh” for a book which held such promise (maybe my expectations were too high). Long scenes focused on relatively minor things (fear of answering the phone for instance) and it felt a little too drawn out overall for my taste.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This title will be given a spotlight at the Dew on May 1st along with three other titles. It will also be broken out as a separate review posting on it's release date. http://dewonthekudzu.com

I just finished this book and I was really excited by it! I thought that the plot development was fantastic, and as I read the story the pacing was perfect for drawing the reader into the developing twists and turns of this story. I was totally blown away by the ending and was completely surprised by the twist that was revealed. I have book talked this novel to everyone I know and look forward to having it in my library soon.

The Breakdown by B.A Paris
Cass Anderson is on her way home one night during a storm and is warned by her husband not to take a certain shortcut as it was too dangerous. However she is more scared of the storm and wants to get home quicker so takes the shortcut anyway and sees a woman in a car which is parked in a layby. She tries to stop to offer to help but becomes scared incase it's a trap and goes home. The next day she is horrified to find that the woman has been murdered but feels she can't tell anyone as her husband had specifically told her not to go that way. The longer she doesn't tell the police the more scared she becomes and eventually she is eaten up with guilt because she feels that the woman would still be alive if she'd stopped to help.
As if this problem isn't bad enough she has also been incredibly forgetful and suspects that like her mother she is developing early onset dementia, this is incredibly upsetting for her and instead of confiding in her husband Matthew she tries in vain to cover up the ever worsening symptoms.
I really liked Cass as a character but felt she got herself into a lot of trouble by trying to hide things.
When she visited the doctor with her symptoms and was prescribed the medication I really felt for her as she felt that her situation was hopeless.
The book was gripping all the way through and the fear of the journey home at the beginning was almost tangible.
I would like to say I guessed who did it but really I guessed three people and it was one of those.
It was a cleverly woven psychological thriller which got the adrenaline running as I read it.
This is the second book I've enjoyed from this author.

This is a griping book that I found impossible to put down once I started it. Full of twists and turns, that had me guessing until near the end. I love the way the book resolves everything with such an innocent appearance, but we know the real motivation.

Will post a review on Amazon under name Connie

The Breakdown is a twisting psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes and guessing until the very last page. Even the tagline “If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?” draws you in straight away. The story follows Cass as she attempts to deal with the death of a woman she feels she may have been able to help. Driving home in a storm from a party late one night she passes a car on the side of the road and sees the shape of a woman inside the car. She stops, but doesn’t try to help and decides to go home. When she discovers that the woman was killed that night she is consumed with guilt and fear that she may be losing her mind as she begins to forget every little thing.

I couldn’t put this book down and read it all in one night of frantic page turning. I HAD to know what was going on and you will too if you pick up this book. The author does a wonderful job with dramatic scenes and with the pacing of the novel. I normally don’t like an unreliable narrator but in this case it really works for the story. Overall I really enjoyed this read and can’t wait to read more from B. A. Paris!

I give the book 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy to read and review.

Yep! I know, so many four and five star reviews and this one sort of disappointed me. I think I might of had to high expectations. I wanted so bad to love this book. I did enjoy it but found the ending to be very predictable.

Driving home in the rain, Cases decides to take a short cut through the woods against her husband wishes that she stick to the main roads. She sees the headlights of a car, stopped on the side of the road, and barely notices a woman sitting in it, she does not stop to help her. The next morning she is horrified to learn that the woman was murdered, and worse, she knew her. She feels so guilty that she didn't stop.

She starts struggling to remember things. Knowing her mother had been diagnosed with early onset dementia made all of her forgetfulness convince her that she too had the disease. Mysterious parcels arrive, silent phone calls, she is doubting her own sanity.

Is she actually losing her mind or is something or someone else to blame. If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?

This book did not grab me. I think the main reason is because of the dramatic love triangle, and I just read a book previously that had a love triangle in it. Also let's talk about the character development, there was not one character that I liked, they were all dislikeable characters to me.

Now let's talk about what I liked about the book. It kept me intrigued, I couldn't put it down. I kept turning the pages till the end, curious to find out what was going on. I found it to be a simple fast read. It kept me intrigued from the beginning to the end.

I want to thank NetGalley, B.A. Paris, and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed reading Behind closed doors , wait till you get your hands on The Breakdown!!!!!
This book was phenomenal!
Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed.
She is having a hard time dealing with the repercussions of her action and the guilt is nagging her .
She's also been forgetting small things which have now become very frequent .
Unable to deal with the stress and bear the guilt , she's also been getting silent calls.

I was hooked unto this book ever since I read that synopsis . And after reading Behing Closed Doors I could hardly wait to get my hands on The Breakdown.
The story begins on such an interesting plot and every chapter is engaging keeping you on the edge.
You empathize with Cass and try guessing but fail! The book was thrilling and had a great plot line.
B.A. Paris won't disappoint. It was a fast read and I read it in one-sitting.
I would hate to spoil anything as this is something you should experience yourself. At the end of the book you see it all falling into place and wondering how you missed out something and at the same time thinking Dang! , this was it all along. That's what B.A. Paris does . Unmask the hidden.

The Breakdown is an amazing psychological thriller and a must read for thriller fans!

I received a copy of The Breakdown through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to B.A. Paris for the opportunity

Absolutely loved this book from beginning to end and simply couldn't put it down. Such a good story line with twists and turns. Great ending that I didn't see coming. Loved the characters and felt like I got to know them well.

This book would appeal to anyone and everyone. Well written and well executed. Thank you!

This book sends you all over the place - it makes you wonder if you are having a breakdown along with the main character!

Absolutely loved this book..fantastic read that left me wanting more!! Definitely recommend!!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As I first start to read this, I was ready for Xanax. Cass drove me crazy. I seriously couldn't figure out what her deal was. Then the jaw dropping moment happened. Incredible! One brilliantly written psychological thriller. You will not want to stop reading. I read B.A. Paris's first book ad became an instant fan. This book outdid that one! Job well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read the last novel by B.A. Paris, so the moment I saw that a second book was posted, I was excited to dive in.

Without giving away too much, I feel terrible for the narrator. In fact, at moments I felt downright anxious with some of the situations she was getting tossed into.

This was a quick read, and I can't wait to read another from this author!

I read this because I had enjoyed a previous book by this author, it pulls you in straight away and the characters are so real, I felt that Cass was portrayed in such a way you liked her, pitied her and wanted her to be well all the way through the book. I knew there was a strong woman in there somewhere and willed her to come out. The solution to the puzzle unravels at such a pace that I couldn't put this book down until I had finished it. B A Paris has fast become one of my top tipped authors.

This book was fast paced but predictable and found myself figuring out parts of the plot before they even happened. The main character, Cass, was frustrating due to her lack of thought, action and gullibility. In addition, he novel wrapped too neatly. All that aside, I did enjoy reading this novel and was glued to every page just waiting to see what happened. I would recommend.

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris. Cass Anderson is burdened with guilt because she didn't stop on a back road to see what was going on with a woman who was parked there. It was pouring rain; she was late getting home; the woman seemed to be waiting for someone. The next day, she discovers the woman was murdered.

In addition to the guilt, Cass is having trouble with her memory, and after the murder, her memory problem increases. Small lapses become large ones, and Cass struggles with the possibility of early onset dementia. Her mother's decline into dementia is still fresh.

Strange phone calls. Misplaced items. Items she doesn't remember ordering arrive in the mail. The feeling of being watched. Is she paranoid for imagining that the person who killed Jane is after her, or is she paranoid because she is losing her connection to reality as a result of dementia? Cass is both guilt-ridden and frightened, two factors that continue to add to her stress and confusion. If she is not losing her grip--then she may be in danger of becoming a victim herself.

Although the suspicion that the problem may be more than guilt and stress comes relatively early, it is still interesting to see how a normal, healthy person can begin to doubt herself.

Despite a couple of places that dragged a bit in attempt to make clear all that Cass was going through, most of the novel moved at a satisfactory pace. It was intriguing to see the way guilt and stress can lower one's defenses and how minor manipulations can cause self-doubt.

Read in February. Review scheduled for May 19

I'm adding Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris to my list.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Psychological Suspense. June 20, 2017. Print length: 336 pages

loved loved loved LOVED it, so good! It was very gripping, well written and didn't create a expected conclusion for me. It was very much like Girl on The Train for me and I connected with the story well!

Unfortunately this does not live up to the previous title, Behind Closed Doors. I was disappointed.

3.5 Stars

Let me start this review off by saying that if I hadn't read Behind Closed Doors first and been completely blown away, I probably would have enjoyed The Breakdown much, much more.

That is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, but BCD was literally like getting on Rockin' Roller Coaster. Right out of the gate you are going 60 mph and it just. doesn't. stop. The Breakdown is a much slower pace, a slower build and then it all comes together very quickly.

I would like to reiterate, that I did enjoy this book and it most certainly had me thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. But, the "twist" was easy to guess (in my opinion) and with such a small cast of characters to choose from, it was pretty easy to piece it all together. However, that didn't stop me from devouring this book. But coming off of BCD, it was hard for this not to be a little bit of letdown.

Having said that, I still raced through it and thought it was a very enjoyable read. I did find myself getting a bit bored (and skim reading) with some of the passages of Cass and her memory loss. I felt that there was just so many and found myself thinking "let's get on with it!"

My advice to you would be, if you haven't read Behind Closed Doors yet, don't. Read this first. As I said, it was a good book but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was the first book that I had read by B.A. Paris.

If you liked B.A. Paris' last book "Behind Closed Doors" or if you’re looking for a suspenseful read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, guessing this book is definitely for you! I will be recommending it to all of my friends - actually I've already recommended it to a few.

It's been a while since I've been so instantly hooked on a book that I’ve read it in less than two days. Since the first couple of pages I wasn't able to put it down. It constantly kept me guessing and I couldn't stop reading until I knew exactly what was happening. I spent every possible waking moment reading this book until I got my answers. I came up with many plausible, twisty possibilities, but was still shocked when I finally reached the ending.

I can't wait to see what B.A. Paris comes out with next!