I loved this book. I was intrigued to the end. Very clever, I liked the way it moved between the present and the past. To be able to write a book with its many twists is quite a challenge. To twist one by one and then unravel them all at the end is incredible. However, a mind that ticks this way could be dangerous. I was not able to guess what would happen at the end of the book so this kept the pages turning. Almost as quickly as with behind closed doors..

I believe this is not one of the best work of the author but still a good thriller, made me think I, too, is going mad..

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Breakdown.

Cass has been a part of a tragic disappearance. After passing a stranded woman on the road without stopping to help, she later learns that the woman has been murdered. Shaken by the info, so does her best to return to life as usual, but the trauma seems to have affected her mind because she keeps forgetting things. Where has she parked her car, when did she invite these friends over for dinner? Knowing the risk she runs for early onset dementia, Cass slowly retreats from her life to avoid any more embarrassment. But are things really as simple as they seem?

Great thriller! Lots of exciting elements and I loved being a part of the unfolding. For a hard-to-put-down beach read, look no further!

Wow what wild ride this book was! This is the ultimate page turner and well written to boot. Great novel.

I was not disappointed by Paris' latest suspense novel. Parts of the twist were predictable, but there were elements that I was still surprised by. I would recommend this to anyone who was a fan of Behind Closed Doors or British thrillers.

BA Paris has easily become one of my favorite author and as with Behind Closed Doors I absolutely loved The Breakdown. I could not put it down. From page one I was hooked and wanted to know what the character's story and in what kind of journey I was getting myself into. Once more, BA Paris gives us well-developed and interesting characters, twists and unexpected situations and a story full of suspense and even though not expected but an ending which fit the story perfectly. The Breakdown, a fantastic Thriller which I totally recommend.

I was excited for The Breakdown. B.A. Paris’s previous novel, Behind Closed Doors, was a fast paced, quick thriller. and I was ready for another one. I was ready to lose myself in spine-tingling suspense.

And I was immediately engrossed in The Breakdown. I was immersed in Cass’s drama, and moving quickly through the expediency of her descent into seeming madness or Alzheimer’s.

And then it snagged. The middle almost lost me. I almost put it down.

It wasn’t in confusion, either. I expect that in a thriller, especially one where the protagonist is potentially losing her grip on reality. But it was Cass — I really just wanted to shake her, to tell her to go to her own doctor and start telling the truth, to fact check a few things. I didn’t give up, because I was interested, but she was seriously Driving Me Nuts!!!

But I hung on and continued. And it did pay off. I still wanted to shake Cass, but I understood the meandering and lag. It was part of the storytelling.

The ending is good, although pretty predictable. Paris did throw in some interesting twists at the end, but the who was pretty obvious — at least to me.

All in all, The Breakdown was decent. A bit of thriller that will get you through a long plane ride or car trip. I didn’t love it, it wasn’t everything I hoped it would be, but it was okay. And sometimes okay is all you need.

I flew through this one! A great thriller that was just what I needed to read this summer!

This book initially read like really good fan-fiction of Girl on a Train - as in a book that has more oomph and creativity behind it, but felt like it was part of the same universe to me. As I continued, I realized how incredibly wrong I was with some additional twists that I really did not see coming. Paris laid out some cookie crumbs for you to follow that were subtle, making the average person (including myself) think - yay! I know what's going on- I have it figured out! Naturally I was completely wrong, and I loved every minute of it. This is not as good in my opinion as the breathtaking debut by this author, Behind Closed Doors, but still it's worth the read and I think you'll love it.

I like the way which the book tackles a mental health issue. One of my problems is for much of the book I didn't care for, nor particularly like the protagonist. As the novel is written from the first person's perspective this felt like a big issue. I felt that supporting characters lacked a certain depth.

Another problem I encountered is, as part of the resolution process, the bullet points felt too short and I needed a more prosaic response.

I enjoyed Paris' previous work but feel that 'the Breakdown' may appeal to women more than men. It's three stars because it didn't particularly suit me. I feel that the dialogue is unnatural and so, unfortunately, can't award a more positive review.

To this, and a book that is probably on every single review website that I follow. I had heard so much about this book, mixed reviews, with a lot of people saying it was a standout book for them and so I pounced. I have to say I did really enjoy this. This is very much a book for those who don’t like too much toughness or gore but enjoy their suspense. The beginning of the book IS probably a standout for me, despite all the thrillers I’ve read since I can still remember the weather, the torrential rain pouring as Cass tries to get home to her husband, Matthew. You know when the rain gets so bad that you’re staring in horror at the windscreen, thinking that anything could happen because you can’t see a thing? Well this is what happened to Cass, in the dark of night, and so she makes a choice that will change everything for her.

‘I veer off to the left, taking the shortcut that Matthew didn’t want me to take. A horn blares angrily behind me and as the sound chases me down the pitch- black lane into the woods, it feels like an omen. Even with my headlights full on, I can barely see where I’m going and I instantly regret the brightly lit road I left behind. Although this road is beautiful by day-it cuts through bluebell woods- its hidden dips and bends make it treacherous on a night like this.’

Hook, line and sinker. I was totally in. What happens then is horrible but so realistic (in a way, if you know what I mean, I don’t come across this sort of stuff myself, but it could happen!) Cass sees a girl sitting in a car at the side of the road. She wonders should she get out, is the car broken down or is the girl just waiting out the rain like herself? and has that pull of conscience we all experience at times, she wants to get home to the safety of her own house, but doesn’t think it’s right that she should leave. Of course she justifies driving off (with justifications I’d have used myself) and everything trickles into motion for a book thats ridden with guilt and uncertainty. As you can see from the blurb above, Cass is what you call an unreliable narrator, we don’t know if we can believe her version of events and to cement this we get a story that deserves a special mention, that of her mother, which had me shed a tear at the story of Cass’ mother and which gave it an added edge over other thrillers.

I really really enjoyed this book, with its many characters, that did keep you guessing. I had an idea what had happened earlier on, but didn’t guess the finer details. I did think it could have been slightly shorter, there was a bit of repetition for me in the middle, and conversely the ending felt like it was thrust at you too quickly and to be honest was just an ickle bit far fetched. Saying that, as a read in its totality I didn’t want to put it down, I was glued in a way I’ve only been for a handful of reads. All in all very much recommended (and I will be recommending it!) and I look forward to reading Behind Closed Doors. Thanks to the lovely people at St Martins press and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: Even with my issues, I think it’s got to be a 5/5 !

If you are looking for a suspenseful book that will keep you reading, this is it. Could see this as a good movie. The book was fast paced and I loved the ending. I'll admit that I did have an idea of whodunnit and I was *mostly* right. Now I want to read B.A. Paris first book"Behind Closed Doors.

This started out really well. Cass is driving home from a a work night out and decides to take a short cut down a dark path near her home- her husband doesn't like her driving this way but it's raining and visibility isn't great so she chances it. She passes a woman sat, waiting in her car and the side of the road, and although she pauses, Cass decides not to stop, in case its a trap of some sort, plus the woman looked fine. She somehow, forgets about this seconds later when she gets home and goes to bed. Waking up the next day, she's horrified to hear on the radio that the woman was murdered in her car shortly after Cass drove past her. She's worried that she is partially guilty so she tells no one and hopes to forget about it (again. Way to go, Cass) until that is, she starts to get prank phone calls every day and at the same time becomes more forgetful, showing signs of the alzeihmers that killed her mother. Does someone know what she saw and can she outwit them before she succumbs completely to the loss of her mind?
This was not a great read for me. I feel like it had great potential but the repetition and predictable ending let it down.

4 stars!

This is the second book I read by BA Paris and I am happy to say that The Breakdown was another winner for me! This is the only book that helped me during my terrible book slump, when nothing held my attention..this one, instead, was always on my mind and I couldn't wait to get back to it.

This story made me hold my breath..there were some scenes that had me on the edge of my seat and the mystery behind the story was so thrilling. Some things were predictable, but I honestly didn't mind because I couldn't wait to get to the end and see if my theories were right.

I will definitely read more by this author! Recommended read.

We've all been there. In a hurry to get home. Wanting to shave off a minute or two. Decide to take the back road. Unfortunately for Cass, it was a life changing decision, that sent her life into a downward spiral.

I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it in a day, which used to be the norm, but now is a rarity with a four year old running around. And as soon as I finished the book, I gushed about it to anyone who would listen, or anyone who was in earshot. And I immediately found other books by the author to start reading.

The story is very fast paced. Several times I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't get through the pages fast enough.

One of the things I love about fiction is that you can make them so close to reality, with toeing the line of "never gonna happen", but you still believe every word that is said. This is one of those stories, that if it happened in real life, you would say, "You can't make this stuff up!"

A nice easy read, nothing groundbreaking or particularly shocking and in fact the ending was a little predictable and I wanted more - perhaps more characters, more twists and turns - but nevertheless I read it to the end as if was obviously that some loose ends needed pulling together which I was keen to find out about. I enjoyed the read, I haven't read Behind Closed Doors but I think I will following this book. It's not an edge of your seat thriller, but it certainly has enough to keep a reader engaged to the very end.

The weather was so horrible with such downpours that Cassandra (Cass) Anderson couldn't see where she was driving so she took the back way to her house, even though her husband (Matthew) had told her not to. There was a car that was parked on the side of the road, but the rain was pouring so badly that Cass kept on going and didn't stop for the car of a stranded woman. Little did she know but she found out the next morning that the woman she didn't help was murdered. Along with the guilt of not stopping for the woman, Cass descends into a whirlwind of depression, and constant forgetfulness. Her husband tries to help her but the constant periods of forgetfulness wears on him. He eventually takes her to his doctor; and she is prescribed medication. Even her best friend, Rachel Baretto, is worried because she can see how the murder is slowly destroying Cass. Cass starts receiving phone calls, but no one speaks; and Cass thinks that the murderer is still out there and has targeted her. With her home being so isolated, she becomes very frightened. The calls, along with the pills that she has been prescribed, are isolating her and causing her to become more and more paranoid. She can't remember ordering an alarm system, but her signature is on the work order. Packages start being delivered to her home that she supposedly ordered; however, she can't seem to remember paying for them. When Matt objects, she informs him that it's her money anyway. Her mother left her an inheritance and she's very well off! Her world is deteriorating around her, and Matt and Rachel are questioning her mental capacity. Cass hopes she isn't suffering with early dementia, just like her mother did. Cass eventually has to stop teaching at the school. She stops communicating with all of her friends and co-workers. Everyone is worried. Is she having a mental "breakdown?" Will the murderer be captured? Will Cass become so paranoid that they finally institutionalize her? This book was so well written that I had the hardest time putting it down! The plot was brilliant!! The intrigue and mystery kept me turning the pages sometimes until the wee hours of the morning. I certainly didn't see the ending coming - what a big surprise!! The characters were written so well that the reader could relate to their every action and emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading many more written by this author!!

The Breakdown Audio Book

The Breakdown is quite the book! I’ll be honest in that the first 2/3 of the book I was wondering when we were going to get down to the action. That last 1/3 of the book makes up for a bit of a slower pace in the beginning of the book. BA Paris really lays a nice foundation for the story and the readers, or listeners in my case, are left wondering if Cass is really losing it!

If you’ve read BA Paris’s first book, Behind Closed Doors, and you liked it, this set up is extremely similar. She seems to spend most of the book setting up that gripping ending. The question is can you make it through nearly 2/3 of a book that is ok, and has somewhat of a slow pace, when you’re reading a thriller… that’s question you should ask yourself. For me, I’m really happy I stuck with this book. Let me tell you what I enjoyed…

Since I was listening to an audio book, one of the most significant things for me is the narrator. The narrator, Georgia Maguire did an outstanding job. I adored her British accent. Besides just have a pleasing voice she delivered the different characters very well. Maguire added the perfect amount of tension and fear to her voice needed. She was able to convey Cass’s confusion throughout the book perfectly. One of the best narrations I’ve listened to!

One of my main problems with the story though was Cass herself. I wanted her to be stronger instead of this sniveling and quivering mess that she was. I think it’s why I really enjoyed the last third of the book… it was filled with tension and Cass seemed to remember who she was. However, this story was so extremely relatable and it wasn’t really far-fetched. Cass’s fears and life concerns were softly unraveled like the thread in clothing.

Just like in Behind Closed Doors, there was a twist, just like that! I was left reeling and I wasn’t able to consume this book quickly enough. I was entranced and it was utterly addictive! I loved the ending! There were parts of the conclusion that really left me flabbergasted… I didn’t see it coming! Although, it wasn’t exactly surprising, you could feel the buildup, but it was the acts themselves that was surprising.

Even when the book was a bit slower, than I would have preferred with a thriller, I found I tore through it within a few days. I found myself listening quicker and quicker so I could get to the ending. That buildup was seriously intense and once BA Paris hit her pace, she didn’t let up until it was over. Once the last word was read to me, I found I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened afterwards to all the people. I was hoping for good things for Cass and possibly John. What happens to Matthew, or Alex? I see that as a good sign… I enjoyed the book!

Audiobook was provided for review by AudioBookReviewer.com.