When Finn and Ellen announced their engagement in the local paper, they weren't expecting any big celebrations in their honor. The truth is, Finn hadn't been expecting to fall in love with Ellen. He'd been expecting to spend the rest of his life with her sister, Layla. But then Layla disappeared. 

Finn and Layla had been driving back from a ski vacation in France, back to the English village where they lived, when Finn had to stop at a rest stop. When he returned to the car, Layla was gone. He looked all over for her, but she was nowhere to be found. The police had no luck either, but they did take a very close look at Finn, wondering if he had done something to cause her disappearance. They never found anything. Nothing to incriminate Finn, no body, no trace of Layla anywhere. 

Eventually Finn was able to move on. He decided to set up a bench at one of Layla's favorite places, inviting all their friends for the memorial. Layla's older sister showed up as well. Where Layla was colorful and lived out loud, Ellen is subdued and keeps things to herself. Where Layla was adventurous, leaving their childhood home to find a new life in London, Ellen stayed home to care for their aging father. Where Finn fell into a desperate, crazy love with Layla, he fell into a quiet, comforting love with Ellen. 

And now Finn and Ellen are planning on getting married. But someone out there isn't happy about that. A Russian nesting doll shows up on the wall outside their home. That seems innocuous enough, except that Ellen had a set of Russian nesting dolls when they were kids. She still had the set, all except the smallest doll. Layla had kept that with her when she went to London, and she had it in her pocket when she went missing. Finn starts getting alarming emails. And there are sightings of Layla, after all this time. 

Finn starts to gets nervous. Who could be behind all this? Finn's ex-girlfriend? Or is his former roommate secretly in love with Ellen? Could they be having an affair? Or is it possible that somehow Layla isn't dead after all? As the emails escalate, as the dolls keep showing up in surprising places, as Finn's imagination spins out of control, he can't help but wonder what it all means for him and for Ellen. 

B.A. Paris, author of The Breakdown and Behind Closed Doors, is back with another twisty tale of love and relationships. Bring Me Back is a twisted story, with layers of secrets and half-truths. Just as you start to think you've figured it out, you learn something new that takes you in a new direction. I liked The Breakdown more than I liked Behind Closed Doors, and I liked Bring Me Back more than I liked The Breakdown. What does that mean? It means that B.A. Paris just keeps getting better and better. So now I can't wait to read next year's thriller! 



Galleys for Bring Me Back were provided by St. Martin's Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

The book just wasn't for me. Really didn't click with the characters and I found the writing hard to get into.

Just not for me.

3 stars- This was a dozy. I am an ole thriller reader and it had many solid elements... and then it kind of lot me with all of the layers. I knew there was a personality type of disorder from the start... Again, reader from way back.

From the moment, Layla disappeared, Finn has never been the same. He’s yearned for her at every turn, often unwilling to accept that she’s dead. Deep inside, he wants to believe that she’s out there. That she still loves him somehow. With every moment that passes, however, his hopes are further dashed.

B. A. Paris never ceases to amaze me. From the moment I began reading her books, I knew she was an author to keep an eye on. She has this awesome way of telling a story that keeps your attention glued to every page. So much so, you find it hard to put the book down. That’s what kept happening to me whenever I’d pick the book up again after having to put it down to attend to everyday life.

In Bring Me Back, we meet the enigmatic Finn. He’s full of so many layers, it’s hard to know who he truly is. Throughout the story, though, we get to see those layers slowly exposed. Every new aspect of him revealed reminded me of a blooming onion. We see him for who he is now and the man he used to be.

The same can be said for Layla. This is a woman who’s kept so much of herself hidden. A woman the reader isn’t sure if she’s dead or if she’s alive. The journey toward that discovery, however, is awesome. That’s how beautiful the ride is.

The twists and turns throughout the book keep you guessing. Just when you think you’ve gotten to the root of things, B. A. turns the tables and sends the reader on another wild ride. I love the diverse, and so complex, characters she’s created. She’s definitely hit things out of the ballpark with this book. I so can’t wait to see what she brings to the table next for her readers.

More, please!

I don't know how this author does it, book after book, but Bring Me Back is another unbelievable, psychological thriller that made me dizzy with all the twists and turns in the story. I was guessing and then second-guessing myself, thinking I had it all figured out. And then when the end came, I was totally wrong on my guesses. I love when that happens. What an amazing story!

Ahh!! So much suspense even from the first "chapter." The author did an amazing job making this book a thriller and the writing style really contributes to that. The story flips between characters to really help you understand deeper. The ending of this book totally blew me away! About halfway through I started having suspicions and I couldn't believe I was right! It's really hard to sum up the story without giving away exciting details so I will refrain from doing so and just tell you that this is totally worth the read! It is an easy read (something you could finish on a plane or at the pool) and will have you hooked within the first 50 pages.

This is the first book that I have read by B A Paris. It did grab me from the start and I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen. I loved the book up until the end.

I liked so much about this book - the pull of a bombshell hook at the end of each chapter that propelled me forward, the psychological profiles of Finn and Layla, complex characters who slowly change and reveal darker and more intense thoughts and motivations, and the author's ability to plant so many niggling suspicions in my mind - bravo! One minor criticism is that there were too many references to Russian dolls. At a certain point I started to skim over them. The author could have made his point just as well with fewer references. That aside, a very good read of love, obsession and lies.

"She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now."

What a read! This story had promise. However, the characters were two-dimensional, while some were unnecessary.

If you enjoy Mary Kubica, you may enjoy this book..

BRING ME BACK
B.A. Paris
St. Martin’s Press
ISBN 978-1-250-15133-9
Hardcover
Thriller

Finn McQuaid, the primary narrator of BRING ME BACK by B.A. Paris, lets the reader know within the first few pages of this newly published work that he’s telling the truth, just not the whole truth. McQuaid starts the narrative with an account of what occurred twelve years in the past and which resulted in Layla, his girlfriend, going missing. It was a simple pause at a roadway rest stop, back in the day before there were security cameras everywhere. The two of them were separated but for a few moments and then the night swallowed her up. There was an investigation of course, and Finn was under suspicion for a bit, but there was no sign of foul play. Finn, a wildly successful investment banker, was despondent but eventually recovered and got back to work, making made briefcases full of money even as he always wondered what had happened to the love of his life while knowing just a bit more about her disappearance than he let on.

Does that sound interesting? It is, very much so, particularly when the reader learns in the story’s that Finn has moved on. Actually, he has moved on to Ellen, Layla’s sister. Finn first met Ellen several years after Layla’s disappearance. The two of them slowly but inexorably hit it off. They are living together and engaged in the present, and weathering with fairly good nature the spate of newspaper headlines concerning the man who has become involved with his long-missing girlfriend’s sister. As the publicity increases, however, someone begins making contact with Finn. It starts when he begins finding Russian nesting dolls in odd places. Those types of dolls were an integral part of the sisters’ childhood years. The first couple of dolls that appear are chalked up to happenstance, but as they manifest themselves with increasing frequency it adds up to much more than coincidence. Meanwhile, a former neighbor of Finn’s and Layla’s --- a crusty customer who is getting up in years --- swears that he briefly saw Layla outside of the home she shared with Finn. Ellen then thinks that she briefly saw Layla as well. Things really get complicated when Finn begins to receive a series of emails from a sender who is initially anonymous. The sender eventually makes their identity known and is clear that they want Finn to break off his relationship with Ellen. Things escalate from there, with Finn on the horns of the ultimate dilemma. Then, everything changes. Things can’t help but end badly, indeed, in ways that you do and don’t expect.

About that last...I was sure I had things sussed out by the middle of BRING ME BACK, and was delighted to be proven wrong when the author went right there and rubbed my incorrect conclusion in my face. I guessed correctly what was going on before book’s end, but not much before the big reveal. That said, the ending of BRING ME BACK requires just a tad more suspension of disbelief than I was willing to grant, for reasons which I can’t reveal without...well, revealing the reveal. Paris, who on the strength of her first two books already has a strong and loyal following, will not lose any (or many) of those with this effort though new readers may be just a tad disappointed. The journey to the end, however, is more than worth the (minimal) letdown at the conclusion of the ride.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2018, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bring Me Back is certainly a page turner and it definitely kept me engrossed, wanting to know what the next twist in the tale would be. I have to say, though, that I found the plot a little far-fetched and hard to accept on a number of levels - providing specifics would be giving too much of the story away. Nevertheless, I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller and who is prepared to suspend their doubts of authenticity in the interest of an enjoyable read. Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a suspenseful, page turner. It's a good book for a reader that likes mystery and suspense. What happened to Layla and why did she disappear? How is her sister involved? Did Layla's childhood have anything to do with her disappearance? TY Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I had a hard time at first getting into this book. But once it started it was good. It’s a story of lost and found love. Lost and found family. Anger, pain, fear, heartbreak and death. Some years of happiness in there too.

Finn was very much in love with Layla. He would have done almost anything for her. Until she betrayed him. Then he lost it and she was to afraid to stay and see if things would work out. She had already been through enough abuse to last a good long while and was not going to go through it with Finn. So she ran.

Layla was an abused girl. Abused by her father who for some reason hated her. Her sister Ellen was older and took care of her and their father after their mother died. Eventually Layla left and that is when she met Finn. Finn was quite a bit older than Layla but they fell hard for each other.
On a drive from a ski trip they got into a big fight and that is when Layla disappeared. For 12 long years Finn wondered if she was alive, dead, being held by someone who was abusing her. He was engaged to her sister, Ellen, at this point and very happy. Until the dolls started to appear. Then the emails.

As things start to fall apart Finn does not know what to believe. Is Layla alive. Is Ellen lying to him?

I had part of this book figured out early on but it was still a pretty good story. I gave it 4 stars because it did keep me wanting to turn the pages and read more. It was kind of predictable but still good. I was very disappointed in the ending in many ways but also understood why it had to end the way it did.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book.

I gobbled down the author’s previous 2 books. This one had a different feel, probably because the main character was male. I wasn’t as satisfied with the storyline (kinda lame) or the slow start. But I do think it’s worth a try if you find yourself needing a quick read on vacation. Was it great, no. Was it solid, no. So thumbs sideways from me. A big thank you from NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

2.5 really jumbled stars for me on this one.

Meet Finn and Layla. They are young, in love, and as all couples seem to do, they have fought. On a lonely stop one night, as Finn leaves the car to quell an angry outburst, he returns to find that Layla is gone and life spirals out of control for Finn. Where has Layla gone? She has vanished and now ten years later in a strange twist of fate, Finn is engaged to Layla's sister, Ellen. All should be quite idealistic as this couple had both loved Layla. They have so much in common don't they? However, things change as Finn gets a phone call and is informed that someone has seen Layla. Could she be alive? Now, what will he do as more occurrences of Layla sightings happen, and the mysterious Russian nesting dolls seem to be to appearing at random times. Is this a sign from Layla? Can she possibly still be alive and how does he resolve his feelings for the missing Layla? Finn finds himself totally befuddled and questions what he feels for Ellen for you see Finn had secrets too. Could one of them been that Finn had done away with Layla.

While there were many moments of good story telling that seems to always be the requisite for a thriller such as this, the story itself, its characters, and the scenes just seemed to lack clarity. The story meandered about never quite finding its stride. We seemed to be circling the wagons on this one as the scenes portrayed were repeated and repeated still. I never could figure out the significance of the Russian dolls and although this book was a fairly quick read, it was not one that made a lot of sense to me. The ending was so abrupt that I found myself turning a few pages to make sure I had finished the book.

Regretfully, for me this was not one of this author's stellar achievements. I have read her other books and found them to be more alluring with a fine sense of what makes a thriller very thrilling. So, unfortunately, I do not recommend this book especially if you have never read anything else by this author.

Thank you to B.A. Paris, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Finn has lied to the police. His girlfriend has come up missing at a rest stop. He was in the bathroom…or was he? He is now engaged to his missing girlfriend’s sister, Ellen. But, someone has begun messing with his mind. He is receiving strange emails and finding little Russian dolls everywhere.

The author leads you to believe many things about the disappearance of Layla. Finn is the last to see her. Did he or didn’t he? Did someone else? Finn is a strange character. He has a temper, a big, explosive temper. He is not a very likable person. And I am not a fan of his “now” fiancé either. Ellen is insecure and a bit of a whiner.

I enjoy the books by B.A. Paris. However, this one fell a little flat for me. I figured the plot out early in the story, probably because all her books are very similar. They are good reads, but all seem the same.

** spoiler alert ** Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris is a 2018 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Twelve years ago, Finn’s girlfriend, Layla, vanishes into thin air. Naturally, he was a suspect, but as time goes by, he is eventually cleared of any wrong doing, and even becomes good friends with the detective working the case. He’s now living with Layla’s sister, Ellen, and the couple are planning to marry. However, a former neighbor swears he’s seen Layla. Not long after this alleged sighting, Ellen thinks she’s seen Layla, as well. Not only that, Russian dolls, which have a strong connection to Layla, start turning up in the most unusual places… then Finn receives a series of emails suggesting Layla is still alive. Is it possible? Has Layla resurfaced after all these years? And why now?

After the success of ‘Behind Closed Doors” I was worried about Paris’s follow up novel, hoping it wouldn’t fall prey to the dreaded ‘second book syndrome’. I breathed a sigh of relief when her second novel passed the test, proving Paris had the chops needed to continue parting waves in the psychological thriller category. I relaxed, feeling confident, though not overly confident, just reasonable sure, that ‘Bring Me Back’ would pass muster, too. But, unfortunately this one fell a little short.

The story started off strong, but, I think too much was revealed, too soon, and I latched on to that right away, instantly figuring out the direction the story was about to take. The plot wasn’t as tight, not as polished, as in Paris’s previous novels. The attempts at casting doubts on various characters just didn’t sway me from my original supposition, which sucked all the suspense out of the equation. I stayed with it hoping an unexpected twist would knock me over, but everything continued, messily, at that, leading me right to the destination I had predicted. Even the ironic twist at the end fell flat.

However, I must admit, I am harder on Psychological Thrillers than on almost any other genre. This category requires the author to mess with the reader’s mind, to leave them totally in the dark, second guessing everything, word or deed, along the way. There aren’t many props an author can rely on to pull this off, and I’m sure it’s a real challenge, but I seem to really need that challenge. I get bored easily, otherwise.

But, as I’ve said before, there are too many books in this category competing for reader's attention, and many of them who did not have the benefit of a big publishing push could easily hold their own against this book. The psychological thriller category is too saturated, in my opinion, and Paris is going to have to really step it up a notch to stay relevant in this genre. This one is okay, but it failed to wow me.

3 stars

This was a fast paced story that I flew through! The chapters change perspective of the various characters, but I found it very easy to follow, and I was constantly trying to guess what could happen next!

If you are looking for an entertaining quick read, this is it!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐💫
Bring Me Back is a story told in three parts, some of which I enjoyed more than others.

Part one was great, effectively pulling me in and captivating my interest. Part Two was good, but the pacing was a bit slow and as I neared the end of the section I had a good idea which direction the story was going to turn. Part Three was back to a quick flow and this was where the twist came into play and all the pieces began to come together. The conclusion was what I had suspected it to be, but that wasn't my biggest letdown. Once it was all laid out, there were many revelations and happenings that just did not seem plausible- at all.

While I found the characters didn't have much depth, and there were a handful of circumstances that were just too far-fetched, I was entertained enough to finish the book and I'd say it was for the most part a decent read. It did have the creep factor- I certainly won't ever look at nesting dolls the same again!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story is so suspenseful, with lots of twists and turns. I found myself asking "What is going on?" several times in the story. Finn and Layla are young lovers on vacation, when Layla just disappears at a gas station stop. No one knows what happened to Layla. Now we move forward 10 years-Finn is engaged to Layla's sister Ellen As the day of the wedding approaches strange things begin to happen-strange phone calls and e-mails. Is Layla alive? You'll have to read this book if you want to find out. I really liked this book. It kept me guessing until the end..