3.5 stars

Thanks to netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for a review.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't like it that much either. I think I was expecting more of a psychological thriller or mystery of some kind since I got it from the mystery section, but really it was just a story. I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen before it did and I didn't feel like there were really any surprises in the end. I did turn pages pretty quickly trying to get to the end expecting a big surprise but it didn't materialize. What happened was what I thought would happen. Beyond that, I thought the book was a little too wordy. I found myself skipping paragraphs and skimming pages and I didn't feel like I had really missed anything important. I also thought there were a lot of coincidences needed to make the story play out. Perhaps I have read too many battered women books lately and I am over the concept. This isn't a bad book, just not my thing.

5☆ Gripping Read.

Behind a Closed Door is a story of survival, Abuse, new beginnings, a gripping thriller that at times is hard to read but thoroughly addictive.

Behind a Closed Door is a story of two different women and their fight for survival against domestic abuse.

Heather's husband Mike is a detective. But he hides a darker side when he physically beats Heather.
Heather's father used to work with him but he now has Alzheimer's  and is living in a care home.
Mike is getting more violent and don't care where he beats her.
You see Heather's father see a dark side to Mike and tried to warn her off him.
But unfortunately the heart wants what the heart wants. Love can be blind and at times dangerous!

Then we have Jill, who is living a secret life as she is petrified her past will catch up with her.
Now in a loving relationship with Ben she is trying so hard to move on from her past and domestic violence. As her past starts to take a toll on her the nightmares start.
Ben pursuades Jill to go to see a councillor, but it's just too painful and she runs out

Can Jill ever move on and fully let Ben into her life.

The story is told in two points of view.
Heather's story in Kilkenny in 2016 and Jill in Dublin 2018.
Both stories equally as harrowing.

Adele creates a realistic portrayel of domestic violence and how it completely breaks the victim emotionally and physically. Yes it's brutally hard at times to read but you just have to keep reading to find out if both women get their Happy ending. 

Although I have mentioned the Domestic Violence I just want to say that some readers may find this subject sensitive as it contains fairly brutal scenes.

I do applaud Adele for raising such difficult subjects as it can help raise awareness.

Behind a Closed Door is a gripping Psychological thriller that really made an impact. It's not a fast paced Thriller as Adele builds up the tension perfectly.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this compelling book. Definetly recommend this book!

This book is set in Ireland, told in two timelines and multiple points of view. #TriggerWarning this book contains domestic violence in detail.

I enjoyed this book. It was a good thriller, but I did find parts of this story predictable. I found myself flipping back pages in order to follow along quite a few times in the first…half? of the book. With the two locations, two timelines and multiple points of view, it was a little difficult to follow what was going on in the present as well as whose perspective I was reading, at least until I got a little further into the book. Despite the difficulties in following along and the predictable parts of the story, I did end up enjoying the book and rooting for Heather by the end. Thank you to the publisher, the author and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

BEHIND A CLOSED DOOR (Kelly and Kennedy: #2) Written by Adele O'Neill
March 2018; 281 Pages (Aria)
Genre: mystery, police, domestic violence, suspense, Ireland

(I received an ARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY)

RATING: 4 STARS

Thank you for answering my wishes and continuing Tony and Louise's story. In the second book we see more of Louise and Tony outside of their jobs. In 2018, Louise has a new promotion in Dublin, and Tony has retired and will follow her to Dublin after the sale of his house. In 2016, Heather, daughter of Tony and Louise's former Chief, is married to a police officer, Mike. Mike has been abusing Heather since they married. Afraid for her life she makes a decision. Much like, O'Neill's first novel there are two points of time (2016 and 2018) coming together to reveal the truth behind the secrets. I would not call either novel a conventional mystery or suspense, but rather a literary suspense book. There is more characterization and emotions behind the "crimes", that you become less curious of who did it, but rather what has happened and how it all comes together. I really enjoy O'Neill's writing and plots.

This is centered around domestic abuse and the difficulties women go through that live with this and the strength they need to get out of the situation . Dark and deep secrets ! A well constructed plot that is deeply disturbing ! Great story ! Thanks to #Netgalley and #Aria for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review ! #BehindAClosedDoor

I'm always intrigued by domestic suspense and thriller books. Sometimes they are done RIGHT, like the book with a similar name, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, and sometimes they tend to fall flat. Unfortunately, this latter was the case with this novel.

We have two separate timelines - one as the woman is going through the violent relationship with her husband and her path to getting away. The other, the same woman in the aftermath, living under a different name and unsure as to whether her husband is actually dead or not.

I found this book to be extremely predictable and we never get to any type of climax. It's not bad... it's just straight lined and nothing new to those of us who read this genre a lot. Due to this, really this is more about the victim, Jill/Heather and her emotional roller coaster of guilt, remorse, paranoia and PTSD. The "thrill" of the book just isn't there. I also found that the author is extremely wordy and it could be repetitive at times.

This one just didn't work for me.

Decided to read for an hour and ended up being hooked on this book most of the weekend. This book delves into the darkness of domestic violence and the strength and fight that you have to do to escape it. Heathers life with Mike is carved from your very worst nightmare and the way it has been written has you almost feeling the blows that Heather suffers. Great book , dark and emotional and very well told !!

How many times can he say he is sorry?

In Dublin, Jill Ryan tries to keep her deep dark secret buried, but it soon becomes clear she can trust nobody; not even herself.

In Kilkenny, only Heather knows the damage her husband can cause trying to teach her a lesson. But she has had enough! She has to make a choice but is she strong enough?

Two detectives from Dublin and Kilkenny begin to investigate. They are drawn into a complexing web of deceit, domestic abuse and deep dark secrets.

This is a very dark and disturbing thriller that you cannot help but get involved in. Sometimes brutal, always thrilling, this book tells of two women who have suffered at the hands of men and will be forever scarred because of this.

I really liked this book. It kept me awake reading just one more page. I felt for the women and hoped they would get through it.

A well-written book which brings to life the problem of abuse which many women suffer but have no-one to turn to so suffer in silence.

Fab book - well done.

Shesat

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Let me start by thanking Aria for my copy to enjoy, and how I enjoyed it!

I found it haunting, atmospheric, daunting, thrilling and gripping. Its one of those reads that will grip you and spit you out.

I loved the sense of deepness in this, there are many facets to each of us and to Heather we can see them clearly. Our innermost thoughts that we wouldn't tell anyone for fear of being judged and thought of badly and the darkness within each of us.

Awful destructive things can happen 'behind closed doors' that we wouldn't dream of or only read about but for Heather she has to 'live it'. And we, the readers are allowed to live it with her.

The author has done such a hardworking task in making the fictional characters come alive, so much so you believe that its happening.

When she was being beaten by her husband I cringed as if each blow was felt by me, the impact being so great.

I admired Heather, her Father has Alzheimers and in a home being safely looked after but Heather visits him every day "I told you not to go out with your face like that" her husbands repeatedly says.
But she goes each time hoping to be back by the time he returns from work.

Her husband the Police Detective.

There is also someone else in the story that figures within this story, it all collides into one very brilliant climax.

'Behind A Closed Door', is an emotionally harrowing story of domestic abuse, family loyalty and friendship. Two female characters are the focus of the story, one in Kilkenny two years previously and one in present-day Dublin. Both are loyal women, who have suffered domestic abuse. Timeslip between the two time periods and locations is seamless and moves the story along at a readable pace.
Character-driven this story centres on a small number of individuals, and their respective lives, cleverly linked. However, it is numerous plot twists later that the full picture is apparent. Sinister intent underscores this story; the antagonist is hateful and your empathy for the victim without question. While the suspense is well-written the major plot twist is not hard to solve, but this doesn't detract from the story's menace and the believable dilemmas and conflicts the protagonists face.'Behind A Closed Door' highlights in a sensitive way the horror of domestic abuse using realistic characters and situations.
I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review

If you move in the same circles as me in terms of book blogs, Twitter and Amazon you’ll probably remember Brothers and Sisters , Adele O Neill’s first book which horrendously I still haven’t got to (I’m onto fixing that!). When I saw that her second book was up for request, saw it was with Aria and then found out there was a blog tour open, I jumped and most definitely wasn’t disappointed.

This is the story of Heather Martin, whose husband, Detective Mike Martin (I loved that he was a detective!) has terrorised her throughout their marriage. Mike is a baddy through and through, one of the bad apples on the force, who wants complete control over his wife and regularly uses brute force to get it. At the same time we see her relationship with her father Detective Inspector Edward Clarke, who is in a care home with Alzheimers. My heart (and my stomach) turned and twisted as I watched a one sided relationship, praying that her dad would respond in some way and see what his daughter was going through. I adored Heather’s dad so much.

The issue of domestic violence is at the heart of the book as we follow a dual timeline to see Heather in the past and then meet Jill Ryan in the present. Jill has been having nightmares and people are wondering if her boyfriend, Ben, is at fault. I loved meeting Jill and getting to know her whilst simultaneously watching Detectives Louise Kennedy and Tony Kelly try to solve Heather’s case (I’d definitely be up for meeting them again, I loved their relationship and Kelly’s wise approach to everything). The book really got me thinking as there’s a lot of times you think ‘this would all be cleared up if you just tell people the truth’ in it, and that was true, and it made you think of the character as being a little weak (and it did get tome a little that everyone constantly told her she was so strong), but then you hated yourself for thinking that as you considered what the character is dealing with.

The story was told in alternating third and first person, obviously as I said within two timelines, and I loved the dash to the end to see where they’d collide although personally I wouldn’t put this as an extremely fast paced read. The emotional side to this book took my breath away, and I loved the author’s voice and the way we got every characters take on things as they happened and so the book beyond flew for me.

The description above says this is perfect for fans of Louise Jensen, and while I see the comparison, I would say that this is more for fans of fiction that want to dip their toe into crime and thrillers as opposed to fans of thrillers, you know, the people who say they’d love to start reading a different genre. This book is perfect for them. Very much recommended. Thanks so much to Aria for this book in return for an honest review and for allowing me to be part of the blog tour.

Rating: 4.5/5

This felt a bit like the poor cousin of I Let You Go. And I'm not trying to be mean - because I actually quite enjoyed Adele O'Neill's writing style ... it's more that I found some of the plot lacking.

The premise is two stories, two years apart - one of Heather Martin, abused wife of a police detective. The other story is that of Jill Ryan, waitress who is suffering from PTSD. There is a connection between the two women ... what is it???

The book flips back and forth between Heather Martin and her plot line in 2016 and that of Jill Ryan's in 2018. We are introduced to two detectives - Tony Kelly and Louise Kennedy - and they become the link that connects the telling of both stories.

The things is - the Heather Martin story was solid on it's own. I understand (and as a reader you will likely guess) why we have Jill's story as well - HOWEVER by adding Jill's story, I found that the tension didn't build in Heather's story. Having just focused on Heather and that time-frame I think the author could have built up the tension and the suspense. Rather, we have a story that is more about domestic violence and PTDS and secrets. Which is fine, expect then it should be more of a novel and less of a mystery/thriller type read.

That said - I thought the writing was good. Solid in fact. I thought the character development was good - the book isn't simply told by Heather or Jill's perspectives, we get to know several other characters and their points of view. I especially enjoyed the characters of Tony Kelly and Louise Kennedy - and I feel that Adele O'Neill could write another "copper book" with the two of them and it would be a success - they are characters whom I would happily re-visit.

I didn't dislike this book. I only felt that for a book that should really be a thriller or at least suspenseful, that isn't the feeling I was left with. Would I read another Adele O'Neill book - yes.

This is my first read by this author and I enjoyed it.

It grabbed my attention that this story is set in Ireland. We have Heather who is trying to get out of her abusive marriage. We also read of Jill who is hiding secrets.

Even though I found parts a little predictable I did enjoy this story. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

This is the second of Adele O'Neill's books and after Brothers and Sisters - a five star read! I did wonder where she would go next and worried that it might be hard to top a super debut - I needn't have worried. I enjoyed Behind a Closed Door every bit as much, if not even more. It is a tense, human story that pulls you in, so there are times when you feel the characters pain and your heart breaks for the decisions facing them, but there is no doubt you will be cheering them on to the end. To my mind, this book catapults Ms O'Neill into the orbit of Tana French, there is a personal touch to it, so it gobbles you up from the first page - it is truly un-put-downable!

This book was difficult to read as it covers some pretty heavy topics but I very much enjoyed it. If you have a past with domestic violence, I do not recommend this book. Some scenes are very graphic and I can see that it could be a trigger for you. Behind a Closed Door is designated a thriller but I do not feel that is an appropriate place for this book. This is the story of Jill, who is hiding something and struggling to keep her life together. Also told in the perspective of Heather, an abused wife struggling to find a way out of her dangerous marriage. The author did a tremendous job conveying the emotions of these women to the reader and insight as to why they were making certain decisions. The plot is predictable yet the book is very well done, I was not bothered by the predictability of it. My heart ached for these women and I was rooting for them throughout the whole book. The author also touches on the subject of loving someone with Alzheimer's and watching the disease steal your loved one from you. While this book deals with difficult topics, it did not feel "heavy". I thought this was very well done and I enjoyed the read. Thank you @ariafiction for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review. Behind a Closed Door will be out March 1st, put this on your TBRs

Thank you Netgalley and Aria for a digital ARC of this novel. This novel deals with the topic of domestic violence and its aftermath, so it was a difficult read. However, it was written with respect. I love how the main character found peace and freedom,

We all have secrets, we all have a past, we all have told a lie. How far would you go to keep your secrets buried and your part behind you? That my friends - is the premise of this book. Behind Closed Doors is a well written thriller but I found it a little predictable in its plot. Still a good read - I rate this one: 4.5 stars.

Set in Ireland and told in 2 timelines, this was an interesting and important story of the strength and resilience of a victim of domestic assault. However, I felt it was a little wordy in places as sometimes the author could (frustratingly) draw a short conversation out over 3-4 pages and I also thought it was fairly predictable as I saw most of the 2nd half of the book coming. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I’ve read by Adele O’Neill and I loved it! It was an uncomfortable topic, but unfortunately domestic abuse is far too common.
I will definitely check out her other books and would recommend them to a friend.