I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

I thought this was a great mystery. It held my attention throughout and had me guessing along as there were a bunch of unreliable characters. Even the reliable ones had me suspicious at some point.

I didn’t love the conclusion of the missing girl though. The whole rest of the book was very realistic to me, but this one part seemed too far fetched and a bit quick.

I feel like the narration really added to the suspense. The narrator did a great job building mystery and intrigue with her cadence.

This book was disappointing and did not deliver on the thrill that was promised in the synopsis.

I felt that, while there were several characters introduced in the book, most of them were not really integral to the story. The writing was sloppy at times, and the resolution to the mystery was a bit of a let down as well as predictable.

It was interesting to have the story told from the main character’s present day perspective together with the flashbacks presented in Astrid’s memoir, but this was really the only part that I felt was kind of well-done.

Normally I find unreliable narrators likeable despite their struggles, but this time I felt Fern became less and less likeable as the story went on. And while we are provided with some backstory, the characters felt week and under-developed.

Thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐️ ½
Mystery: ⭐⭐ ½
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐️

It took me a long time to get into this thriller and to finish it. But I'm glad I did because it was an interesting little book. The author has a gift for writing well developed and diverse characters. A little predictable but a fun read over all

BEHIND THE RED DOOR by Megan Collins is a mystery/suspenseful story about a woman desperate to unlock her repressed memories in order to save another woman who’s gone missing. Astrid Sullivan was kidnapped as a young teen, but was released a month later. Now, two decades later, Astrid has gone missing again. When Fern sees something on the news then picks up Astrid's book, something in Fern's mind tweaks. Did she know her? Why do things in her book sound so familiar?

This is a somewhat disturbing story, but it was one I couldn't stop listening to. Fern Douglas is happily married to a well-known and respected pediatrician, and she enjoys her job as a school social worker. She has repressed memories that she has been trying to recover. As Fern begins to remember things, we learn about an extremely dysfunctional family, one that basically abused their young daughter, emotionally. What does Fern have to do with Astrid's disappearance? What does her father know? I have mixed feelings about this one. While being gripped at some points while reading this book, there were other times that I was getting frustrated. I was pretty sure I knew what had happened in the past and was correct. As Fern's memories resurface, I was crying for her (not literally), as what she had repressed was terrible. This was a well-written and suspenseful novel filled with characters that were both unlikable and unreliable. I liked Fern and her husband and was worried about their relationship at some points. I have to say, I was disappointed in parts of the ending, but others were satisfactory. I am not sure if I recommend this one or not. It may just have been me, because others loved this one. I think you just need to give it a go and see what you think.

This was an interesting read.... a slow burn, with short chapters, frustrating characters and twists that kept me invested but I'm at odds if I actually liked this or not (makes me go hmmm). It still has me thinking about it, so I'm going to say BRAVO to Megan Collins for giving me all these feels and making me question where I'm at.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please excuse my tardiness in posting my review as my TBR continuously grows and I keep finding so many book with so little time!

So much gratitude for this copy shared with me, always xo

this was my first Megan Collin's novel. It is a psychological thriller, which I'm started to read more and more. But it was also just okay. It's hard reviewing thrillers because you don't want to give anything away, but this book just had a lot going on that i couldn't quite appreciate.

I absolutely loved this book, i quickly devoured this page by page as i had to know what happened.
I thought it was very well-written, and I liked that it had a different take on the missing person aspect of the story

Astrid Sullivan is a household name due to her kidnapping 20 years ago. Astrid was taken by an unknown man while she was attending her confirmation. After missing for a period of time she was returning back home relatively unharmed. She could not identify who took her but did remember being with another girl who she named Lily. Astrids disappearance made national news and after her return she wrote a memoir about her experience.
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In the present day a woman named Fern is called back home to help her father. Fern had a difficult childhood because her father would run experiments on her for his work. When Astrid goes missing for a second time this brings back memories for Fern. Fern believes she knows Astrid but can’t remember why. Fern goes back to Astrids home to try to unlock her memory and help save Astrid.
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Wow what a ride this book was, there is a lot going on and so many unexpected twists and turns. I really enjoyed Ferns character as she very complex and had many struggles to overcome. Her life sort of goes full circle throughout the story. I was completely shocked by the ending and had trouble putting the book down especially towards the second half. I think anyone who enjoys suspenseful reads will really like this one

I wasn't a huge fan of this one - thrillers have become a bit of a hit or miss for me. I found the pace to be a bit slow, and I wasn't able to really connect with the characters to be invested in the story. This was an okay book for me!

My first impression after reading the synopsis for this book was, I am definitely going to love this one, it sounds so good. But it was just an ok read for me. I enjoyed it and it made me struggle as well. If that makes sense to you!
Plot is unique but highly predictable. Twists became apparent even before the mid way. This made me loose my interest even before the first half of the story. Also I felt like the pacing of the book was pretty slow and I couldn't enjoy it as much as I was expecting it to be.

Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster (Atria Books), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Fern Douglas has had a rather strange childhood.  Her mother, who she refers to as Mara, was never really interested in her daughter.  Her father, Ted, seemed to be interested only in the way Fern participated in his "fear" experiments.  Purely for research, he put his daughter into fearful positions to see how she reacted.   It is no surprise that Fern grew up to be an anxious, rather paranoid young woman who often "spirals" out of control.  Her anxieties are well-earned.  However, she also married Eric and became a social worker, helping other young people through their challenges.  So not all is bad.  She is even considering parenthood.

When she saw the news about a missing woman named Astrid Sullivan, Fern is convinced she knows her.  Eric assures her it is only because Astrid had been kidnapped 20 years ago and that had made big headlines, especially since she had been returned a month later.  Fern disagrees.  She also finally realizes that it is Astrid that is in her recurring nightmare.  She buys Astrid's recently published book, where she finds her own memories are buried.  Her father is more than willing to help her recover those memories, but she isn't sure she trusts him.  She is, however, determined to find Astrid, who unbelievably was taken a second time!


My Opinions:   

This book has so many twists and turns.  It was a truly captivating read, which kept me interested from start to finish.  The writing was excellent, and the suspense continued to build.  The suspects were many, and although I had an idea about midway through how this was all going to turn out, the journey to get there was fine!

The book looked at both physical and mental abuse, as well as mental illness, and social anxiety.  It also included lies, greed, control, and dysfunctional families....but there was also love.

I liked how the author incorporated some of the chapters of Astrid's book into the storyline.

Most of the characters were unlikable, and should have been smacked, or worse.   Fern, however, was amazing.  The author gave her almost debilitating anxieties with multiple triggers, but an inner strength that showed up when she needed it.  Eric was perfect!

It was a little dark, a little crazy, and a lot fun to read.  I highly recommend this book.

This was a really interesting psychological thriller/suspense novel that kept me engaged throughout. It was a quick read for me!

The main character Fern Douglas believes that she has some connection to Astrid Sullivan, a woman who was abducted as a teen and then returned home. Now, years later, Astrid has gone missing again and when Fern keeps having recurring nightmares she starts to think that she must have had more to do with the story. She goes digging for info and ends up getting a lot more than she bargained for!

In this story, almost every single character was unlikable, but it didn't really bother me. In fact, I think it added to the story. I had hunches throughout of which way the story would turn and I ended up being right, but the story did manage to keep me second guessing myself which I liked!

Special thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my review copy. This book came out on August 4th and should be added to your list if you enjoy this genre!

I had high expectations for this novel, but unfortunately it came up short. This book almost reads as a horror novel, solely because of the amount of anxiety I felt when reading this.

When starting Behind The Red Door, I thought it's the kind of book that will either be amazing or not stick the landing. It ended up somewhere in between, though entertainingly so.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Fern is a newlywed with a foggy past. She's the product of eccentric parents; her father a psychology researcher specializing in fear response. When hearing of the current-day abduction of Astrid Sullivan - famous for also having been abducted as a teenager and writing a memoir called Behind The Red Door - Fern begins having hazy memories of her own childhood incident.
This is a dizzying story, full of confusion and repressed memories and one the more bizarre fictional father characters I've read.
This is author Megan Collins' second book, following last year's The Winter Sister.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book, though I'm a bit torn as to what to take away from it overall. I did foresee few things that were taking place. But it's unique and well-thought out and I do recommend!
For release on Aug. 4, 2020.

3.5/ 5 stars

Behind the Red Door is a suspense thriller. It is my first book by this author.

The narrator is 32 year old Fern (1st person POV). She is a social worker at a Middle School. And she suffers from anxiety. Most of the story takes place in New Hampshire.

The book is about a kidnapping that happened 20 years ago. There are things happening in the present that relate to that event. At the end of some chapters are excerpts from a book written about the kidnapping.

Fern's husband is a doctor (Eric). Her parents are Ted and Mara. Her husband and her father could not be more different. Her husband was caring and thoughtful. Her dad was obsessed with his work and not a very good parent.

The beginning of this book was quite chilling. Fern was having nightmares. And since I went into this book blind I was not sure what to make of what was happening to her.

This book was for the most part really interesting. It was a quick enjoyable read. I love when a thriller has me on the edge of my seat. Most of this book was a solid 4 stars for me. However the end is everything to me. Especially for a thriller. The reveals need to be surprising and amazing. And to me this is where the book was just okay. I wanted a more powerful ending.

When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a woman famous for her kidnapping—and equally famous return—twenty years ago, is missing again, she is certain that she's met Astrid before...but where? While helping her father Ted pack up for his move to Florida, Fern reads the book Astrid wrote about her abduction and being held in a basement with a red door. Why does this story sound so familiar to Fern? And why can’t she remember?

This is one of those books where I was constantly screaming “call the police!” to Fern. Fern’s parents, Ted and Mara are the parents from your nightmares and you really feel for poor Fern as you learn more and more about her upbringing. Collins does a great job at showing how psychological manipulation can have long-lasting effects on people, even when they are not around the perpetrator.

While I have some lingering questions and frustrations with some characters, this book kept me completely captivated from start to finish. Recommend it for readers who like thrillers that explore psychology, manipulation, dual timelines and a bit of experimentation. Pick-up your copy August 4, 2020! I can’t wait to read with Megan Collins writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books/Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy of Behind the red door by Megan Collins. When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her; but Astrid’s famous because she had been previously kidnapped —and found twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened close to her hometown. When Astrid appears in Fern’s recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it’s not a dream at all, but a past memory. Fern decides to read Astrid's recently published memoir which seems to add more memories, and Fern becomes desperate to save Astrid.

This book sounded really interesting and started off well for me but I found Fern to be too whiny and nervous, and that was my disappointment. It isn't a bad read though.

Can you say Mind Fuck?
Go read this for some messed up shit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my DRC!

Collins is an American author and this is her second novel ; her first was The Winter Sister. This one is a domestic thriller. Fern is married to Eric and works as a social worker. She was raised by neglectful parents and when her dad calls and says he needs her to help pack up the house before a move to Florida, she hopes this is a chance to repair their relationship. When she hears that a woman from the area who was missing for a month as a young teen has gone missing once again, she pick up her recent memoir. As she reads it she becomes convinced that she has a connection to the missing woman and decides to investigate. This novel is somewhat predictable, but the entertainment (and thrill) is watching a damaged character discover the truth. It is a decent recommendation for fans of the genre