This was the first book that I have read by B.A. Paris and it had an interesting storyline. I really do enjoy murder mysteries because I always like to try and guess who the killer is. Which is exactly what I did in this book and oh boy did I ever suspect every single character at one point.

I have to say that Alice was exhausting at times. I didn’t really connect with her at all. I thought it was a bit hypocritical of Alice to be angry at Leo for the lies he told especially when she has been lying to him as well.

So I didn’t realise who the killer was until near the end of the book because I was too busy blaming everyone else.

Leo and Alice have been dating for a short time but they both feel ready to move in together. Alice is happy when Leo finds a home that allows her to keep her cottage and rent it out. When Alice holds a get together to meet her new neighbors, one of the guests turns out to be a stranger and no one except Alice saw him. A few days later he shows up at her door and tells her that Leo had not been honest about their new home. Alice becomes obsessed in finding answers but she doesn’t know who to trust.
The story alternates POV between Alice and therapy sessions with Nina.

This author is fantastic at times but this one missed the mark for me. I did not connect with Alice or find her actions or her obsession with her dead sisters name believable. Alice was quick to
pass judgement on others but then was hurt by their rejection of her friendship which showed a lack of self awareness. I found it interesting how she was so quick to cast certain neighbors in a bad light but was easily manipulated. I think the “ villain” is predictable as well. Most readers will find this a solid entry into summer reads.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the free scope in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alice and Leo have been together for awhile now. Their homes are far enough apart that they don’t see one another as often as they would like. Therefore, Alice agrees to rent her cosy cottage that has been in her family for many years. Leo has purchased a lovely home in a gated community known as The Circle located in London for them to live in.

Alice sends out invitations to the neighbors to come to a drinks party to get to know them. Most people are quite nice but she feels as though some are looking at her in a strange way. Soon, she learns that a woman, Nina Maxwell, a therapist, was murdered in the house by her husband. Leo knew about it when he purchased the house but didn’t bother to tell Alice. She is now freaked out and does not feel comfortable staying there. She works from home as a translator and Leo works in Birmingham several days a week. Alice tries to make herself stay in the house, but when some strange things happen, she realizes that something isn’t right.

Something isn’t right for sure. This book story was such a disappointment. So much back and forth with neighbors repeating conversations that had me yawning. If you feel someone is looking at you in the middle of the night and you continue to stay there alone, you are nuts! I felt as if the author was digging really hard to make a plausible story here but it was so boring. I have really enjoyed others of her books and was so excited to read this one. Nope. Just nope.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Alice is misled by her boyfriend when he buys a house in an exclusive area (aka The Circle, named for the circular shape of the gated community) without disclosing to her the murder that took place there. Alice only finds out she’d been deceived when a private investigator comes to the house and informs of the horrible tragedy had occurred upstairs. Alice feels the need to uncover the truth, but with whispered warnings to trust no one, Alice knows it has to be someone in The Circle.

So this is my first book by British writer B. A. Paris and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. The story was creepily wonderful and the ending was PERFECT. The Therapist will definitely be one of my favourite Thriller of the year.

A big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

“Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” - Henry David Thoreau

The Therapist is a psychological thriller set in a small tight-knit community called The Circle in Finsbury, London. Alice and her boyfriend Leo purchase their first home together and Leo is able to get it at a real steal. When Alice sees the house she questions how they are able to afford such a beautiful home. Shortly after they move in, Alice finds out that a murder took place in their home. The woman killed in her home is named Nina Maxwell, the same first name as her sister’s that was also murdered. Alice becomes obsessed to find out everything about Nina’s death and then becomes convinced that Nina’s husband was not the one that killed her.

Overall, this is a fast and interesting murder mystery but I became irritated with Alice. The first half of the book was a real page turner but then Alice’s choices became harder and harder to read. This also happened when reading Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. The twist at the end wrapped up the book really well.

I think this book will appeal to B.A. Paris fans and those looking for an easy read.

Books rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
Cover rating : 🌟🌟

🎉 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🎉

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an opportunity to read The Therapist

Alice is excited to be moving to London, into a new house her boyfriend has just bought for them …until she discovers a woman was murdered in that same house by her husband 14 months ago… but was he really guilty ?

✔️ although this is a slow burner, it kept me interested
✔️ most of the time, I was as confused as Alice, suspecting everyone 😂
✖️there are a lot of characters and especially at the beginning I was getting confused with all the neighbours

Overall, I enjoyed this one !

This was a so-so read. While exciting as it was, I wasn’t a big fan of the protagonist herself, Alice. She was obsessive and judgmental IMO. Also, not the brightest. As wary and as anxious as she was, she too easily became trusting of the one person she should have had the least trust in. I felt that there were definitely red flags that she missed, but I did enjoy the whirlwind of twists at the end. There were a few I saw coming, and a few that I pleasantly didn’t see coming. It’s a fun read if you can get past the naivity of Alice.

What a FUN story!!! This took me a minute to get into, but when I did, wow. It takes a lot for a thriller to surprise me, and though I guessed the "who," I certainly NEVER would have guessed the details. Loved the main character, loved the tension, there was a perfect amount of red herrings, and a perfect conclusion. Excellent all around!

Another brilliant read from B.A. Paris. Special thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the review copies. The cover on this is beautiful.

As a past psychology major, anything dealing with the subject of therapy and counseling draws me in, even better when it’s a thriller like this one.

Alice and Leo move into this newly renovated house in The Circle and everything appears to be perfect. Sadly, nothing is ever perfect and things start to unravel for Alice. Wanting to fit in with the women of The Circle she begins talking and hanging out with them and eventually finds out through a PI, that the previous owner was murdered. Curiousity piqued she begins “investigating” and her thoughts turn her towards everyone as a suspect.

This story was so wild, scary and perfectly written. The whodunnit was someone I didn’t even think of and the ending was greatly interwoven. I enjoyed it and it comes out tomorrow. Highly recommend!

Yet another great thriller from BA Paris. Having read the author’s previous works, I KNEW some sort of twist had to be coming but it wasn’t until the very end that I even had a guess as to what that was. Creative twist. Good ending.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for an ARC of this book!**

"Do you know what Henry David Thoreau believed? 'Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'"

She smiles, relaxes. It always works.

Sounds like calm and sage advice from the perfect therapist...right?

Alice and her husband Leo have moved to the Circle, a fancy, closely-knit community where the homes are all prim and proper, and the neighbors are kind...but just a little bit mysterious. Alice has reservations about leaving her beloved cottage to be near the hubbub of London, but Leo is insistent they move into this particular locale. While hosting a get-to-know you round of drinks at their new home, Alice finds out from a mysterious party-crashing stranger that the previous occupant of their new home was a therapist named Nina...and she was brutally murdered.

Alice understandably balks at the news, and takes a particular interest in Nina's story, as she lost her sister Nina years ago and has been obsessed with all things Nina ever since. When she is told this was not only a murder, but a murder-suicide involving Nina's husband Oliver, something starts in Alice: a nagging suspicion she just can't let go. And then the noises and odd gifts start showing up around the house at night. Who can Alice trust? Do her posh new neighbors have much to hide, and did Alice arrive at just the right time to bring the killer to justice? Or have her paranoid detective tendencies put her directly in the line of fire...with no hope of escape?

After a shockingly bad experience with Paris' The Dilemma, I was a bit wary going into the Therapist, but was enticed by the premise and the first 40% of the book or so FLEW by for me! Not sure if I was coming off of a slower read or if this one is simply that page-turning, but I was enthralled and excited to see what Alice would find out about her neighbors and their supposed dirty deeds. The characters felt fully developed (even if our protagonist was a bit on the flighty and helpless female side of things) and I still found myself rooting for her to get answers and justice for Nina.

However, this became a bit heavy-handed after a while, as nearly EVERY character questioned Alice's dedication to discovering the truth, asking why the police wouldn't have started an inquiry if there was more to be found. This happened so many times I'm surprised Alice didn't get fed up with it herself! Perhaps Paris was trying to remind the reader that this tale requires a suspension of disbelief on many levels...and it DOES, but in this case? Absolutely worth it!

While I did predict some of the twists, others did catch me off guard and I found myself questioning many of the characters just as much as Alice! Proof positive that speculation can abound here and this has all of the earmarks of a classic whodunit, as well as the eerie atmosphere of a domestic suspense in line with authors like Shari Lapena. This isn't the world's most twisted plot, and it did take a while to reach the end after a frenetic start, but I felt satisfied by the time I finished reading (although perhaps I was just happy to not have to listen to Alice speculate anymore!)

In terms of Paris, this one is less enthralling than Behind Closed Doors, but still makes for an absolutely perfect summer read for a lazy afternoon and certainly stands out for me as a decent summer thriller in a very crowded arena. I am already looking forward to Paris' next book...and the subsequent summer beverage to follow! 3.5 stars, rounded up

The Therapist by BA Paris is a psychological thriller and one woman’s determination to find the truth. Alice Dawson moved in with her boyfriend, Leo, into a newly renovated house in The Circle, an exclusive gated community in London, it was everything they’ve dreamed of. But the perfect house holds a terrible secret. As Alice gets to know her neighbors, she discovers the devastating secret and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before. Alice soon becomes obsessed with trying to discover what happened in the house and to Nina, but no one will talk about it. She also discovers that someone is playing a sick game with her, can she discover who it is before it’s too late? Will she ever truly find out what happened to Nina?
The Therapist is my first book by BA Paris and I wasn’t sure what to expect as I read. At first, I didn’t care for Alice. I thought she was a bit whinny, always going on about her late sister who just happens to share the same name as the house’s former resident. But as I read and the clues about what happened became clearer, I found myself scared for her. I read late into the night, desperate to find out what happened to Nina and if Alice would escape the nightmare her dream house had become. Overall, I enjoyed the story. It has all the elements of a psychological thriller: misdirected clues, the secretive neighbors and a boyfriend who may not be who he says he is. I recommend The Therapist. Once you read, you will want to discover the truth.

The Therapist will be available tomorrow, July 13, 2021, in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.

B.A. Paris's new novel The Therapist is impossible to put down. When Leo and Alice move into a gated London community their home seems to good to be true. Leo senses a night time intruder and Alice's senses are on high alert. Alice is approached by a private detective who informs her that her home's previous owner was murdered, presumably by her husband. The next secret that Alice uncovers is that Leo withheld the house's gruesome history from her. As Alice tries to adjust to her surroundings and befriend her new neighbors, she doesn't know who to trust. The Therapist is another amazing thriller from B.A. Paris that is both creepy and entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This psychological suspense thriller involves a small, gated neighborhood in London. Alice and Leo move into a home on the Circle where the murder of a therapist occurred, and Alice (who didn't know about the murder before moving in) becomes obsessed with figuring out what actually happened.
Engaging, suspenseful book. I enjoyed hearing Alice's thought process, trying to determine who she could trust. Even though there were some plot pieces I thought were too obvious, overall this one kept me guessing on the final reveals. A great summer read!!

If you like reading neighborhood thriller, don’t miss this new one by BA Paris. It was a creepy read that kept me guessing until near the end.

When Leo and Alice move into a new gated neighborhood, they have high hopes at making a good life in their new home. On a circular street, with 12 homes facing a neighborhood park, it seems like a dream location.

It isn’t long before Alice realizes there is something off about the house. Having moved from a cottage in the country, she attributes her feelings to the adjustment of moving from the country to an urban area.

When Alice discovers there was a gruesome murder committed in her home, she doesn’t want to stay there, but becomes obsessed with finding the true killer. The fun of this story is that almost all of the neighbors appear guilty of something. I had fun wondering who would end up being the culprit!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

This was an interesting book for me because I had very conflicting feelings about the characters and the plot development. The author has always done an amazing job building suspense, making you suspicious of people without them evening really doing anything or without any major events happening yet. You just have this hair-on-the-back-your-neck tingling feeling that something is not as it seems. Someone is deceiving you as the reader. This book started off this way and definitely never let go. Every character is unreliable, even the narrator at times made me question whether I could really trust her.

The story flow tripped me up a little because it went from moving too slowly, to really creeping me out, cannot move the pages fast enough, and back to slow before the ending which was just wild. At times I felt like the narrator was just rehashing the same thoughts over and over, and even had a couple conversations that I felt like - wait, we already went through this, it's not new information. The narrator seemed so naive, but also just willing to live in a clearly dangerous situation without much caution. I also felt like her interest in "solving" this old murder was too strong - why was she so obsessed when she was not at all involved. Her excuses to others about it just felt weak and almost just a forced way to get herself involved.

But then the ending. I think a lot of my misgivings were cleared up. I could see how the book was a set up to some big twists and reveals and so in the aftermath, some of these things didn't actually seem as vague. I could see how the author purposely developed each and every character and the timing was also crafted to manipulate the reader.

I felt so satisfied by the ending. I was on the edge of my seat and needed to know how the characters would react to the twists, so I was definitely more invested than I originally thought. Overall a very enjoyable domestic thriller with a great creep vibe without being too much to read before bed.

I'll start off by saying I was not a fan of Behind Closed Doors by the same author, but I thought I would give another book of hers a go. Needless to say that this author is not for me, and that's ok. I don't know what it was about Alice's character but she was a little too much for me.

I did like the random chapters thrown in with the therapist's perspective, and I'm always drawn into solving a mystery, but again...Alice. Also her relationship with Leo bugged me because it seemed to be more of a relationship of convenience rather than truly wanting to be together. I will stop there! I honestly think if you liked Behind Closed Doors you will also enjoy this!

Pub Date: July 13, 2021

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my #copy

Book Rating: 3/5

Wine Pairing: Shannon Reserve Chardonnay

Reading Between the Wines book review #79/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Therapist
Author: B.A. Paris
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on July 13, 2021!!!
Recommended to readers who like a mystery.

Sipping thoughts: Decent read. There wasn’t a groundbreaking twist or reveal. I enjoyed the read but man the main protagonist, Alice, was SOOOO annoying. Because of her insecurities Alice suspects everyone which creates so many red herring for the reader. I enjoyed the spookiness and the mystery. The reveal isn’t hard to figure out BUT the background was very interesting and juicy. This is not one of my favorite B.A. Paris books but I enjoyed it enough.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of @TheTherapist

#TheTherapist #StMartinsPress #MacMillanAudio #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller

B.A. Paris is back! I stayed up hours past my bedtime to finish The Therapist. A murder, an intruder, a gated community, a private investigator, a therapist- the ingredients to a thriller I couldn't put down.

I recieved a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This was another amazing psychological thriller by B.A. Paris, who never disappoints with these novels.

This novel follows a very tightly interwoven, gated community in London who almost seem to have an elitest attitude not only towards the outside, but most certainly with each other. Leo and Alice are the newest tenants in The Circle and feel like it is a dream come true, however, Alice begins to find out secrets about her new home and even her partner and things seem to unravel. Alice becomes obsessed with finding out the truth of what occurred in her home and as she is trying to build friendships with the neighborhood, she is also building suspect lists....and possibly some enemies.

A thrilling novel to the very end! My only disappointment would be a little bit more expanded on the very last chapter, otherwise beautifully written and this author knows how to keep me guessing until the very end.