Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
I really enjoy B.A.Paris! Ever since I read Behind Closed Doors I have been hooked. I, along with the protagonist Alice, suspected just about everyone at one time or another! This one will keep you guessing! Overall, it’s a quick and mostly entertaining thriller, and I know many will really love it. B.A. Paris is always a go-to author for me,

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I love BA Paris but I had a hard time getting into this I have never had this with her other books. I could be in a reading slump. BUT…Characters were easily likable and too many times did I think everyone of them did it. Talk about neighborhood drama. My goodness. I’m really liked that it was all in a gated community.

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B.A Paris is an author I found through my grandma. We love reading their new books together, but I was so excited to get an early copy of this one.

We follow Alice who is moving in with her long distance boyfriend Leo, in a house he found in London. Although he fails to tell her that a crime took place there. Neighbors are hush hush about everything, but Alice is determined. It sets off her on this mission to figure out what happened to the previous owner of the house.

Throwing in all of Paris's twists and turns this was a solid read.

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Oh, this was boring. Not to mention that the main character is completely clueless and the storyline is so slow. Not worth the time for this one.

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This story is about a girl named Alice who moves in with her partner to a close-knit, gated community called "The Circle". Leo, her boyfriend, travels often for work, leaving her home alone much of the time. Alice begins to feel and notice strange things happening in the house that leave her feeling uncertain about her ability to stay. Soon after, she learns that the couple that had lived in the house before them were both dead. The woman, Nina was murdered in the house, and her husband, Oliver was charged with her murder. Nina, working through the emotions of Leo not telling her about this happening in the house, becomes overwhelmed with the desire to dig up the past and find out if Oliver really was the one to kill his wife. Alice is met with some strange behaviors from her tight-knit neighbors, and continues to experience the awkward feeling that someone is watching her, a little too close for comfort.

I absolutely devoured this book. It was so good! I kept thinking about it after I would have to stop to attend to other responsibilities. This is easily one of those books that, without plans or further distractions, could be read in one sitting. I would highly recommend it for fans of B. A. Paris and thrillers.

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I liked this a lot. B.A. Paris can be hit or miss for me. I either really like it (The Breakdown) or never finish it (Bring Me Back). But this is one I was super happy to get an ARC for because I read it immediately.

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Very good book that left you guessing until the end. I would recommend this book to any thriller lover.

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B.A. Paris has once again captured me from the first page and kept me up later than I should have been up just because I HAD to find out what happens. Huge fan of this book and their other work as well. 5 stars

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Thank you for this arc copy of this book. It wasn't; my type of book but others may like it. I did enjoy the cover picture though.

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Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and B.A. Paris for this ARC. I always look forward to. B.A.Paris book, and why it took me so long to finally read this one is I’ll never know, once I got started it was hard to put down, I read this in 2 days…All the couples were interesting in their own ways, I kept changing my mind as to who done it, and in that respect, the author did what I believe she intended to do, confuse us through the whole book ! And after it all, my conclusion was that Alice needed to seek help. Lol
4 stars and anxious for the next book, The Prisoner !

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Everybody knew someone got murdered in her house except for Alice. Thomas spills the beans which really gets the story going. It was fun following Alice’s different theories of who killed Nina but the unveiling of the mystery was excellent. I didn’t see that coming. I felt bad for Leo and thought he definitely paid for his error of not telling Alice about the unfortunate history of their house and of his life history. The end was very satisfying and I really enjoyed the whole story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book.

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This book was an incredible read. It grabbed my attention and I could barely put it down. The characters were really well written and the story itself had me guessing with every page. I really encourage people to pick up any book by B.A. Paris, you won't be disappointed!

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really enjoyed BAPs debut novel so im sad its taken me until her 5th book to pick up one of her stories again. and luckily this did not disappoint!

this is exactly the kind of entertaining domestic psychological mysteriousness that i have come to associate with BAPs storytelling. this particular book is on the slower side - it really isnt until the end that information starts coming together - but the vague nature of the content kept me hooked and guessing along the way. the ‘past’ chapters did a great job at keeping me on my toes.

overall, this is exactly what i wanted from this story. next time i wont wait so long to pick up another book by this author!

thank you st. martins press for the ARC!

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Alice and Leo can't believe their good luck when they find a lovely house to buy in an exclusive London neighborhood, The Circle. Alice spends her days working from home while befriending some of the neighborhood women. It comes as quite a shock to Alice when she finds out that one of the previous owners, Nina, had been murdered in the home. Nina's husband Oliver was assumed to be the guilty party, and ended up killing himself. More alarming is the fact that Leo was aware of the murder, and never said a thing to Alice. Horrified, Alice wonders if she can continue to live in the house......and if she can continue to trust Leo. Matters only get worse when Alice begins to hear strange sounds in the middle of the night. It almost seems as if someone is entering the home to frighten her, But who would do such a thing....and why?

Alice soon becomes obsessed with finding out what actually happened to Nina. Oliver certainly seemed like the most obvious suspect, but Nina and Oliver appeared to have a loving marriage. Could the police have gotten it wrong, and could someone else be responsible for Nina's death? Perhaps even one of the neighbors?

Alice soon discovers that all is not as it seems in this picture-perfect neighborhood. Everyone seems to have something to hide, Alice included. Will she be able to uncover the secrets before the past repeats itself?

Great novel by B.A. Paris. I read a LOT of thrillers, and find most to be pretty predictable. However, the twists and turns in this novel had me guessing until the very end. Paris is a master at taking her books in directions that you would never expect. I am always glad to be on the journey.

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Having recently finished the previously published “The Therapist'' by B.A. Paris, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-copy; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

Alice’s constant speculation regarding the murder of the previous owner of her new house in Finsbury, Nina, and her unresolved guilt over the death of her parents and sister, also named Nina, had me shaking my head, and yes, rolling my eyes at times too. Her lack of common sense, suspicions and worries were irritating and over the top. If Ms. Paris meant to write Alice as an annoying and scattered protagonist, she did a great job.

The conclusion and reveal of the actual murderer was somewhat unexpected; but by the time the “Six Months Later” chapter appeared in the book, and the explanation of what really happened in The Circle had arrived, I was more than ready to leave this neighborhood behind.

~~ I was happy to also win a print copy as a "Goodreads Giveaways" selection when it was initially offered as an ARC. Thank you to the publisher for participating and sending this book.

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I've never, ever read a book by B.A. Paris that I didn't like, and this was not an exception. I thought I had it all figured out-several times, with several different characters- but was completely surprised by the ending. As usual, the multiple red herrings kept me on my toes, and this book kept we up well into the wee hours of the night. Can't wait to devour future titles by B.A Paris.

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Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

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Alice and Leo move into an exclusive home within a gated community. Alice tries to get to know her neighbours but soon uncovers a secret about her own home and Nina the previous occupier. After trying to get to know her neighbours, Alice finds out a disturbing secret about her new home and it's previous occupant, Nina.
This was a solid read but lacked a little of the usual twists I expect from the author. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Thinly-plotted thriller about a couple that moves into a home where a murder has occurred. Alice is unaware of this when she moves in, however, it doesn't take her long to find out and thats when suspicious things begin happening. The neighbors are wary of the couple and things happen right under Alice's nose that she doesn't pick up on. The plot is slow-paced and slightly frustrating and Alice is the type of main character that you just want to shake. When she gets upset with Leo, her partner, for buying the house and not telling her about it, and insists she can no longer stay there, yet proceeds to make Leo move out so that she is alone. She wakes in the night feeling someone is in the house. I would have been out of that place in a second, but does Alice leave? Nope. It happens several times and she still does not move out, all the while proclaiming how she simply cannot live in that house. The story gets a bit better at the end, but there are just too many holes to make it enjoyable for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

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Behind Closed Doors (4 stars)
The Breakdown (4 stars)
Bring Me Back (2 stars)
The Therapist (barely 2 stars)

I really liked the author’s first two novels and was hoping The Therapist would surpass Bring Me Back and get back to a solid, suspenseful thriller. Where this latest installment really suffers is in the characters. Alice is a borderline moron. I don’t understand when women authors write silly and stupid women. Why? Why would you stay in a house where you notice things coming in and out of the house? She also overdid Leo to the point of unrealistic. I did like the creep factor of the house and that there seemed to be a lot of potential suspects to work through. I just didn’t care for Alice at all and her behavior was completely unrealistic. I can deal with unrealistic if the characters are solid.

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