I requested this title because I have read and enjoyed other titles by B.A. Paris. This novel features a mystery element, who really killed Nina, along with a psychological thriller of a possible neighborhood cover-up. Alice moves to an seemingly secure and exclusive neighborhood in London, The Circle, with her partner Leo. Alice quickly finds out that she is living in the house of murder victim Nina and that the murder took place in the bedroom where she and Leo now sleep. Greatly unnerved, Alice desires to know more about the murder and finds out that not everyone belives Nina's husband, Oliver, was the murderer. Alice begins to speculate which of her neighbors could have committed the crime, while also dealing with trust issues in her relationship with Leo and the uneasy feeling that someone is sneaking into their house at night. Alice's obsession to find out what happened to Nina creates a wedge between her partner and her new friends, but will it lead to the true killer's identity? A well constructed, evenly paced thriller with solid character development. Highly recommended.

I was excited to get copies of the ebook and audiobook ARCs. This one threw me for a loop. I thought that I had it figured out for about the first half of the book ... It seemed really obvious what the outcome was going to be. But there were a bit more twist and turns, and you don't quite end up where you think you will. I think anybody who enjoys thrillers and will be able to get through that beginning where it feels a little too obvious, will enjoy this.

A big thanks to the author, publisher, and that galley for the ARC.

I have to say it, BA Paris you’ve done it yet again! This author is one of my favorites and ALWAYS gives you one wild ride reading her books! Alice and Leo have started dating and are seeing each other on weekends due to work and living distance. They want to change this and decide to take the next step together, getting a house. The house they buy is listed for a great price and is in a gated beautiful community! The community has 12 houses that all are built around a circle. Sounds like the perfect dream home, except Leo neglects to tell Alice his girlfriend why the house is listed for a steal …. Something to do with the previous owners. With this being said, Alice starts to do some digging and the entire community get flipped upside down in so many ways! Everyone in this community has secrets and they all start unfolding one by one!
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This one was a crazy ride! I felt this book flew and had me on edge thinking about what was going to happen next! I felt all the emotions while reading this for the main character - the betrayal, all the emotions, and the firework ENDING! You’re in for a treat with this thriller! I highly recommend checking this one out when it hits the shelves in July!!! Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my advanced reader copy

I'm torn over how to rate The Therapist by B. A. Paris. I enjoyed the book, but at times it felt a little scattershot ~ almost as if the author wanted to build suspense by having Alice suspect every. single. member. living on The Circle.

Yes, I wanted to read this book because the synopsis was so very good and I loved this author's book Behind Closed Doors. I find that to be her best work, especially after reading The Therapist.

The setting was wonderful, many of the characters very interesting, and the premise for this novel was unusual, which was great. I loved the idea of a small circle of homes inside a gated community. Something small so that everyone knows everyone and gets to be good friends. It was a great setting.

If you enjoy suspenseful neighborhood dramas you will likely enjoy The Therapist. Definitely give it a read if you're considering it. Not every book is for every reader and this one just did not hit the bar for 5 stars for me. I'd give it 3.5 stars if possible, but am rounding to 4.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

This is a twisted tale that will keep you guessing. Is Alice imagining people coming into the house at night? She is obsessed with finding out the truth about the woman who was murdered in the house she is now living in. I was all over the place trying to figure it out and I have to admit I was nowhere close to guessing. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

So it is honesty time. I have a weird relationship with BA Paris books. Some really work for me and others fall flat. I am never going to give them up though, because they are all super quick reads for me and when I like them, I really them. Even if they aren't my faves they are still solid 3 star reads.

I so enjoyed this one. I figured our bad guy out pretty quick ( maybe at the half way point) but I didn't know the why and how it all fit together. I really enjoyed the way it all played out. While I do believe the ending was a bit fantastical, I still read it and would recommend it to any of my thriller loving friends.

4.5 stars from me and I do think, if you are a thriller lover, give this a go. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook edition of The Therapist by B.A. Paris.

First, the narration was great! And I love it when they use narration to add intrigue and spin to the text. It makes it feel more like your listening to a show instead of a book.

But now the book. It's interesting, and readable. There are hooks that get you right at the beginning. But OHMYGERSH, it's an eye roller. This main character, someone tackle her for me! I can't go into detail lest I spoil, but there were so many just brain itching inconsistencies, it hurt. The story stayed interesting until the end, but I just could not get over how silly and OTT it was.

This was a twisty little thriller that really packed a punch! I loved secrets and the way this one unfolds. I kept getting surprised again and again! The characters were great, and I felt they were believable. I liked the situation and how it affects everyone. The pacing was a little slower than I would have liked at the beginning, but it definitely gets going and doesn't stop!!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

B.A. Paris does it again! I was so thrilled to receive this arc! I read Behind Closed Doors years ago and still think about it! I always recommend Paris and she’s on the top of my list for authors-to-read.

The Therapist is another thrilling, mysterious Paris masterpiece. Alice and her boyfriend Leo move into a tight knit “circle” of homes. The neighbors all seem to be friends and know each other’s business. Alice invites everyone for drinks in an attempt to join the circle clique. Afterward she is approached by a man (PI) asking what it’s like to live in a house where a murder occurred. Alice is upset and absolutely shocked as she had no idea. She becomes obsessed with what happened to Nina (the previous owner). This man becomes a large part of her life as he’s the only one she can tell her findings to.

Alice begins to suspect everyone in the circle, as did I. It even drives a wedge between her and Leo. This story kept me on my toes the entire time. I was constantly trying to figure out whodunit before Alice. Paris scatters clues throughout the story but it’s never obvious. I couldn’t put this story down I had to know how it would end for Alice and what really happened. Great thriller read!

This really pulled me in and immersed me as Alice tried to fit in with a closed neighborhood where everyone already had bonds--and secrets. An enthralling page turner, with lots of clues, and creepy atmosphere in what should be an idyllic space. Wavered on giving it 4 or 5 stars, because it was a fast and fun read, but I was picking up on the clues much earlier than Alice did. Thrilling ending, though it could have been fine to leave the epilogue off IMHO.

Another solid domestic thriller from bestselling author B.A. Paris. Alice moves into a new neighborhood with her most recent boyfriend, and discovers that nothing is what it seems. Everyone on the block appears to have a secret, and the biggest one of all directly affects Alice's daily life. The book takes quite a few twists and turns, putting a zillion red herrings in Alice's path. While there are numerous "don't go in there!" moments that made me cringe, it's easy enough to suspend disbelief.
Any fan of the genre is likely to enjoy this one.

"I was obsessed, and like most obsessed people, I was the last one to know it." (Kate Bornstein)

More on that little ditty in a moment.........

Alice and her partner, Leo, are moving into an exclusive residential area of London called The Circle. It's a gated community of just twelve homes spanned outward like the face of a clock. What's not to like with a coded entrance gate, a park-like setting,and friendly neighbors? And to top it off, Leo got a bargain on the price.

But once they've moved into the spacious #6 home, Alice will stumble upon the truth behind that bargain. Oh, yes, Leo just happened to not mention that #6 was the scene of a murder/suicide in the master bedroom. It seems a therapist lived there and was murdered by her husband. Sadly, said husband fills in the suicide part. Alice is horrified by the thought of it. Leo tries to persuade her to stay.

Let's revisit that obsession thingy. The Therapist grabs your attention from the start. As readers, we mull around the thought of murder if we had purchased this home. Could we get past it? And here's where Alice is like a dog with a bone. She meets with the neighbors for coffee endlessly and grabs bits and pieces of information. Our girl Alice intends to find out if the husband actually killed his wife. Something is disingenuous about these neighbors. Someone knows something here.

As Leo travels for business, Alice spends nights alone in the house. She has an eerie feeling that someone has been entering into the house at night. She can't prove it, but something is amiss.

This is my fifth B.A. Paris novel. Talk about obsession. I kicked this one up from a 3.5 Stars to 4 Stars because the concept was so good. I'd say that the character of Alice threw this one a bit off the tracks at times. Alice would revisit the same source of information over and over again and meet with the same people over and over again to the point of annoyance. And yet, as I tuned out ol' Alice, I just couldn't put this one down. In spite of you, Alice, it turned out to be a good read. Sorry, B.A. Paris........just don't let Alice show up in the next one.

I received a copy of The Therapist through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to B.A. Paris for the opportunity.

Whew, that was rough.

When Alice moves into The Circle, an upscale subdivision inside a gated entrance, she thinks this may be the new beginning she has been waiting for. It doesn't take long before she learns that everything is not as it seems and the community around her isn't as nice as she was led to believe.

I have learned when it comes to B.A. Paris, you can always expect a dumb as a box of rocks lead character. I have never in all my reading life ever experience so much frustration when it came to reading from the point of view of a lead. She misses SO. MANY. RED. FLAGS. Within the first 30 pages of the book I looked at my husband and said "I don't think I have ever seen a worse lead character in all my life."

The stakes feel so damn low for this one and it is because the level of suspension of reality you have to take to just PRETENED to understand why Alice does some of the things she does is so ridiculous.

EXAMPLE Alice awakes MULTIPLE times throughout the book and swears someone is in her room, watching her sleep. What does she do? MULTIPLE times? Lays there and pretends to be asleep just so maybe he will leave. Literally who does that?

What originally drew me to this book was the title and synopsis about the gated community. I thought that had a lot of promise as the idea of sitting in on a therapy session in a fictional story was intriguing. But that really isn't even part of the book. The title makes it feel like pandering for book sales and I found myself frustrated that I fell into the trap. Luckily, I didn't spend a dime on this book and it was an ARC shared with me through Netgalley.

I think I can officially say I am done with this author.

Thank you to Netfalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy of The Therapist for my honest review.

Slow-paced at first and then picking up the pace as the book raced to a surprise conclusion, this was the author at her best. The story of Alice and Leo’s move into a new home in an exclusive neighborhood was relatable and at times horrifying because of all of the secrets that the neighborhood held close to the chest. Alice had no idea that the reason Leo could afford the home is that a murder happened in it. When she does discover the truth, she wants to know more about the victim, more about the killer, just more. Her quest for the truth leads her down a dangerous path and twisted me into the story, too. As more was revealed, I got more and more invested in the story and in the atmosphere of mystery. Alice is a protagonist but not particularly strong since she falls for every ploy and kept frustrating me with her lack of wisdom. The theme of neighbors with secrets was captivating, but I especially liked Alice’s “friendship” with the deceased therapist Nina. Determined to find out more about Nina and her death, Alice becomes obsessed and so did I as she delved more into the past and discovered layers of secrecy. The genre is psychological suspense and the author is at her best game in this genre. Entertaining and intriguing, this was a propulsive mystery that held me captive for hours until I reached a stunning and unexpected conclusion. Think roller coaster ride that just suddenly goes over a cliff. I enjoyed the ride but was not a fan of the ending, but that could just be me.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Paris produced another freaky read. It’s not as frightening as a few of her books have been, but it will still make you have the urge to look behind doors at night. How would you feel if you moved into a home where the previous owner had been murdered? Alice and her partner have moved into a secluded neighborhood but it all quickly falls apart. Sensations of so,some being in the house, unanswered questions, creepy people. Paris gets the reader to doubt everyone living in The Circle. I locked up on one important clue early on but was unsure how it fit until much later in the book. I kept asking myself why is no one else mentioning this?? The real culprit was obscure and I kick myself for not seeing it. I like to think I’d be a super investigator in real,life, but actually I’m a good detective in fiction only. Read The Therapist and see who is to blame and the real story. You don’t want to miss it and you won’t need a therapist.

I loved this book, lots of twists, lots of who can be trusted, even the narrator. Alice finds out about a crime that has happened in her house and she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened. Her need for juistice for the victim and her sister and husband takes on a life of it's own and leave us wondering about Alice herself. Read this book

Well, that was very good. Talk about a quick, addictive read. I have loved BA Paris. Behind Closed Doors is to this day a favorite. The Therapist....it was pretty darn good.
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I love the premise. You have this gated community in London and basically....you suspect everyone. Technically the murder case has been solved so it runs through your mind. Are we dealing with an unreliable narrator? Who should we trust? I really enjoyed it. It had a readability that kept me completely invested. I’m going to recommend it. I would compare it to...if you like Girl on the Train. Or even Lisa Jewell. Pick it up!

Not a favorite. I was never able to sympathize with the main character nor identify with her friends. There were so many characters—new neighbors mixed in with former neighbors and old friends—that I found myself mostly trying to remember who was who again. The protagonist was needy and unsure of herself and her neighbors a confusing bunch. Add to that the fact that exposition often took the place of action, and the book dragged for me. I read it to the end to learn the identity of the murderer, but it was too easy to put it down and not get back to it for days at a time.

B. A. Paris comes through again with a great psychological thriller that kept me excitedly turning pages, however, all of a sudden the story seemed to get bogged down and started dragging. The book is definitely worth finishing but could have been shorter.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a free advance copy.

Whew...this book was rough. The main character is so completely unlikeable and idiotic I almost couldn't finish this. Coupled with the fact that they flirted with this being a ghost story a few times it's a miracle I got through this at all. It's definitely an easy read, and for those who enjoy a good completely non-sensical and far-fetched Lifetime Movie this is the book for you. For anyone looking for an actual thriller, forget it. I've read all of this author's books but unfortunately, after this formulaic silliness, I doubt I'll be picking her books up again.