The Therapist by B. A. Paris is about Alice and Leo moving into The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses in London. Alice discovers all of the neighbors, and Leo knew the former owner, Nina, was murdered in their home. Alice is determined to figure out who the killer is, but no one in the neighborhood wants to help.

The Therapist was about 85% domestic drama and 15% psychological thriller (only at the end). I found myself losing interest in the story. The last 15% of the audiobook was exciting but not enough to rate it over three stars.

I'm not too fond of the audio quality with the NetGalley application. It takes away from the story.

Thank you, Macmillan, for my complimentary audiobook in exchange for this honest review.

The Therapist, B A Paris;
Pub date July 13/21

The Therapist is a domestic suspense featuring Alice and her boyfriend, Leo, who move to a new home in “the circle.” The home while big and beautiful holds a dark past unbeknownst to Alice. The past owners were part of a murder/ suicide that rocked the posh gated community in London.

For Alice the murder of Nina has triggered her unresolved trauma of her own sister’s death, also named Nina, who died with her parents. As Nina unpacks this information her curiosity prompts her to ask questions and dig into the events surrounding the death of the circles Nina and her husband who allegedly committed suicide.

The audio book narration kept me engaged which is a credit to the narrator as I was not fully invested in Alice’s character. I found Alice tiresome with her constant fretful and presumptuous state and erratic behaviour with little intel that steers her from one bad decision to the next.

The Therapist is quickly paced with some twists and turns to keep readers guessing. While the plot is a bit convoluted, the ending pulls all the loose pieces together. It’s an entertaining and easy read good for a summer evening.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy.

How would you like to find out that you have just moved into a home where a murder took place? Alice finds out from a complete stranger and decides to get to the bottom of the mystery. Meanwhile strange things are occurring in the house itself and the neighbors are acting suspiciously. I was wholly invested in following Alice's quest and found the end to be quite thrilling. There were times, though, when the narrative seemed to bog down a bit so not a homerun for me. I may try another B.A. Paris in the future, but this particular work does not make me a die hard fan.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read for me, I listened to audiobook in just a couple sittings throughout the dayday. I kind of had a feeling from the beginning of who the killer was, but kept going between two characters. The only things I wasn’t positive about was how it all tied together. That part was a bit of a surprise for me.

The narration was easy to follow and enjoyable. The writing and storyline were pretty straight forward, the characters not overly complex. I just kept feeling like something was missing. Not sure if it was the way it was written to be mostly about the MC’s musings over what she thought had happened or if I just missed something. Maybe I wanted more from the side characers. It got a bit redundant constantly hearing about how Alice was pretty much just going through daily life and not really finding anything of substance out.

It’s hard to get all my thoughts out about this book without spoiling the end. The fact is, it was a good book, I just wanted a little more from it.

Read Long Books and Prosper, Nerds

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Paris's

The novel takes place when Alice and her boyfriend Leo move to a gated community. As they start to settle in Alice starts making friends with others in the community when she discovers a horrifying secret about the house. Alice then uncovers that Leo knew all along and if he knew what happened what other secrets could he be keeping? Strange things start happening to Alice when she's alone in the house, Alice starts questioning everything to do with the house, and her relationship. Will Alice be happy with what she uncovers?

If you love a thriller packed with drama, obsession and secrets that keep you turning the page, this is one you should definitely add to your list.

slow build, but that ending! you have to be patient, you wont regret it! great read! This book is all you need in a thriller, it keeps you guessing on every single page you read.

𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯!

What a fantastic, crazy, dark, tense and wild ride. Full of secrets, twists and turns this story kept me at the edge of my seat from start to finish, it kept me guessing the whole time, and couldn’t stop listening, I needed to know who was behind all of it.
For fans of psychological thrillers this is a must read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘺 B.A. Paris 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 13, 2021.

Read if you like: psychological thrillers, mystery thrillers, fast paced books.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

In B.A. Paris' latest book we find Alice and Leo moving into a new gated community. The plan is to keep Alice's cottage as a rental, sell Leo's home and move closer to his work. Alice was a bit apprehensive and when she finds out that the previous owner, Nina, was killed in her home and her husband commit suicide, she is ready to pack up and move out. When a private detective asks for her help in clearing the husband of suspicion (he was hired by his ill sister) she feels uncomfortable but can't resist passing on information she gleans from the neighbors. Eventually, Alice becomes obsessed in trying to solve this crime of who killed Nina, The Therapist.

This book has received mixed reviews, but I have to say I enjoyed it. I agree, it was not B.A. Paris' best book, but it was well-written, had me wanting to know what was happening and I did invested in Alice's story. Alice is a bit naive, paranoid that the murder victim has the same name as her sister, and needs to develop a bit of a backbone. She wants to fit in with her neighbors in this gated community with just 12 homes. The story is told from several POVs and there are some excerpts from the therapist (Nina). As Leo travels for business, Alice spends nights alone in the house. She has the eerie feeling that someone has been entering into the house at night. This story is relatively fast paced, but their are a few slower parts and some repetition. This is more of a mystery than a thriller, but it has some suspenseful moments and one huge twist at the end. With the idea of unreliable sources of information, and several suspects, this one kept me guessing right to the end. This was a nice bit of escapism, a popcorn book that I enjoyed. The narrators, Olivia Dowd and Thomas Judd do a nice job with this story. I always enjoy a book with both male and female narrators to do the voices.

For fans of this author, I will encourage you to try this audio book option. It was well read. I enjoyed listening and would look for this reader again.

This audiobook was fantastic! I loved the narrator. I listened to it in one day and was fully engaged the entire time. It certainly made my Saturday cleaning a little more enjoyable.

Full review:

B.A. Paris, my Queen of Manipulation, is back with an all new Domestic Thriller, <i>The Therapist</i>.

When they began their relationship, Alice and Leo, were making a go at it long-distance. However, as time passes, it no longer feels enough to just see each other on the weekends. Deciding to make the jump of living together, Leo buys a house in an exclusive, gated-community called, The Circle, in London. As lovely as it is, it's a far cry from Alice's little cottage in the country.

Making the transition easier is the fact that Alice actually got to keep her cottage, renting it out to tenants temporarily, because Leo was able to get such a bargain on the house. When Alice finds out how he was able to get the house at such a steal, however, she's furious!

A woman, Nina, had been murdered in the house, in their bedroom. She cannot believe Leo withheld this information from her. He's a liar and Alice is so angry about the whole thing that she can't even stand to be around him while she processes it all.

Leo, sheepish at being caught out, agrees to give Alice some space to work through all she's learned. Alice, for her part, doesn't just work through it though, she becomes obsessed with it.

Alice doesn't believe the official story that Nina's husband was the killer. She can't explain why, she just knows that isn't right. As strange occurances begin happening at the house and suspicious neighbors seem to be lurking around every turn, Alice isn't sure just who she can trust.

Gaining some assistance from a Private Detective also interested in Nina's case, Alice begins a deep dive into the life of the woman who used to live in her house.

With numerous red herrings, a protagonist that I wasn't sure I could trust, more twists and turns than an amusement park roller coaster, I could tell I was reading a B.A. Paris!

I listened to this entire audiobook today while performing my regular Saturday chores around the house. I ended up cleaning things that didn't even need cleaning. I had to know how this was going to turn out. I came nowhere near predicting the end, although I don't generally try to do that. I like to just go along for the ride and let the author take me where they choose.

I will admit, toward the beginning, feeling frustrated with Alice. She's a bit bullheaded and I just couldn't understand why she was so fixated on Nina. However, I was satisfied with how that was ultimately explained and as I grew to know Alice, it made a lot more sense. The intensity definitely continued to build at a nice steady pace as the story went on. There's a lot of suspects!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

B.A. Paris is definitely one of my go-to Domestic Thriller authors and I had a blast with this one!

“I want to check the street outside but the thought of seeing someone standing there, watching the house, watching me, is almost more terrifying than thinking they’re inside, so I keep the curtains closed.”

Alice and Leo move into The Circle, an upscale gated community in London. They get the house for a steal, but only Leo knows why. Soon after, Alice is made aware that a murder/suicide occurred there and she quickly becomes obsessed with the crime. When she gets to know her neighbors better she realizes that lies abound in The Circle, and nothing is what it seems.

Oh Alice Alice Alice. I have very conflicting feelings about this book. The reviews I have seen are great. But there’s something about it that’s holding me back from giving it a glowing review. Maybe it’s how annoying I found Alice and her obsession with the murder that happens in her house. Or how she feels like she’s the only person on the planet that can solve the crime. There are actual police and private investigators involved here, dear Alice. Yet she fancies herself an amateur sleuth and stays in the house, alone, despite being convinced that someone is sneaking in at night. Like hellooooo?! Why are you insisting on staying in that house 𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑒 if you think someone is breaking in at night?

✋🏻‼️ REDEEMED 🙌🏻. Wow, the ending of this one guys! I did NOT see it coming. And mad respect to Alice for opening those doe eyes of hers and realizing what an asshat she can be.

Narrated by Olivia Dowd, the audio was fantastic! Through her narration she gave Alice heart and soul, making her more than the one dimensional annoying character she may have been on the page.

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early!
This book is a slow, introspective, paranoid domestic thriller and thats usually my bread and butter, but this one takes slow to a new level. It is about a community called The Circle. Alice and Leo get a great deal on a home so they move in together, only to soon find out that someone was brutally murdered there. The rest of the book is watching Alice befriend the other people in the community as well as some outliers as she tries to figure out who killed the therapist that lived there and what she's going to do as a result. The therapist's husband is believed to be the killer after he had a spotty alibi and then committed suicide but Alice doesn't believe thats the case. She starts to think someone is stalking her and coming in to the house and we as the reader are left wondering if Alice is crazy, or if she's right. The book got very repetitive at times and for being so short, it took me a long time to read. I wanted to know what happened and seriously considered skipping to the end at points because the middle just lagged for me. It was a good enough story, but not my favorite BA Paris at all.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Leo knew that someone had died there and didn't tell Alice because he knew she wouldn't want to live there. When she found out she was really mad and made him leave, thus finding herself alone and vulnerable in the house. She found out because a private investigator named Tim told her. She and Tim start working together to find out what actually happened. At times Alice suspected Leo, their real estate agent, whoever the therapist was having an affair with, and many of the neighbors. However when it all comes out it was actually the private investigator. He had killed many women before and had his parents (members of the community) virtually held hostage as he did his work. The ending scene is a dramatic one in which he wants her to meet his parents, all is revealed, the dad has a heart attack and the mom kills her son to protect Alice. Alice and Leo do not end up together and Alice leaves the community, but the whodunnit is solved!

The narrator was very good during this story. The story was a bit slow and it took awhile for the actual story to get going, unlike B.A. Paris books.

Alice and her partner Leo have moved into a beautiful gated community known as The Circle. Alice hosts a party so that she can get to know her neighbors and soon discovers that a tragedy occurred in her beautiful new home. Alice is determined to find out exactly what happened in her home.
BA Paris is a master of the thriller genre. I enjoy her work so much that her books are an automatic buy for me. The Therapist certainly delivered and was a twisty tale full of deception that had a satisfying conclusion.

B.A. Paris will always hold a special place in my heart, ever since I listened to my first book by her, Behind Closed Doors. I really enjoyed that one and I enjoyed this one almost as much.

The setting of books has to be special and unique for me because I feel like there are so many locations that are very overdone (think ski chalet, island, mountain resort). This book was set in a private, gated community, The Circle. It sounded so intriguing and mysterious that I knew I'd have to give this one a listen from the first time I read the description.

The narrator of this novel did a great job. She kept my attention and I really felt like she and the book character, Alice, were the same person.

Although I did foresee the twists coming, it was only right before the big reveal so I had plenty of guessing and doubting time. All in all, I loved this one and I can't wait for B.A. Paris' next novel!

I really liked this book! Lots of twists and turns and I didn’t figure it out until the very end. A must read by BA Paris!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Therapist as well as the narration of the audio book.

Alice and her boyfriend Leo move into an exclusive gated community, and Alice soon finds out that the previous home owner had been murdered. Alice can’t shake odd feelings she has in her new home and does not believe that the husband was really the murderer, even though she never knew the couple. Lots of twists and turns that I did not see coming.

The story kept my attention, and although I had many correct inklings about what could be happening and what was to come, I was a little surprised by some details - which I always appreciate.

4/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio and the author for an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: Another psychological thriller that could have been better .

BRIEF REVIEW: Alice Dawson is a freelance translator who recently moved from her quaint cottage to a gated community and home purchased by her boyfriend Leo Curtis. The couple had a distance, weekend relationship so this home was to enable them to spend more time together. Little does Alice know, until a private investigator appears at their door, the previous occupant Nina Maxwell, a "therapist" was murdered there. Her husband who was suspected of the murder later committed suicide. Leo, on the other hand, knew about the houses history but kept it from Alice. Once she finds out she doesn't want to live there yet, she can't resist finding out more about the decreased woman Nina (same first name as Alice's dead sister.) Leo does not want Alice getting too friendly with "The Circle" neighbors but, Alice is determined to find out more about the former occupants. He obsessiveness soon takes over her daily life and everyone including Leo seems to be a possible suspect of the murder.

Alice seemed like an easy person manipulate and quite foolish as well. I thought it seemed far-fetched that she'd get so obsessed about the previous residents of the house instead of just leaving Leo for covering up the murder and buying the place in the first place. The first 50-60% of this book moved very slowly and because Alice comes across as so dense, I found her annoying at times. Still I was very curious to see where the story was headed and how it would end. The story finally did pick up speed and gave me that unsettling feeling that I enjoy about psych thrillers. Don't read it before bed as at times it appears someone is hiding out in the home! Not bad overall if you don't mind the slow first half.

The audio book was read by Olivia Dowd and Thomas Judd - both did a good job.

RATING: 3.5/5

https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/07/106-2021-therapist-ba-paris.html

Alice and Leo move into a beautiful home in an exclusive neighborhood called The Circle. Alice doesn’t understand how they could afford the place as it would normally be outside their price range. However, she later finds out that the house was the site of a murder/suicide and this haunts Alice until she decides to find out the truth behind what occurred.

A great psychological thriller with many twists and turns. I was never entirely sure what occurred or why until the very end. I loved listening to the investigation unfold as Alice slowly learns secrets and truths behind Nina’s (the murder victims) life.

The characters were a little weaker as I never truly understood Nina. I found her a little too paranoid, angry and dumb. Alice was far too paranoid and could take a simple misunderstanding and turn it into someone trying to kill her. This did heightened the suspense of the novel though and helped keep me on my toes. I also found some of her decisions dumb and was left wondering why she did that. A lot of her silly decisions did lead to a very tense showdown though.

The relationship between Alice and Leo was very flawed as I thought it deteriorated too fast.

The audiobook was excellent with amazing voice actors. Two different people read this novel which helps give every character a distinct tone, accent and infliction. I would strongly suggest this audiobook to anyone interested.

Overall this was a good psychological thriller that everyone can enjoy, even causal thriller fans like myself.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio ARC.

Overall I liked this book, but there were a few things that bothered me. I felt like the main character was the stupid girl from every horror movie ever. She never questioned all the weird things happening in her own home!! She just thought it was all her boyfriend, who wasn’t even staying there at the time?! However, I understand that she was meant to be written this way. Therefore I do give the author props for a well written story. This definitely has strong murder mystery vibes and I love that. I just about thought every single character was the murdered except for the person who it actually turned out to be. The twists at the end of this book were insane and I honestly never even saw them coming. That’s when you know it’s a good book! The various different characters were written in super well with a good depth to them and lots of complex relationships. I’d definitely check out other books by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review!