Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was not one of my favorites by BA Paris but it wasn’t bad either. I switched between the written version and the audiobook.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris, due out November 15, will hold readers captive as they experience the devastation of being held prisoner and not knowing the intentions of the kidnappers. When Amelie Lamont’s father dies in Reading, England, she is stranded with no family or roof over her head as their home was a rental. Amelie heads to London with hopes of finding a job and saving up enough money to go to college to study law.

The story unfolds along two timelines. Amelie has been making her way in London thanks to the companionship of three successful women who help her find a job at “Exclusives” magazine, which rich Ned Hawthorpe runs. After a business arrangement marriage in Las Vegas, Amelie is kidnapped and held captive with her husband Ned awaiting ransom from his rich father Jethro.

The deal Ned has made with Amelie is that she will get money for college by marrying him, which will get his parents off his back about finding a wife. In reality, Ned has more up his sleeve than meets the eye.

Each day Amelie is waking up in a totally dark room which only has a mattress on the floor and a small bathroom attached. She can hear Ned screaming below her where he is being imprisoned by the kidnappers. Amelie tries a number of schemes to get away from her captors, but each time she fails.

Clearly Ned is worth billions but why did the kidnappers nab Amelie? Who is the mysterious silent man who brings her food a couple of times a day and a blanket when she asks for one? Why does she feel safer locked in this pitch-black room than she has been feeling lately with Ned who has made her a prisoner of her in his mansion?

B.A. Paris continues to entertain her readers with page-turning plots. I read this one in one afternoon. The author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back, and The Dilemma – I have read them all -- lives in the United Kingdom.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 11, 2022.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective opinion.

B.A. Paris does not disappoint with this new book full of twists and turns. After the first chapter, I was not sure where it was headed. A couple chapters in…I couldn’t put it down! The main character is likable and I found myself biting my nails. Do not wait, read this now!!

I thought this was a great read by B.A. Paris. I did not want to put this book down. I really enjoyed getting to know the main character in the beginning of the book. I felt I understood Amelie and her desire to accept a proposal she did not feel she could refuse to start an independent life. I thought this novel was full of twists, which kept it engaging until the very end. I did not anticipate the identity of her kidnappers and found myself hoping for an alternate ending, one in which she was reunited with those she came to care about. However, regardless of outcome, I felt B.A. Paris wove a fine tale, merging both parts of Amelie's story to allow the reader to gain insight into her choices as well as to truly understand the devastation and utter loneliness her impulsive choice brought about. I will look for books by B.A. Paris as I thoroughly enjoyed this one and others I have read by her. Great read!

An excellent book from an excellent author. I thought I had it all figured out and then questioned myself and then wow. Just wow. I didn’t want to put this one down. The twists and turns were such a joy. B.A. Paris is a talent.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the e-arc.
I'm ambivalent about this book - not sure if I liked it or not, even a couple of days later, so I'm going with a middle of the road 3 stars. My least favorite B.A. Paris so far, in fact it didn't even "read" like her usual writing, and if I didn't know she was the author, I wouldn't have guessed who it was. Despite a very abrupt ending - so abrupt, I had to go back a page to realize it was indeed the ending - it was mostly ok. It started out very strong, kind of petered off for a while, then got back on track near the very end. I was expecting it to be much better, and I can't say I would recommend it for fans of her other books.

I have loved all of B.A.Paris's books. I was so fortunate to get an arc of this one. If I lose myself while reading,I consider that a good book. #netgalley #the prisoner #baparis

This was GOOD. Haunting, heartbreaking, and THAT ending. Dang! Well done.

The second half was a LOT of straighten out in my head, and I had to read, and re-read, to properly work it all out in my mind. But, it was well done and I’m excited for it’s release.

Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been a B.A. Paris fan since “Behind Closed Doors,” so I was excited to read another similarly terrifying and well-written psychological thriller. “The Prisoner” did not disappoint, and I found it was easier to get into than “The Breakdown.” The story is told toggling between protagonist Amelie’s past and her present (being held captive in a dark room by kidnappers), two narratives unfolding and converging. An excellent and engrossing psychological thriller!

First of all, I’m a big B.A. Paris fan. This book, like others, sucked me right in from the first page. Told in dual timelines from past & present, we begin to learn more about Amelie’s marriage to Ned and her subsequent imprisonment.

But the longer the plot went on the less believable it got. I kept waiting for the pieces to click into place and that moment never came. The conclusion felt bizarre and far too impractical.

I wanted to love this, I really did. But the last 25% tanked it for me.

The plot is simple. Our main character and her rich billionaire husband are kidnapped (kept in separate rooms) and held for ransom…but nothing is as it seems. Our MC is a FIGHTER, she’s street smart and brilliant and you will love her. You will also hate her rich billionaire husband, but it’s fine because everyone hates him. This book unfolded like a true crime podcast, in the best way possible.

I was shocked that I enjoyed this book so much and here’s why: It is non-linear, which usually I loathe because I’m easily confused and I just hate jumping back and fourth from past to present. But the way B.A. Paris wrote this was genius, it made this book so unique. It was non-linear, and perfectly linear at the same time. Every “past” chapter tied perfectly into the “present” chapter that followed. Every “past” chapter answered questions about the “present” chapter that followed, but it also posed new questions every time. Do you know what that equates to? A PAGE TURNING NOVEL FOLKS!! Again, it happened in a smooth, linear way, as in it wasn’t all jumbled where you’re left with puzzle pieces to put together, she puts them together for you and it’s shockingly satisfying to read.

You know what also happened at the end for me that doesn’t happen often in this genre? I was DYING FOR A SEQUEL!!

Such an amazing read and will absolutely be picking up more of her work.

I can't believe I haven't submitted my review of The Prisoner yet! I am a huge B.A. Paris fan and was so delighted to receive an advanced copy of her latest, The Prisoner (arriving this November). Her novel Behind Closed Doors affected me in a way that few books have, in that I felt physically ILL while reading it from anxiety and dread. Having said that... I loved it. The Prisoner is a similarly claustrophobic novel, telling the story of Amelie between two timelines - one in which she wakes up in a pitch black room with no idea where she is or why she's there, and the other exploring how she may have wound up there and her relationship with her "husband", who is also locked up below her. I loved the themes of friendship and survival here, which contrasted the super dark parts of her captivity (both in and out of the black room that serves as her cell). I've read almost all of Paris' books at this point and while this does not surpass my favorite, Behind Closed Doors, I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for what's next!

I really enjoyed The Prisoner! This is another easy page-turner by B. A. Paris and during the first part of the book, I was internally screaming YES!! This is what I want!! I was devouring it. I did not love Part 2 quite as much, it read almost like a completely different book and didn't have the same intensity as the first part. All the excitement from the first part was slowly drained away as I trudged through the final pages. I loved the plot concept, the short suspenseful chapters, but the end fell apart on me. 3.5 stars for me! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I had never read B.A. Paris before. I really liked this book.

Alternating between the past and the present was really effective in this book. And often when an author does this, it takes a while to get in the rythym but not in this case.

Amelie is orphaned after the death of her father. She decides to leave France and move to London. She struggles until she meets a woman who takes pity on her and asks her to move in and be her housekeeper. This changes her life by giving her friends and purpose.

One day she wakes up in a dark room. She remembers men coming and taking her and her husband. Her husband? Where did that come from? As we read, we get the flashbacks that explain this situation and what led to it.

I was enthralled the entire book and the ending did not disappoint.

This is another psychological thriller by B. A. Paris that left me frantically turning pages to find out why the main character, Amelie was being held in a dark room. The tension soars in the first pages where Paris describes in very clear detail what it's like to be in her position, not knowing if you would be killed. It honestly left me on pins and needles, as my feelings were overwhelmed.

While a lot is going on as the book continues, and it is quite a roller coaster, it is rather neatly wrapped up by the end; however, there a few things that could have been improved on. Like Amelie, there is a certain other main character, who I felt could have done things better and his choices were disappointing to say the least. Without throwing out spoilers, I'll leave it that.

Overall, the book was well written, and I think most fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this.

As a huge fan of Behind Closed Doors, I was so excited to read The Prisoner.

The storyline is very similar— girl in need of a better life meets rich man, marries, and is held captive in the home with a narcissistic and cruel husband. The Prisoner takes the plot one step further by taking Ned and holding him for ransom. While reading I was a bit confused about the scenario involving Mr. Hawthorpe and the foundation. Toward the end it became more clear that he was also under the impression that the newlyweds were on vacation, so that part was cleared up.

I liked the way most of the questions I had were cleared up at the end when she confronts Hunter in New Zeland, but the cliffhanger ending was a major detriment to the book rating. Overall, I give this book 3 stars.

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris is a wonderful, suspenseful, compelling, very mysterious read.
A fast-paced, amazingly plotted with a brilliant cast of characters.
You're bound to be glued to the pages, and as a reader, you are dying to find out what happens next.
Clever twists and vivid descriptions this is one you don't want to miss.
Completely unpredictable, spellbinding taut, twisty psychological thriller.
A great read with an addictive plot.
B.A. Paris, the queen of suspense, returns with her latest highly anticipated thriller The Prisoner

If you love the quick pace, heart pounding, wild ride of a novel with twists and relatable, flawed characters, look no further!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

St. Martin's Press
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I had high hopes for this one because BA Paris has been a fave in the past but this one was just ok. Super repetitive with a dumb and naive main character - it really ended on a weird note. Just kinda meh for me.

B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors. I had high hopes for this latest book and i was not disappointed. This was a fast-paced thriller that I couldn't put down. I thought it had great character development and loved how every chapter alternated between past and present. There was just the right amount of tension to keep me guessing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The book is a page turner and riveting. The mc is easy likeable and you root for her. I hated how the ending comes along. It’s almost like she just decided to quit writing.