Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris

About Behind Closed Doors - from Amazon

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.

You’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

My review of Behind Closed Doors

After reading all of the hype surrounding Behind Closed Doors, I knew that I had to read it. With so many comparing it to Gone Girl (which I loved) I wondered if the book would live up to my expectations? The good news is that it did. I really enjoyed this book, although in my mind it was very different to Gone Girl, in that I think it was more of a psychological drama than a psychological suspense novel. From the very beginning we know what will happen (and the blurb pretty much gives it away) but the drama and fast pace of the book comes from the need to know of why things happen and what the conclusion will be. I found myself frantically turning the pages with the need to know what would happen next.

I found this book truly frightening because what happens could happen to anyone. It brings up the questions: how well do we know our friends? Do they really have a perfect marriage? It really makes us question what we see with our own eyes and the realty of what could actually be going on behind closed doors. The answer is, we will never know.

This book is incredibly difficult to review without giving the plot away. Told form Grace's point of view, we read present day chapters that are intermingled with chapters from a year ago. Together they help us to form a picture of what has happened, what is happening and how things will end. Much of this book's success is down to Grace and the fact that we empathise with her, we are with her every step of the way throughout her journey. I found that I walked in her shoes, and where I was standing was very uncomfortable indeed.

My favourite character in the book though was Millie. Grace's younger sister who has Down's syndrome. The bond that they share I found particularly heart-warming and the fact that Grace would do anything for her - and vice versa very humbling. I found Millie to be the strongest character in the book and I had a huge respect for her. Sadly, I felt a little let down regarding the social aspects of Millie's care and that certain statements in the book (that are central to the plot) were simply factually incorrect. Although this did not detract from the enjoyment of the book, it did make the central events surrounding Millie unbelievable, and this I felt was a shame. Perhaps with more research on Down's syndrome and how individuals are cared for and supported in the community, then this particular storyline within the novel could have been far tighter.

I really did enjoy Behind Closed Doors. It was a haunting and disturbing read, in that what happened to Grace could happen to any woman.

Behind Closed Doors can be bought from Amazon here