by B.A. Paris
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING DEBUT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU CAN'T MISS!
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?
"A hair-raising debut, both unsettling and addictive...A chilling thriller that will keep you reading long into the night." —Mary Kubica, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Good Girl
"This debut is guaranteed to haunt you...Warning: brace yourself." —Bustle (10 New Thrillers to Read This Summer)
"The sense of believably and terror that engulfs Behind Closed Doors doesn't waver." —The Associated Press, picked up by The Washington Post
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He's a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You're hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You'd like to get to know Grace better.
But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.
Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.
Some might wonder what's really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.
From bestselling author B. A. Paris comes the gripping thriller and international phenomenon Behind Closed Doors.
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING DEBUT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU CAN'T MISS!
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?
"A hair-raising debut, both unsettling and addictive...A chilling thriller that will keep you reading long into the night." —Mary Kubica, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Good Girl
"This debut is guaranteed to haunt you...Warning: brace yourself." —Bustle (10 New Thrillers to Read This Summer)
"The sense of believably and terror that engulfs Behind Closed Doors doesn't waver." —The Associated Press, picked up by The Washington Post
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He's a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You're hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You'd like to get to know Grace better.
But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.
Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.
Some might wonder what's really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.
From bestselling author B. A. Paris comes the gripping thriller and international phenomenon Behind Closed Doors.
Reviews-
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May 9, 2016
Newlyweds Grace and Jack Angel seem to lead a perfect life in British author Paris’s gripping debut, but appearances can be deceiving. In addition to being a handsome, successful attorney, Jack is also a sadistic psychopath, and the couple’s picture-perfect Spring Eaton, England, home doubles as Grace’s prison. Jack forced Grace to quit her job, refuses to allow her unsupervised contact with the outside world, and cruelly punishes her escape attempts. Grace would welcome death were it not for her 17-year-old sister, Millie, who intends to come live with them once she finishes school. Grace’s life may be hell, but Jack has made it clear that Millie’s in for far worse, so Grace must free herself in order to save her sister. Paris reveals the couple’s past and present in alternating chapters, creating suspense regarding both their origin and their fate. Jack’s mustache-twirling monologues occasionally sap the story of tension and believability, but Grace’s terror is contagious, and Millie’s impending peril creates a ticking clock that propels this claustrophobic cat-and-mouse tale toward its grisly, gratifying conclusion. Agent: Camilla Wray, Darley Anderson Agency (U.K.). -
October 3, 2016
Newlyweds Grace and Jack Angel seem to lead a perfect life in British author Paris’s gripping debut, but appearances can be deceiving. In addition to being a handsome, successful attorney, Jack is also a sadistic psychopath, and the couple’s picture-perfect home in Spring Eaton, England, doubles as Grace’s prison. She makes the postnuptial discovery that he’s a controlling, sadistic misogynist who murdered his mother and has disturbing plans for Grace and her younger sister, Milly. In delineating the ways in which Jack creates a physical and psychological prison for Grace, Paris pushes credibility one step over the line. But with reader Maguire’s help in making listeners feel every torturous moment of Grace’s hellish married life and her almost feverish plan to gain freedom for herself and her sister, credibility is trumped by emotion. Along with Grace’s helplessness, Maguire provides the voice of sweet innocence for Millie, as well as the convincingly soft-spoken, kindly Jack and the equally credible but icy cold, domineering, and psychotic post-wedding version. A St. Martin’s hardcover. -
Narrator Georgia Maguire shows her ability to present the polar opposite traits of the husband and wife. They seem like the perfect couple. Jack Angel is an attorney who represents battered women. Grace Harrington is a caregiver to her disabled sister. They meet and quickly become newlyweds--and things go downhill from there. It soon becomes apparent that this is a psychological thriller centered on mind games and manipulation. Maguire gives Grace a delicate and soft voice, complementing the character's vulnerability. Jack sounds simple and direct but turns cold and sharp in his treatment of Grace. Maguire's effectiveness at depicting a desperate woman and a troubled man makes a less-than-credible plot more believable. Her overall narration is calm and elegant but emotional and alarming during the horrific moments Grace experiences. D.Z. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
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December 1, 2016
Jack and Grace Angel had a whirlwind meeting, courtship, and marriage, and quickly became the envy of all of their friends. Jack is a successful attorney, and Grace is a magnificent hostess and homemaker. However, Grace is rarely seen outside of her home, she's losing weight, and she doesn't have her own cell phone or email address. Despite being an independent and successful career woman when she met her husband, Grace is now secluded in the home Jack created for her. Grace's only link to her former life is her disabled 17-year-old sister for whom she is guardian. Debut novelist Paris presents an exceptionally clever and swiftly moving thriller that covers the span of 18 months, deftly moves between past and present tenses, and tells the story of the radical changes that have occurred in Grace's life and the lengths to which she will go to remain present for her sister. The audio production is of fine quality, with narrator Georgia Maguire doing a great job navigating the various characters and the rapid transitions in time periods. VERDICT Listeners who like books by Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware should enjoy this title. ["A can't-put-down psychological thriller": LJ Xpress Reviews 7/22/16 starred review of the St. Martin's hc.]--Nicole A. Cooke, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
