Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris

Wow! Just wow! Every so often a book comes along that people rave about, and Behind Closed Doors is one of those books! I had seen an early buzz about it so I hopped on Netgalley, and thankfully I was approved!

About the book:

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?

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.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

My thoughts:
How do I even begin?! This book. THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

B. A. Paris has written a spectacular book. Behind Closed Doors is a lesson in domestic noir/thrillers.

Going between the present and the past with Grace Angel, Paris paints two very different pictures with chilling repercussions.

I had a feeling when I started reading that I wouldn’t want to stop, and I was right. I flew through this book, reading at every available moment!

I don’t want to spoil any of the plot, so as per usual, I won’t go into details! Sufficed to say, this book rattled me in so many ways. I felt pity, sadness, anger and so many other emotions during the course of this book.

I loved the way Paris created her characters. Initially, you are almost envious of Jack and Grace. Their lives seem perfect. Beautiful house, he’s a handsome, successful alpha male, affluent lifestyle and so on. However, when the veil of domestic bliss is pulled back, the envy turns to disgust.

Behind Closed Doors grabs you by the hands and throws you on an emotional roller coaster. So full of twists and turns that you can just about hold on, and just when you think it’s all over you’re propelled forward to a compelling conclusion.

I gave Behind Closed Doors 5⭐️ on Goodreads.

Amazing. Just effortlessly brilliant. 😊📖
****Update****

Since reading and posting my early thoughts, so many people have also read this book or pre-ordered it and I’m delighted it’s getting such a great reception as its thoroughly deserved!!

Behind Closed Doors is released today and you can purchase a copy HERE

The 3rd Woman by Jonathan Freedland

First off, my thanks to Hayley at Harper Collins for my review copy!

About the book (via Goodreads):

The United States have yielded to the People’s Republic of China – Beijing has written off trillions of dollars of US debt in return for a permanent military presence on US soil. America is now a former global superpower, dependent on and junior to China. And the evidence – cultural and political – is everywhere.

Madison Webb is a work-obsessed journalist who will do anything to get to the heart of a story; to expose lies and corruption. When her sister is brutally murdered, the police seem too eager to write it up as an isolated incident. Madison starts digging and uncovers a series of similar rape-murder cases.

As her investigation beings to attract the media spotlight, Madison draws the attention of some powerful people. And when she reveals the link between the victims, Madison will find out that the Chinese military makes for a terrifying enemy…

My thoughts:

The 3rd Woman is an intriguing book. Were introduced to Madison Webb, avid reporter but has her own issues going on.

When her sister gets murdered, Madison begins a crusade to find her sisters killer. Stopping at nothing, she incurs the wrath of people with more power than she ever expected.

During the course of her investigation, Madison finds a tenuous link between her sisters murder, and the murders of two other women, whose deaths essentially passed under the radar.

The 3rd Woman is a tense read, filled with political agendas and media politics. It touches on drugs, conspiracies and hacking throughout the course of the story which sends the reader off on tangents to try and figure out what’s going on.

I found the book to be a good read, not my usual genre (I tend to avoid anything with politics as it’s just a subject I can’t ever get to grips with!!!) but it still delivered a decent plot with an ending that I wasn’t expecting if I’m honest.

I gave The 3rd Woman 3⭐️ on Goodreads.

It’s released in paperback today and you can buy your copy HERE

Weekly Wrap Up January 24th

I’m having a nightmare with WordPress posts today so my WWU for this week is later than I’d like!!! Better late than never! 😂

I managed to get another 6 books read this week, bringing my tally up to 21 books read so far this year!

First up, The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo.

I’m on the blog tour for this next week, so I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until then for my review! I gave to book 3/3.5 ⭐️ on Goodreads though. A good read and a decent start to the Baztán Trilogy!

A couple of short stories were up after this:

The Affair by Emma Kavanagh

A decent, very quick short story by Kavanagh! I had read and loved Falling (review HERE) and fellow reviewer Claire Knight recommended this to me so of course I had to have a read! A solid 4⭐️ for The Affair.

Switchblade by Michael Connelly

I forget how much I like Harry Bosch until I pick up a book by Michael Connelly. Without a doubt, one of my favourite detectives to read about. I’m going to have to make time to read the series from the start! This story is short but sweet. Retribution and regret are the main themes in play. Well worth a read if you enjoy the HB series. Another easy 5⭐️ on Goodreads.

After You Die by Eva Dolan

This book was just fab! Really enjoyed it! You can read my 5⭐️ review HERE!

The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

On a roll with bloody great books this week! Next up was this beaut! I had a great review written, but it got lost in the wilderness earlier this evening! 😡 However, I have another one written, another 5⭐️ book, and you can read that review HERE.
Last but by no means least,

No Longer Safe by A.J. Waines

I finished this book earlier on today, and it was brilliant! I am STILL trying to work out the ending! 😂 You can read my 4⭐️ review HERE!

What have you all read this week?

Any standouts?! 😊📖

The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

What’s that I hear you say? I’ve reviewed this before? Yes I have, but I’ve only gone and lost or written over the review so it’s now lost in the wilderness of WordPress! I am so cross!!! 😡 the irony of THE POST I LOST isn’t lost on me though 😂

Anyway, the book was that good, I don’t mind re-reviewing!

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About the book:

Eighteen years ago, Simone Porter’s six-month-old daughter, Helena, was abducted. Simone and husband, Matt, have slowly rebuilt their shattered lives, but the pain at losing their child has never left them.

Then a young woman, Grace, appears out of the blue and tells Simone she has information about her stolen baby. But just who is Grace – and can Simone trust her?

When Grace herself disappears, Simone becomes embroiled in a desperate search for her daughter and the woman who has vital clues about her whereabouts.

Simone is inching closer to the truth but it’ll take her into dangerous and disturbing territory.

Simone lost her baby. Will she lose her life trying to find her?

My thoughts:

I looooooooooove this book!!!! This book just hooks you in! From the very first page, I knew I was going to be reading The Girl You Lost at every possible spare moment! It’s that good!

As a parent, it’s never easy reading books about controversial subjects like child abduction. It makes you almost apprehensive to read as it’s an uncomfortable thought and every parents worst nightmare!

Croft has done a spectacular job in dealing with how Simone and Matt coped in the aftermath of their daughter Helena’s abduction. How they managed to keep functioning is anyone’s guess.

The arrival of Grace, who says she has information regarding Helena, throws the cat amongst the pigeons for Simone and Matt. Who is Grace? And what does she want?

As usual, no in depth plot discussion here for me. Croft’s writing is spectacular, as it is a tightly woven book, with an astonishing twist that you just won’t see coming! The Girl You Lost is a lesson in psychological thrillers. I thought her previous novel, The Girl With No Past (read my review HERE) was great, and then this one came along and blew it out of the water!!!

I gave The Girl You Lost an easy 5⭐️ rating on Goodreads and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

The Girl You Lost is out on February 5th and you can preorder your copy HERE

Happy reading 😊📖

No Longer Safe by A.J. Waines

Many thanks to Alison Waines for my copy of No Longer Safe in exchange for an honest review!

About the book:

She was your best friend. Now she’s your deadliest enemy – and there’s nowhere to run…

When Alice receives an invitation from Karen, her charismatic University friend, to stay in a remote cottage in Scotland, she can’t wait to rekindle their lost friendship. But two more former students arrive – never friends of Alice’s – and as the atmosphere chills, Karen isn’t the warm-hearted soulmate Alice remembers. Barely is the reunion underway before someone is dead and the fragile gathering is pushed to breaking point.

As the snow cuts them off from civilisation and accusations fly, Alice finds herself a pawn, sinking deeper into a deadly game she can’t escape.

NO LONGER SAFE is a chilling Psychological Thriller that delivers a delicious sting in the tail.

About the author:

AJ Waines has sold over 100,000 books worldwide and topped the UK and Australian Kindle Charts in 2015 with her number one bestseller, Girl on a Train. Following fifteen years as a psychotherapist, she is now a full-time novelist with publishing deals in France, Germany (Penguin Random House) and USA (audiobooks).

In 2015, she was featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Times and was ranked in the Top 20 UK authors on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). She lives in Southampton, UK, with her husband. Visit her website and blog, or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

My thoughts:

I have just finished reading No Longer Safe and it’s safe to say I’m completely lost!! In a good way though! I literally have no idea what happened at the end of the book 🙈

I haven’t read any of Alison’s other books, but it’s safe to say I will be adding them to my TBR pile in the future.

Waines has a great writing style, very detailed but at the same time it’s easy to follow. I had no clue what to expect when I started reading No Longer Safe, but I really enjoyed the book.

No Longer Safe is a novel about rekindled friendship, betrayal and so much more. The book starts of slow, with Waines revealing fragments of the characters lives as we meet them. Alice and Karen are the two main characters, and both women evoked different reactions in me the further into the book I got. I went from sympathy to anger on more than one occasion during the course of the story.

As usual, no big plot details and definitely no spoilers. The synopsis perfectly sums up the book!

I really enjoyed reading No Longer Safe! It was cleverly plotted, and it flowed easily. The characters are well drawn, and the twist, well twist is an understatement!

I gave No Longer Safe 4⭐️ over on Goodreads! I would highly recommend this psychological thriller. It is still messing with my mind!

No Longer Safe is available on February 4th and You can preorder your copy here:
No Longer Safe
Happy reading 😊📖