Category Archives: B. A. paris

The book review café book of the month **February 2020

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Whohoo March is here, and spring is in the air! (Well hopefully it is). It feels like I have spent the WHOLE winter, coughing and sneezing, and feeling generally unwell.  I’m seriously thinking of hibernating next winter!

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As usual I’m digressing but as it’s March it means it’s time to choose my book of the month for February. I read some cracking books in February, but if I’m honest the book I’ve chosen was always going to be a contender for my book of the month, and it’s already one of my top reads of the year so far.

How do I choose my book of the month?

I choose a book I feel is particularly outstanding, a book that covers every aspect of what I look for in a read, an original  plot, great characters and a storyline that draws me in from the first page and keeps me in its grips until I reach the very last page. So without further ado here’s my book of the month for February.

I Am Dust by Louise Beech

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Louise Beech is such an extraordinary author, she doesn’t just write a book; she gives each book a heart, a heart that gives life to her stories and her characters. I Am Dust takes you on a journey of magic and murder, love, ambition, jealousy and loss. It’s a ghost story entwined with a murder mystery, but it’s not the kind of ghost story that’s outside the realm of possibility, it’s plausible, heartbreaking, unnerving and creepy. You can read my full review here…I Am Dust by Louise Beech

Highly recommended

Full reviews can be found here…

The Other People by C.J. Tudor @cjtudor @MichaelJBooks #MustReads

The Guest List by Lucy Foley #BookReview #TheGuestList @lucyfoleytweets @HarperCollinsUK

Never Look Back by A. L. Gaylin #BookReview @Orionbooks

Liar Liar by by Mel Sherratt @writermels @AvonBooksUk #BookReview #BlogTour #LiarLiar

The Dilemma by B A Paris #BookReview @BAParisAuthor #TheDilemma @HQstories

The Murder House by Michael Wood #BookReview @MichaelHWood #CrimeFiction @0neMoreChapter_ #TeamDarke @HarperFiction #MustReads2020

Books I’m hoping to read in March

I have a couple of books to read for book blog tours, but apart from that I’m hoping to read some up and coming book releases, plus a couple of my own book shelf reads.

 

 

 

The Dilemma by B A Paris #BookReview @BAParisAuthor #TheDilemma @HQstories

Today I’m thrilled to share my first review of 2020, it’s for The Dilemma by B.A. Paris, it’s very different to the authors previous reads, but in a good way. Read on for my thoughts…..

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It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.

The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

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I have read previous books by B.A Paris, which I would class as psychological thrillers, so I was pleasantly surprised to find The Dilemma. a departure from her usual genre. The Dilemma is a powerful, emotive family drama that packs a hell of a punch. The story is told from the dual perspectives of Adam and Livia, a married couple with two teenage children Marnie and Josh. Livia has been meticulously planning her ‘perfect’ 40th birthday party for years, and finally the day has arrived. 

It will come as no surprise considering the title of the book that both main characters are faced with dilemma’s, not the “what dress will I wear to my party?” kind, but the earth shattering ones. Livia has a secret but doesn’t know how to tell her husband,  and Adam has shocking news, but cannot find the right moment to tell his wife. Both are aware that once they share their news with each other, their life will never be the same.

As each character struggles to find that right moment to share their closely guarded news the tension builds, like the characters you are constantly waiting for the ‘right moment’ when all will be revealed. B. A. Paris describes both character’s emotions with such clarity, you can feel their anguish, fear, and despair as the moment of truth grows closer. I’m not sure I would have made the same decisions, although I do understand the reasoning behind Adam’s choice, it’s one of those ‘what if books’ that make you ponder what you would do faced with a similar situation? 

What an emotional rollercoaster this book turned out to be, and it’s all thanks to the authors ability to get inside the heads of her characters, you can’t help but become invested in Livia and Adams  heartbreaking story.The Dilemma explores familiar themes of loss, love, resentment, families and friendships, but B.A Paris provides the reader with an original read, that’s poignant, and thought provoking read. This would make a brilliant book club read, as there’s so much to discuss and debate. Highly recommended to those who enjoy a compelling family drama

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: HQ; edition edition (9 Jan. 2020)

Buying links:  Amazon UK 🇬🇧   Amazon US 🇺🇸

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My TBR pile for January & February 2020 (so far) #BookBlogger #PartOne

Today I thought I would share something a little bit different with you all. I was checking on my TBR pile and realised that despite it only being October I have some amazing ARC’s sat waiting to be read.

So I thought I would give you a glimpse of what sound like some amazing books being published in January and February 2020……….my dilemma now is which one to read first? 

Who Did You Tell? by Lesley Kara

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Every town has its secrets. Lesley Kara knows them all .

From the author of 2019’s biggest crime thriller debut, The Rumour, comes an addictive new novel . . .

It’s been 192 days, seven hours and fifteen minutes since her last drink. Now Astrid is trying to turn her life around.

Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories of her life before, Astrid is focusing on her recovery. She’s going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she’s wronged.

But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won’t stop until she learns that some mistakes can’t be corrected.

Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . .

Pub Date 9 Jan 2020

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

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Inspired by a terrifying true story, a heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota town where nothing is as quiet—or as safe—as it seems.

Cassie McDowell’s life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them.

All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale.

One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changed—violent, moody, and withdrawn. What happened to them becomes the stuff of shocking rumors. The accusations of who’s responsible grow just as wild, and dangerous town secrets start to surface. Then Cassie’s own sister undergoes the dark change. If she is to survive, Cassie must find her way in an adult world where every sin is justified, and only the truth is unforgivable.

Pub Date 1 Jan 2020

The Perfect Mother by Caroline Mitchell

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She thought they wanted her baby. But they won’t stop there.

Roz is young, penniless and pregnant. All she wants is to be the perfect mother to her child, but the more she thinks about her own chaotic upbringing, the more certain she is that the best life for her baby is as far away as possible from her hometown in Ireland.

Determined to do the right thing, Roz joins an elite adoption service and can’t believe her luck. Within days she is jetting to New York to meet a celebrity power couple desperate for a child of their own. Sheridan and Daniel are wealthy and glamorous—everything Roz isn’t. Her baby will never go hungry, and will have every opportunity for the perfect life. But soon after Roz moves into their plush basement suite, she starts to suspect that something darker lurks beneath the glossy surface of their home.

When Roz discovers she isn’t the first person to move in with the couple, and that the previous woman has never been seen since, alarm bells start ringing. As the clock ticks down to her due date, Roz realises her unborn baby may be the only thing keeping her alive, and that despite her best intentions, she has walked them both into the perfect nightmare…

Pub Date 14 Jan 2020

The Murder House by Michael Wood

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They were the perfect family. It was the perfect crime.

The new gripping DCI Matilda Darke crime thriller about the dark secrets that lie within a perfect family. For fans of Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons.

It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen…

The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought…

The Knock by Jessie Keane

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For some, being on the wrong side of the law is the safest place to be . . .

Dora O’Brien had a good start in life, but things went bad when she began to mix with the wrong company. When her daughter Angel is born, Dora is already under the influence of drink and drugs.

Growing up in the shadow of her mother’s abusive relationship, Angel is nothing like her mother, but when matters turn murderous, Angel is forced to grow up fast and survival becomes the name of the game.

No one uncovers the underworld like Jessie Keane.

The Other People by C.J. Tudor

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She sleeps, a pale girl in a white room . . .

Driving home one night, stuck behind a rusty old car, Gabe sees a little girl’s face appear in the rear window.

She mouths one word: ‘Daddy.’

It’s his five-year-old daughter, Izzy.

He never sees her again.

Three years later, Gabe spends his days and nights travelling up and down the motorway, searching for the car that took his daughter, refusing to give up hope, even though most people believe that Izzy is dead.

Fran and her daughter, Alice, also put in a lot of miles on the motorway. Not searching. But running. Trying to keep one step ahead of the people who want to hurt them.

Because Fran knows the truth. She knows what really happened to Gabe’s daughter. She knows who is responsible. And she knows what they will do if they ever catch up with her and Alice . . .

Pub Date 23 Jan 2020

The Dilemma by B A Paris

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The million-copy bestselling author returns with another breath-taking book …

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.

The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

One day that will change a family forever, The Dilemma is the breath-taking, heart-breaking new novel from the million-copy-selling, Sunday Times bestseller, BA Paris

Pub Date 9 Jan 2020

The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donahue

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Twenty-five years ago, a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and her charismatic teacher disappeared without trace…

In an elite Catholic girls’ boarding-school the pupils live under the repressive, watchful gaze of the nuns. Seeking to break from the cloistered atmosphere two of the students – Louisa and Victoria – quickly become infatuated with their young, bohemian art teacher, and act out passionately as a result. That is, until he and Louisa suddenly disappear.

Years later, a journalist uncovers the troubled past of the school and determines to resolve the mystery of the missing pair. The search for the truth will uncover a tragic, mercurial tale of suppressed desire and long-buried secrets. It will shatter lives and lay a lost soul to rest.

The Temple House Vanishing is a stunning, intensely atmospheric novel of unrequited longing, dark obsession and uneasy consequences.

Pub Date 20 Feb 2020

The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

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No matter how far you run . . .
He’s never far behind

Lisa needs to disappear. And her friend’s rambling old home in the wilds of Yorkshire seems like the perfect place. It’s miles away from the closest town, and no one there knows her or her little boy, Joe.

But when a woman from the local village comes to visit them, Lisa realizes that she and Joe aren’t as safe as she thought.

What secret has Rowan Isle House – and her friend – kept hidden all these years?

And what will Lisa have to do to survive, when her past finally catches up with her?

Pub Date 20 Feb 2020

The Perfect Kill by Helen Fields

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He had never heard himself scream before. It was terrifying.

Alone, trapped in the darkness and with no way out, Bart Campbell knows that his chances of being found alive are slim.

Drugged and kidnapped, the realisation soon dawns that he’s been locked inside a shipping container far from his Edinburgh home. But what Bart doesn’t yet know is that he’s now heading for France where his unspeakable fate is already sealed…

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are working on separate cases that soon collide as it becomes clear that the men and women being shipped to France are being traded for women trafficked into Scotland.

With so many lives at stake, they face an impossible task – but there’s no option of failure when Bart and so many others will soon be dead…

Pub Date 6 Feb 2020

Are You Watching? by Vincent Ralph

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Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was the first victim of the now notorious Magpie Man. 13 murders later and this serial killer is still at large with no clue as to his identity. He kills every 9 months. It’s almost time for his fourteenth victim.

Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she’s using it to warm up the case that has turned cold.  The world is watching her every move. And so is the Magpie Man.

Pub Date 6 Feb 2020

 

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The brand new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

It starts with a party.

On a remote island, guests gather for the wedding of the year – the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater.Old friends. Past grudges.Happy families. Hidden jealousies. Thirteen guests.One body.

The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped.

All have a secret. All have a motive.

It’ll end in murder.

Pub Date 20 Feb 2020

Well what do you think? Have any of these books caught your eye? Is there a book you are desperate to read in 2020? Please feel free to leave me a comment.

Bring Me Back by B.A.Paris #Review @HQStories #ForgetSleep

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Today I’m sharing my review for Bring Me Back by B.A.Paris. This is a book that’s all over social media and comes with the tag line #ForgetSleep. Anyone who follows my blog will know I sometimes struggle with  “over hyped” books, as more often that not I’m left feeling slightly disappointed, did this happen with Bring Me Back? Read on to find out.

Book description

A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she’s not inside. No one ever sees her again.

Ten years later he’s engaged to be married; he’s happy, and his past is only a tiny part his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She’s turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his wife is the sister of his missing first love.

As more and more questions are raised, their marriage becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?

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I have to admit Bring Me Back comes with the perfect tag #ForgetSleep, in fact #ForgetEverything as this is one of those books that once you start reading it’s almost impossible not to read it in one nail biting sitting. Unfortunately life got in the way of this one and I had to read it over a couple of sittings much to my annoyance. There is lots of hype surrounding the latest book by B.A. Paris and I can see why, with unreliable narrators and a well crafted plot that oozes tension and mystery Bring Me Back has all the hallmarks of a best seller.

Bring Me Back is told from alternating POV’s of the two main protagonists Finn and Layla, and alternates between the past and present, which worked really well. as the the book develops the reader learns more about what really happened on that mysterious night. Part psychological thriller and part domestic, I found the way the author unravelled the relationship between Finn and Layla intriguing to say the least. The author has created characters that are not particularly endearing, I find myself judging Finn and some of his actions, which in turn meant I didn’t trust him one iota, but love him or loathe him you can’t help but get caught up in the drama surrounding him.

I actually guessed part of the plot, go me! so although I wasn’t surprised by the ending I still really enjoyed this book. I think because I was taken up with the characters and trying to work out the truth buried in the narrative, it did not spoil the read for me as I couldn’t help wondering how the author would tie up all the loose ends, but she did and brought everything to a satisfying conclusion. I would say I think some readers will be disappointed as the plot could be considered “far fetched” but personally I think that’s the beauty of reading a book, your imagination can flow along with the authors. Exceptionally well written Bring Me Back made for a quick and engrossing read, I would definitely recommend to those of you who love a psychological thriller with plenty of mystery and unreliable narrators.

Buying links:   Amazon UK 🇬🇧         Amazon US 🇺🇸

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher: HQ (8 Mar. 2018)

The Break Down by B A Paris #BookReview

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Book description

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods and the woman who was killed.

Since then she’s been forgetting everything. Where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

What she can’t forget is the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving and the feeling that someone’s watching her…

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Having loved B A Paris debut novel Behind Closed Doors, I was really looking forward to reading her latest book The Breakdown, unfortunately although I enjoyed it, this one didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s a psychological thriller filled with murder, paranoia and plenty of suspense, with flawed characters that make you question there integrity at every turn, but personally I expected something more. Maybe I have read one too many books in this genre, and I have come to expect a storyline to shock me and leave me breathless, unfortunately for me this is where this novel didn’t meet my expectations.

One night Cassie decides to take a short cut through the woods after a night out, what she doesn’t realise is that a woman will be found murdered on the very same night she passed her. Cassie starts out feeling guilty that she didn’t stop to offer help, but guilt soon turns to paranoia, suspicion and dread. It soon becomes evident that Cass is having problems remembering things and as her life spirals out of control and drags her to the brink, it begs the question is this a woman struggling with mental health issues? or is there something far more sinister a foot? B A Paris convincingly describes Cass loosing her grip on reality, and you can’t but help but feel empathy for her character, as the author describes her emotions and feelings with such conviction I found it heightened my own feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

The Breakdown is an intriguing read and I just know there are going to be plenty of readers who will love every page of this well written novel. Unfortunately I pretty much guessed where this novel was heading, so when the twists were revealed they didn’t come as a great surprise to me, I really thought there would be a twist that would make me change my opinion of this book but unfortunately it never materialised so I was left feeling slightly deflated. In the authors defence she has written a well plotted book, building skilfully on the tension and suspense and I’m sure it’s a book that will become a bestseller, for me this novel has the psychological elements you would expect, but it lacked the “thriller” or mess with my head element I’ve come to expect in books of this genre. This is only my humble opinion so you may prefer to check this one out for yourself.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: HQ (9 Feb. 2017)

Amazon UK 🇬🇧           Amazon US 🇺🇸

**Weekly Wrap Up**

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Oh woe me 😢😢 I have read zilch this week! What sort of book blogger does that make me? I would say a pretty rubbish one. I have had a very stressful week, basically I started a new job I managed eight shifts and resigned! Never in my 33 years of working have I ever walked away from a job, I won’t go into details but it’s suffice to say it wasn’t for me! But on the upside I’ve got an interview on Monday for another job (I don’t hang about), so fingers crossed. Hopefully I will get to read at least one book next week or I will have to rename my blog The lots of books but no reviews café 

ARC’s I received this week

Despite not reading anything I still managed to find myself on the dreaded NetGalley and got improved for Four books 🙈🙈

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Description
Lori Golden’s family have had more than their fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.

Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family start to fall apart. And, as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.

Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…

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Description

DCI Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths The third book in Michael Wood’s darkly compelling crime series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. Feared by the people of Sheffield, Starling House is home to some of Britain’s deadliest teenagers, still too young for prison.

Now the building’s latest arrival, Ryan Asher, has been found brutally murdered – stabbed twelve times, left in a pool of blood. When DCI Matilda Darke and her team investigate, they uncover the secrets of a house tainted by evil. Kate Moloney, the prison’s manager, is falling apart, the security system has been sabotaged, and neither the staff nor the inmates can be trusted. There’s only one person Matilda believes is innocent, and he’s facing prison for the rest of his life. With time running out, she must solve the unsolvable to save a young man from his fate. And find a murderer in a house full of killers…

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Description

The battle is on…

When gang leader Paddy O’Brien is stabbed in his brother’s famous nightclub, Manchester’s criminal underworld is shaken to the core. Tensions are running high, and as the body count begins to grow, the O’Brien family must face a tough decision – sell their side of the city to the infamous Boddlington gang or stick it out and risk losing their king.

But war comes easy to the bad boys, and they won’t go down without a fight. So begins a fierce battle for the South Side, with the leading Manchester gangsters taking the law into their own hands – but only the strongest will survive…

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Description

A daughter’s secret. A mother’s betrayal.

Every mother knows never to let their child out of their sight. But Freya has been distracted recently, and now her teenage daughter, Zoe, is missing.

Freya knows that the only way to bring Zoe back is to tell the truth, but when your whole life is built on secrets and lies, the truth could destroy everything.

Surely there’s no harm in telling just one more little white lie?

55Cs 100%

Description

1970s London has stopped swinging, but it’s not staying still.

Babs thought she had all the world ahead of her. Then she got pregnant and the father did a runner.

Salvation comes in the form of a man who’ll look after her. Or so she thinks.

But Stan Miller is the devil in disguise…and over the next twenty years, Babs will have reason to regret she ever met him. Can she protect her family – or will he get the better of her?

BLOOD MOTHER is the second thrilling book in the Flesh and Blood series, capturing a world very different from today but where some things still hold true: be careful what you wish for, and watch out for who you trust…

Books I bought this week

I only bought one book this week and despite my long suffering husband Andy offering to buy me some books to cheer me up when we went shopping, I actually looked but didn’t buy any, see I do have some self control, by the way Andy bought me some flowers to cheer me up instead, it may sound corny but he really is the best husband, well he’s got to be he’s put up with me for 29 years 😂😂

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Description

In the summer of 2006, Emma Price watched helplessly as her six-year-old son’s red coat was fished out of the River Ouse. It was the tragic story of the year – a little boy, Aiden, wandered away from school during a terrible flood, fell into the river, and drowned.

His body was never recovered.

Ten years later, Emma has finally rediscovered the joy in life. She’s married, pregnant, and in control again…

… until Aiden returns.

Too traumatized to speak, he raises endless questions and answers none. Only his body tells the story of his decade-long disappearance. The historic broken bones and injuries cast a mere glimpse into the horrors Aiden has experienced. Aiden never drowned. Aiden was taken.

As Emma attempts to reconnect with her now teenage son, she must unmask the monster who took him away from her. But who, in their tiny village, could be capable of such a crime?

It’s Aiden who has the answers, but he cannot tell the unspeakable.

This dark and disturbing psychological novel will appeal to fans of The Widow and The Butterfly Garden.

Last week on the book review café

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/29/blog-tour-behind-her-eyes-by-sarah-pinborough-authorinterview-review-sarahpinborough-wtfthatending/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/27/tattletale-by-sarah-j-naughton-review/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/26/topfivethursday-with-bookblogger-noelle-holten-aka-crimebookjunkie-eeeek/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/24/blog-tour-little-girl-missing-by-carol-wyer-bookouture-carolewyer/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2017/01/23/blink-by-k-l-slater-review-kimlslater-bookouture/

Next week on the book review café

The Breakdown by B A Paris review

My Book of the month

Don’t Look Behind You by Mel Sherratt blog tour

The Day That never Comes by Caimh McDonnell blog tour

**End Of The Year Wrap Up **

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Well I for one will be glad to see the back of 2016, for many reasons this hasn’t been the best year I’ve ever had. I’m going to embrace 2017 though and make it my year to take on new challenges.

Now I’m not one for New Years resolutions I always fail at the first hurdle (usually the 2nd of January 😂), but I am hoping to do a couple of things regarding my reading and my blog

  • Read some books from my TBR pile, which I’m desperate to get through
  • cut down on blog tours, as there’s too much pressure to read a book in a limited time
  • Only request one book at a time on NetGalley (this ones going to be hard)
  • if I’m not enjoying a book, I DON’T have to finish it, after all there are far too many amazing books out there to waste time on a duff one!
  • learn to say “no” it’s ok NOT to agree to read and review every book that comes my way (my new mantra😂)
  • Read more books by authors that are new to me, I’ve already got a couple lined up…..so watch this space!

Although I haven’t compiled a list of my top reads, here are just some of the books I really enjoyed this year and would highly recommend.

My top five most read posts

You can read the reviews here……

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/02/11/author-interview-behind-closed-doors-by-b-a-paris/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/02/08/behind-closed-doors-by-b-a-paris/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/01/26/tainted-love-by-kimberley-chambers/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/02/26/between-you-and-me-by-lisa-hall/

https://thebookreviewcafe.com/2016/06/10/the-sister-by-louise-jenson/

My First read of 2017

My first read of 2017 is Snatched From Home by Graham Smith, this is a book that has been sat on my TBR pile for a while, it’s also by an author I haven’t read yet which means I’ve already started on my goals for 2017

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Books I’ve read to watch out for in 2017
As the end of the year approaches I would like to say a huge thank you to each and everyone of you who follows my blog and wish you all a fabulous New Year and hope all your dreams come true.
Lorraine x x x

 

 

**Author Interview** Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris

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I am so Excited to have B. A. Paris Author of Behind Closed Doors visit the book review cafe today. Today is publication day for Behind Closed Doors, and it’s the debut novel from B A Paris, it really is one hell of a read, you can read my review further down the page.

I am so excited to have you visit the book review cafe today, but before we start should I refer to you as BA Paris? Or do you have another name you like be called? 
Also I would just like to congratulate you on Behind Closed Doors, it’s one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time (and I’ve read a fair few). 

I know that this may sound a bit stuffy, but for the moment, I prefer to be referred to as BA Paris so that I can maintain a little anonymity for as long as I can! And thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed Behind Closed Doors and thrilled that you think it’s one of the best you’ve read in a while.

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For those readers who haven’t yet heard of you or your book can you provide us with an introduction?
I’d always wanted to write but I never had time to actually sit down at a computer until my two elder daughters left home. I’d heard about a competition that the Sunday Times was running, had an idea for a story and began writing. A couple of months later, I’d completed an 80.000 word novel. It didn’t get anywhere but it didn’t matter as I’d found something I loved doing and couldn’t have stopped writing even if I’d wanted to.

Where did the idea for Behind Closed Doors come from?
Some years ago, I knew a couple whose relationship seemed perfect on the outside but a couple of little incidents made me wonder if things were different when they were on their own. It gave me the idea for a story and Behind Closed Doors was born.

How did you come to choose Behind Closed Doors as a title?
It didn’t come about easily! The original title was completely different, but what I didn’t know at the time was that it would have to please everybody, from my agent to my publisher to the sales team. To be fair, the title I’d come up with wasn’t workable but it was difficult to choose one that we all agreed on. I felt it was a shame that Behind Closed Doors had already been used before, as it summed up my story perfectly. But when I mentioned it, everyone thought it was brilliant and as I’ve learnt, it doesn’t actually matter that there have been other books with the same name.

This is your debut novel, how does that make you feel?
Even in my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined that Behind Closed Doors would strike a chord with so many people. The response has been amazing and is due, in great measure, to all those who have taken the time, not only to read my book, but also to review it. So I feel humbly grateful, and thrilled that I have written something people want to read.

Why did you choose to use B A Paris as your author signature, as opposed to your full name?
My first name is a bit of a mouthful and I’ve never particularly liked it. As well as that, using only my initials puts a bit of distance between me and my book, which is quite a comfortable place to be when it’s a debut novel!

The book’s protagonists, Jack and Grace, are both scarily believable. What kind of research did you carry out to achieve this?

When I sat down to write Behind Closed Doors, I knew that Jack wouldn’t be a very nice person but I didn’t know he would be as evil as he turned out to be. It wasn’t so much about doing research as letting the characters take over. Jack did this to such an extent that often, when I read back over what I had written the previous day, I was shocked that I could have written such dark things. Likewise, I never really planned where the story would go; Jack and Grace decided that all by themselves.

Do you have any strange writing habits or rituals?

None that I can think of.

Do you write an outline before you start writing?

Only in my head!

How long did it take to get your first book published?

From when it was first taken on by my agent to actual publication on Thursday, about 18 months.

What is your least favourite part of the writing/publishing process?

The 18-month wait!

If you couldn’t write books, what would you do for a living?

I really enjoy teaching, which I do at the moment, but I’d love to have a job where I could travel (Grace’s ex-job in Behind Closed Doors, for example) or else, a job in publishing.

Describe your book in 5 words?

A dark, tense, psychological drama.

Describe yourself in 5 words?

Determined, positive and hugely imaginative!

What authors/books do you like to read in your spare time?

Although I love reading, I’ve barely read a book since I started writing, simply because in my free time I prefer to write rather than read. In the past I’ve enjoyed books by Leon Uris, Douglas Kennedy, Sebastian Faulks and Wilbur Smith. I also love Kate Atkinson.

What book are you reading now?

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon. Then I’ll be reading The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza. I think it’s important to support other debut authors.

Are you able to tell me anything about your next book?

Only that it’s another psychological drama. I think that it’s what everyone will be expecting and it’s a genre that I enjoy writing.

During all the interviews you’ve done what question have you not been asked that you wish had been asked – and what’s the answer?

‘Why did you only start writing now?’ The answer is because I’m a bit of a perfectionist and prefer to concentrate on one thing at a time so that I can do it to the best of my ability. So I brought up my five daughters and when I felt I’d done a good enough job, I started to write.

And finally… Kindle or Paperback?

I love the smell and feel of books, so definitely a paperback. But I do have a Kindle, which I use from time to time, mainly when I’m travelling.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and for popping by the book review cafe, and wishing you a very happy publication day  I’m sure Behind Closed Doors is going to do very well.

About B. A. Paris 

B.A. Paris is from a Franco/Irish background. She was brought up in England and moved to France where she spent some years working as a trader in an international bank before re-training as a teacher and setting up a language school with her husband. They still live in France and have five daughters. This is her first novel.

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Book description

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.

You can read my review here

Publishers: MIRA 11th Feb. 2016

Kindle

Paperback

 

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

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Book description

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.

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Every now and then I pick up a book that blows me away when I’m least expecting it, and my god Behind Closed Doors certainly did just that. It is one of the most uncomfortable psychological thrillers that I have read in a long while. Jack and Grace appear to be the “perfect” couple, but appearances can be deceptive. From the opening chapter where Jack and Grace host a dinner party for friends, it soon becomes clear that something is not quite right about their relationship, everything about them is just too good to be true. It soon becomes very apparent that the relationship between Jack and Grace is very different to the one they would have people believe.

I really can’t say too much about this book without giving too much away. It’s pretty obvious from the books description it’s about some form of abusive relationship, but even so I wasn’t prepared for just how dark and intense Jack and Graces relationship became. Grace goes from a confident career woman to someone who is a shadow of herself, she is timid and appears weak, but due to the nature of her abuse it’s hardly surprising. Her relationship with her younger sister Millie who has Down’s syndrome is endearing and heart warming. Grace will do anything to protect her sister from Jack, who has dark and sinister plans for her once she moves in with them.

Behind Closed Doors jumps between the past and present, giving the reader a deeper insight into why Grace fell for Jack in the first place, and how she finds herself in her current situation. Jack seems the perfect husband, but his true colours are revealed almost as soon as they are married. Jack is the most complex protagonist, to his friends he’s a successful lawyer, a good friend and a wonderful husband, but to Grace he’s manipulative, cruel and controls every aspect of her life. There were times when the futility of Grace’s situation made me feel emotionally drained, her panic and fear were tangible and so expertly expressed by B.A Paris.

Although an uncomfortable read at times I throughly enjoyed Behind Closed Doors, it had all the elements that make a good psychological thriller, a realistic plot, twist and turns, with a nail biting ending! From the first page to the last I was so emotionally involved in this book I felt physically and mentally drained by the time I got to the last page.  B.A Paris manages to deal with the difficult subject of abuse sensitively, and without the need to overdramatise events. what’s really scary and a question I asked myself many times after reading this book “do we really know what goes on Behind Closed Doors to friends, family members and neighbours? ” and the answer has to be a resounding “no”. I absolutely loved every dark twisted page of Behind Closed Doors, as you may have guessed by now, if you haven’t read it yet, all I can say is “why not?”

Behind Closed Doors is B.A Paris debut novel, which I find astounding. Her writing, plot and characters are of such a high caliber, I was convinced that she must have written other books, I even googled her to check if this was the case! I will certainly be looking forward to her next book with baited breath.

5☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ out of 5 from me

Publishers: MIRA 11th Feb. 2016

Kindle

Paperback