Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
ISBN: 9781250121004 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781250121011 (ebook)
ASIN: B01CXO4VRI (Kindle edition)
Publication date: August 9, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You’d like to get to know Grace better. But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love.
Picture this: a dinner party at their perfect home, the conversation and wine flowing. They appear to be in their element while entertaining. And Grace’s friends are eager to reciprocate with lunch the following week. Grace wants to go, but knows she never will. Her friends call—so why doesn’t Grace ever answer the phone? And how can she cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim?
And why are there bars on one of the bedroom windows?
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?
Jack Angel appears to be the perfect gentleman and husband. He adores his wife and is protective of his new sister-in-law. He’s an attorney that fights in court on behalf of battered women. Grace Angel appears to the be the perfect wife, loving and nurturing and never more than a few steps away from her husband’s side. Is theirs the perfect marriage or can looks be deceiving in Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris.
Jack and Grace have a whirlwind romance and before you know it, Grace has quit her job, sold her house, and is ready to be a full-time wife. Jack was the perfect gentleman and lover during their courtship and is quite accepting of the fact that Grace’s younger sister, Millie, will be moving in with them when she finishes at school. Grace knows many men aren’t so accepting of having a younger sibling, much less one with Down’s Syndrome, move into their homes after marriage, so this is just one more thing to admire about Jack. Grace quickly learns that Jack is not the man he pretends to be on the day of her wedding and during her honeymoon. Every attempt she makes to deflect Jack results in her being seen as deranged or psychotic. As a result, Grace does the only thing she can do in this situation and that’s bide her time and pray that things will change for the better before Millie comes to live with them. Just how far is Grace willing to go in an effort to protect Millie from Jack?
I found Behind Closed Doors to be a fast-paced read that kept me on tenterhooks from the beginning to the very end. Jack is quite skilled at manipulating not only Grace but his circle of friends and acquaintances as well. The more that is revealed about Jack and Grace’s relationship, the more we realize that Jack epitomizes the psycho in this psychological thriller. I’ve read books with plenty of bad guys and books with plenty of evil guys, and Jack is probably in the top ten on both lists. Ms. Paris provides a nice little twist at the end of the story that was somewhat unexpected but pleasing nonetheless (no, I’m not going to tell you what the twist is…read the book!). The story is presented from Grace’s perspective from both the past and the present. This story contains some hot-button topics such as emotional, mental, and physical abuse, not to mention murder. The abuse isn’t presented in graphic detail, but it isn’t exactly glossed over either. If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers, then you’ll definitely want to add Behind Closed Doors to your reading list. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Paris in the future.
Read an excerpt here.
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