Since the lockdown started I seem to be absolutely flying through books! The extra time has meant that instead of reading a chapter a night, I’m finishing books in record time. I made my way through Behind Closed Doors in just two sittings, although I could easily have read it in one because of the suspense.
Warning: this book tells the story of a woman who suffers domestic abuse, so please don’t read this if you think your emotions will be triggered by it. I haven’t been through an abusive relationship but still found myself getting angry and upset, so it’s probably best if you skip this one if you’ve been a victim of abuse.
Having said that, I think the fact I got quite emotional while reading the book is testament to the great story and the suspense that builds throughout.
The book is written in chapters, which alternate between the past and the present. It tells the story of a young woman called Grace and her husband Jack. On the surface, they appear to be the perfect couple – she is kind and elegant, he is wealthy and charming. The pair are inseparable, but not for the right reasons.
Their relationship develops very quickly as they go from dating to married in a matter of six months. Jack was already forty years old, so he didn’t want to waste any time when he realised that Grace was ‘the one’. By all accounts he is the perfect gentleman and even asks Grace’s father’s permission to marry her.
But on the day of their wedding, things start to go wrong. First of all, Grace’s sister Millie has a terrible fall down the stairs and is unable to continue as Grace’s bridesmaid. Then, on their wedding night, Jack disappears, and Grace is left in a hotel room on her own wondering what has happened.
By the time they reach their honeymoon destination Grace knows she has made a terrible mistake, but it’s too late. She is trapped. You see, the reason Grace never leaves Jack’s side is not because she is madly in love with him. It’s because she is under his control and he doesn’t trust her to be alone with anyone in case she tries to escape or tell someone what he does to her.
Jack feasts on the fear he instils in others, and relishes every attempt Grace makes to escape, as it confirms how terrified she is of him.
Grace’s sister is due to be moving in with them when she finishes school – she’s running out of time. With no one to talk to and her energy dwindling, can Grace find a way to escape her living nightmare before Millie arrives?
This book will have you on the edge of your seat as you root for the underdog to find enough strength to overpower her captor. I would highly recommend this Thriller and I look forward to finding some other books by B.A. Paris to get my teeth stuck into.
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