Book 19/30.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was a bit apprehensive about this one because I went into Behind Closed Doors (the author’s debut) expecting to LOVE it, but it ended up being an average 3-star read. My fingers were crossed that B.A. Paris’s sophomore novel would be an improvement on her first, but unfortunately for me, my apprehension was justified as The Breakdown was a basic 2-star read 😮💨
The story begins with Cass taking a shortcut home along a dark rural road, despite her husband’s advice not to. On the way, she notices a car parked by the roadside with a woman sitting inside. Cass debates whether she should stop to see if the woman needs help, but ultimately drives home instead. Later, the woman is found dead.
Cass is overwhelmed with guilt, but strange things soon begin happening around her. She starts receiving silent phone calls and notices a man watching her house from outside. At the same time, her memory begins to fail her. She forgets her purse when leaving the house and makes purchases she cannot remember making. Since her mother suffered from early-onset Alzheimer’s, Cass becomes increasingly frightened that her problems may be more serious than simple stress or anxiety.
When it comes to clues in mysteries/thrillers, I usually miss them entirely. I rarely predict twists or endings, and I almost always fall for red herrings, which is why I tend to enjoy the genre so damn much. Behind Closed Doors puts all its weight on the reveal, and many Goodreads reviewers criticised it for being wayyy too predictable, but I did not have that problem. My problem was that the story sounded like the perfect psychological thriller, but the reality was far less engaging. Mostly because the repetitive scenes of Cass fearing the phone and forgetting minor details that added next-to-nothing to the main plot quickly made the story feel slow and dull.
View all my reviews
** A guide to ratings **
1 star – did not like it
2 stars – it was okay
3 stars – liked it
4 stars – really liked it
5 stars – it was amazing
Lwile the Leo 