Chilling

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris is the most marvellous contemporary psychological thriller. It is definitely a book that will mess with your mind. It is a chilling read with more than a hint of menace.

On the surface they have it all but what really goes on behind closed doors? No one really knows the secrets people have.

Tell a lie often enough and with a smile and soon people think it’s the truth. Polishing one’s life so that the surface glitters but neglecting to see the inside is rotten to the core.

What does evil look like? “I feel dismayed at how normal he looks.” Evil looks no different to you or I.

There is a wonderful sisterly bond. Millie has Downs Syndrome and is wonderfully drawn. She is viewed as simple but Millie knows and sees far more than people give her credit for.

The novel is written in the first person from the point of view of wife Grace. The reader ‘experiences’ her life and we ‘feel’ her fear. We sense the hopelessness. We know her love for Millie. We know she will do whatever she can to protect her.

Split into alternating chapters headed ‘past’ and ‘present,’ the reader is teased about what is to come. We ‘see’ the past and then understand how the action came about.

A superb psychological thriller that is chilling in the extreme. It  would make a fabulous movie.

Do not take this book to bed. You will have nightmares.

JULIA WILSON