Behind closed doors by b.a. paris
I was up again late last night reading instead of sleeping – really need to work hard on my habits!
This book is definitely not a heart pumping psychological suspense/thriller as it is marketed to be but so help me God, I just could not put this book down. You can easily predict what is going to happen in the end but for some reason you will keep on reading.
This is a story about Grace & Jack. From the outside everything looks perfect. Perfect Marriage. Perfect House. Just Perfect! But you know it isn’t.
Jack is a high-profile lawyer who specializes in domestic abuse cases & fights for the rights of battered woman while Grace, well, she is the epitome of grace.
Grace used to be a buyer for Harrods & was expected to travel internationally often but she gave it all up before marrying Jack, on his suggestion that they should immediately try to start a family. BIG RED FLAG GIRL!
Grace is also the primary caretaker of Millie, her much younger sister with Down Syndrome. This has also been the reason why in the past, none of Grace’s relationships survived. So, when she saw how much Jack adores Millie & even wants to share Millie’s custody with her, Grace thinks she has hit the jackpot. ANOTHER RED FLAG.
Grace is so smitten with Jack & his ideals that she agrees to everything he says without a second thought and leaves her job, gives all her money to Jack, shares Millie’s custody and marries him.
I know what you are wondering. What about Grace’s parents? Well, they never wanted to have kids, and after Millie was born, they wanted to give her up for adoption. They only stepped down after Grace fought & forced them to entrust Millie in her care. Talk about being ‘real salt of the earth’ people.
The story is narrated from Grace’s POV and has two timelines PAST & PRESENT. We get to know how Grace & Jack met and fell in love. In the present, Grace chronicles her life with Jack which has been a complete horror show. Right after they get married, Jack ‘fesses up that he is a sadistic monster (as expected) & only married Grace to torture Millie.
Sadly, I cannot divulge more about the story without giving spoilers. The appeal of the book is not the suspense but the writing. You will not want to keep this one down! Also, I felt like Grace could’ve made better decisions but honestly, I guess, you have no way of knowing how you would react in any given situation.
