The Breakdown by B.A. Paris is a contemporary psychological thriller and what a fabulous read it is. I was gripped from the start to end. With heart racing, I read on, trying to guess the outcome.. but failed.
The Breakdown is a clever read as it can be seen on two levels, literal and imagined. Written in the first person, the reader can easily see themselves as the main protagonist. Questioning ones sanity as the action unfolds, the reader wonders what is real and what is imagined? And whose sanity is intact?
B.A. Paris has an intricately constructed plotline. As the book progresses, the reader becomes more embroiled in the action. Home, that should be a safe haven becomes more and more terrifying. Who can be trusted? Where does the truth lie?
There are the themes of guilt and trust. In a world that is becoming more shaky, who can one confide in? Guilt can eat away at ones peace of mind. The past cannot be changed. The guilt needs to be dealt with. Confession is good for the soul but who can be told the truth?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Breakdown. It was my first forage into the genre of psychological thriller. It is not a book to be read alone. B.A. Paris is a marvellous new author and I shall definitely be seeking out more by this author.
A cracking tale. More please.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

This is a fantastic book with many unexpected twists and turns. Couldn't put it down, read in two sittings. I would definitely recommend reading this book

HAUNTING. ATMOSPHERIC. UNPUTDOWNABLE.

"If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?"

I loved Behind Closed Doors, the novel by B A Paris. It was everything I enjoy in a good psychological thriller, so was eager and excited to read her latest offering and was not disappointed!

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of the downpour, with the woman sitting inside - the woman who was killed. She's been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done really? It's a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she had broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she'd stopped.

As Cass comes to terms with the events that occurred that night, the guilt and blame she feels start to take a hold of her. Everyday activities, even the simplest of tasks are becoming daunting as she's forgetting the easiest of things, she believes she is being stalked and things are spiralling out of control. But is it all in her head?

B A Paris once again has astutely constructed another beautifully written psychological thriller. It was compelling, atmospheric, discombobulating and unputdownable! The story will have you guessing throughout with twists and turns you won't see coming. Told through Cass as she falls further into a weakened state of mind. Wrote with such depth to her character, you won't be able to not be empathetic towards her - I was genuinely rooting for her. But is she having a breakdown or is someone trying to break her?

The Breakdown is an all consuming read in one sitting, emotionally captivating story.

Highly recommended!

**Arc received with thanks from the publish in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley**

An enthralling read. Having enjoyed Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris , I was very much looking forward to reading this second book, The Breakdown. Completely different to Behind Closed Doors, It was every bit as thrilling. . The story has some great twists and turns. which made me suspicious of every character. Which is exactly what I love about a book.! Such a brilliant conclusion that I didn't see coming. Looking forward to reading more from BA Paris.

Ok story but guessed the ending far too soon so got a little bit boring at times.

Cass' mother died a year ago and, although not the cause of death, Cass is scared that she has inherited early onset dementia. Apart from that light is great, she has inherited a lot of money, has been wed for a year to a handsome and successful man and lives in an idyllic country cottage in Sussex. Then things start to fall apart. Cass takes a shortcut home in a storm and sees a woman parked at the roadside, she stops but getting no response drives on. The next day the woman's murder is reported and Cast feels guilty for not investigating further, worse still is the fact that Cass knew the woman. She feels stressed but then starts forgetting things and starts getting silent calls, visiting the doctor she is put on pills but things don't get better. Is Cass suffering from dementia? Only her husband and her best friend seem to be supporting her and not thinking that she is merely paranoid.

Paris' first novel was a huge success and there is a lot of hype behind this second outing. It is obvious that there is a massive market for this sort of psychological thriller with a twist and a very domestic setting - sort of chick-lit with added menace! In fact I felt this was a much better book than 'Behind Closed Doors'. OK so it is about as cliched as you can get and I'd sussed the plot after about 10% of the book but that doesn't stop it being an addictive read. Paris is a good storyteller, she understands the level of demand needed to keep her audience on their toes and the narrative never really lets up. There are huge gaps in the plot but so what? I raced through the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It didn't stretch or challenge but it was great entertainment.

4 - 4.5 stars

Whilst I did enjoy the book, I did become increasingly frustrated with the main character and could never quite warm to her. It is intriguing and very well written but it just didn't grab me in the way that B.A Paris's first book did (it may be that my expectations were set too high after 'Behind Closed Doors' was in my top 2016 reads). The writing and pace of the story is excellent and it's suspenseful and the fear of dementia and subsequent paranoia was well handled. I did guess the outcome pretty early in the story but this didn't actually detract from my enjoyment as I was eager to see how the threads wove together and how the reveal would be done.

Many thanks to Harlequin (UK) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Well BA Paris, you’ve done it again- the dogs have crossed legs, the phone is on silent and food is on hold.
I loved/hated Behind Closed Doors- ditto The Breakdown. ( What a clever title)
I read it in two fell swoops, unable to stop in case something happened, whilst I was away.
The dialogue is pacey, the story races along, characters are credible, Cass is heartbreaking in her agonies.
I did guess the ending quite early on, but there are a number of personal reasons why, & they would be total spoilers to mention in a review, but that did not lessen my enjoyment of this story at all.
What more can you ask for than a book that makes you curl up and just want to stay in front of the fire until you reach the end?
When ‘Behind Closed Doors came out, a friend was going on holiday, I recommended it, she loved it & it’s done the rounds of her family since.
Fast forward to next week, same friend is going on holiday, fortunately, yet again I can recommend a book for her...
Ms Paris , can we please discuss your writing programme so that it fits in with my friend's holiday plans for next year?

Sorry this was not for me and I stopped reading after 15%. Will not post review on Amazon/GR for this reason but thanks so much for this opportunity.

Cleverly written, engrossing book.
Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Behind Closed Doors was one of the most talked about breakthrough debut novels of 2016 so it was always going to be interesting to see how B.A. Paris followed it up. Have no fear though because The Breakdown is even better.

Cass Anderson is returning home from a night out with the other teachers from school. Term has just ended and a long summer break looms ahead. A summer storm breaks as she is driving home from the party. The torrential rain is making the motorway treacherous so she decides to come off early and take the short cut through the woods instead. Visibility here is not much better but at least she is away from the spray and speeding cars. Halfway home she sees a car pulled over in a lay-by. She can just make out a blonde woman in the front seat. The weather is so bad and the area so remote that Cass really doesn’t want to get out of the car so she stops briefly to see if the woman approaches her for help. When no contact is made Cass drives off and goes home.

The next morning she is horrified to hear on the local news that a woman was murdered in her car the previous night. In the woods. In that lay-by. Cass could have saved her but she left her to die. Cass could even have been another victim herself. As the guilt begins to take its toll on her summer plans she finds her world starting to come apart. When the silent calls begin Cass knows that it is the killer on the other end. Will she be next?

Settle down in your comfiest armchair and prepare yourself for a journey into hell. Just don’t forget to breathe!


Supplied by Net Galley and Harlequin Books in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book as much as the last. Could not put it down and read it in a couple of days. I guessed done of the plot early in the book but did not see the final twists coming. Superb read.

This is the second by this author that I have been unable to resist reading. A psychological Thriller that has you on the edge of your seat for a turbulent trip. I didn't expect the twist at the end... I wasn't sure throughout the story where it was going. Excellent read and would recommend for others.

I enjoyed the author's debut novel and hoped that this would live up to what she produced previously. I was not disappointed.

This is like a book of two halves. The first part is where the reader believes they know the way the story is going to go due to what the author tells us about the main female character. The second half totally blows everything you thought you knew out of the window. The way the story is written drew me in and had me trying to work out if what I was reading was actually what was going on, or if it was what the character was being led to believe was happening.

As a psychological thriller this was brilliantly done, I would recommend this author to anyone who loves a story with plenty of twists throughout.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Having anticipated this second book from B A Paris after loving her first one, Behind Closed Doors, I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed. The ending was signalled too clearly from the outset and therefore the careful laying down of plot and a few red herrings were spoiled. However I've awarded 4 stars because despite the aforementioned, the author writes very well with a cracking pace which draws the reader in. I will certain look out for her next book

After a night celebrating the end of the school term, Cass takes a shortcut through the woods to get home. The road is dark and a storm is hitting hard when she sees a car laying on the side of the road. Inside there is a woman but she doesn’t seem to be in need of help and afraid it may be a trap like you see in horror movies, Cass keeps driving. The next morning the news announces that a woman was found murdered the night before on the same road. Consumed by guilt, Cass starts forgetting things like presents to buy or friends who she invited over. Does she have dementia as her mother did? And is the killer behind the silent calls that she receives every day? As her husband and best friend start to doubt her sanity, Cass becomes more depressed and paranoid. Not only a story of murder and jealousy, but also of a woman trying to come to term with the fact that she may become like her mother. A compelling and sinister page-turner with so many twists and turns that at the end I was literally on the edge of my seat.

In The Breakdown, B A Paris' second novel, Cass decides to ignore her husband's advice and drive home along a lonely, woodland road. She sees a car broken down, in appalling weather conditions, and stops to see if the female driver needs help. When they don't react to her stopping she drives on but is shocked to discover, the next day, that not only did she know the driver but that she had been found dead in her car. She feels she can't share the guilt she feels with her husband - he'll be angry that she drove along such a dangerous road - but worse than the guilt is the feeling that she is losing her mind. Her mother died after suffering from early onset Alzheimer's - is Cass starting to show signs of the same awful fate?

There is plenty of threat and fear for Cass - at first that she will become ill and a burden on her husband but later she is plagued by silent phone calls and feels physically threatened. She feels isolated, her husband blames call-centres and she never told him about her Mum's illness because he might not want a woman with such potentially bad genes, and even her best friend isn't there for her. As a reader you can see nothing more positive than heavy-duty meds in her future but, gradually, she starts to realise that all the things happening to her just don't make sense. When she finally takes back control of her life she brings the story to a pretty satisfying conclusion.

The debut novel, 'Behind Closed Doors' by B. A. Paris was just brilliant. So on completion of a Book Club read over 4 long weeks, knowing I had 'The Breakdown' waiting in the wings made my next choice easy - and I was not disappointed. 24 hours! That's all it took me to read and complete; 24 hours - I couldn't put it down. It was so, so easy to rate; an easy five stars without a doubt! Just brilliant.
Cass, the main character, is very believable, haunted as she is by her past - and by the future that might lie ahead. In a moment of fear and frustration in the midst of a storm on a dark and lonely road, Cass drives on rather than stop to assist a lone female stranded in her broken down car; the next morning, she learns that the woman was 'brutally' murdered in her car - and Cass was probably the last person to see her alive! Traumatised by the news and filled with guilt and regret at her failure to take any action, Cass begins to experience a 'breakdown' of an entirely different sort. Haunted by the final years of her mother's life, as she experiences more and more instances of serious memory loss in what appears to be inexplicable circumstances, Cass fears that she is taking after her mother and suffering symptoms of early onset Dementia. Her neurosis increases to almost unmanageable levels as she begins to receive silent telephone calls and feels that she is being watched. Even the love and support of her husband Matthew, and her best friend Rachel, don't seem to help.
B. A. Paris holds the reader enthralled as she builds the suspense and tension to a critical level and Cass feels she is going mad.
I must confess, I did begin to have a little inkling as to what might be going on towards the end, but that didn't detract by any means from the final twist.
Thoroughly recommended five star read!

When she discovers that she drove past a broken down car where a woman is found murdered she is horrified. When she starts forgetting things and strange things happen around her house she worries that she is starting to suffer from early onset dementia. You can feel her panic as she knows what would be ahead. She also starts getting phone calls where the caller stays silent and convinces herself that the murder is now watching her.

This is a real page turner where you join her chaotic life and start wondering whether she is suffering a complete breakdown, is suffering the early stages of dementia or whether something more sinister is going on. Her life seems to be unraveling in front of her.

Plenty of twists keep you gasping as more things happen to her.

I discovered that I already had BA Paris previous book downloaded on my kindle- so I can't wait to read that one now