I loved the first book and this second title by this author did not disappoint. Please keep writing BA Paris, these books are great!

WOW !! The Breakdown had me totally involved from the beginning .This is a wonderful psychological thriller ,full of twists and turns and a touch of paranoia !! I loved the characters they felt very real ,how can people be so cruel to each other ? I particularly loved the ending which I didn't guess !! Brilliant 10 stars !!!

Cass leaves a party in the middle of a violent storm one summers evening. Desperate to get home, she drives her little mini down a shortcut through a winding country road that cuts through woods and immediately regrets her choice. Spotting a car in a layby with a woman inside, she stops to see if everything is OK but due to the torrential rain and the fact that the woman doesn't get out or flash her lights, Cass takes the decision to drive on assuming that she doesn't need help. It is a decision that will haunt her from that night on, as the next morning it is all over the news that a woman has been found murdered in her car down that very road.

Plagued by guilt at her decision, Cass descends into a state of stress and anxiety which seems to result in short-term memory loss, scaring her to death as her mother recently died of early onset dementia. Strange things start happening: conversations are forgotten, online purchases she can't remember making turn up, guests she can't remember inviting arrive. And then begin the silent calls...

Watching Cass spiral further out of control this leaves the reader to guess whether she is having a breakdown or whether someone is trying to break her. Is she being paranoid or are her fears founded?

This is the first book I've read by this author so I came to it with no expectations (actually, if I'm totally honest, I half expected it to be fairly mediocre and similar to the masses out there at the moment, but I was wrong). The Breakdown was actually a pretty gripping read, and one that kept me guessing and on my toes throughout. The reveal was very cleverly done and had me hooked firmly in it clutches as I raced towards the end. A real page-turner.

Following on from the bestselling debut ''Behind Closed Doors'' must have been a bit daunting for B.A. Paris, but I think ''The Breakdown'' is a worthy successor.

The whole introduction of the storm-ridden trip through the woods was eerie and suspense-filled. The storm providing the perfect background for the terror that is about to be unleashed on Cass. Suffering from apparent memory lapses Cass is seemingly unravelling throughout, edging on a breakdown herself and I must admit that even I was doubting what I'd read that she said or did. I kept having to remind myself to pay attention to what was said to her and what she said to others and this in turn meant that I doubted lots of the people surrounding her. Just who could we trust?

These doubts were then coupled by Cass not telling the truth about that night, about what she saw and what she did (or didn't do). I do accept that she was ridden with guilt but I don't know why Cass found it hard to admit she'd seen 'The Breakdown' even to her husband Matthew, and so I was a little frustrated by her. This frustration then seemed to be echoed by others who grew increasingly confused by her behaviour - it all became a vicious circle with Cass in the centre becoming beaten down by worry.

It was easy to see how anxious and confused she was and whilst I did suspect what was happening to her in parts, it didn't dampen my enjoyment of the well-crafted mystery. Neither could the fact that I couldn't quite keep up with the timeframe; I'm putting this down to a deliberate ploy, as I got the sense of time just slipping away. I suppose this was a good metaphor for the sense of disquiet and uncertainty Cass was suffering from.

''The Breakdown'' is a thoroughly good read which has enough twists and turns to keep you always on the backfoot. A captivating mystery that will keep you on-edge throughout.

BA Paris has done it again - another page turning unputdownable book - please see ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib2FEhesxjQ FOR my full thoughts !

I find myself now reading all these great reviews and I wish I let myself enjoy this book more.
All in all, this is a very well written, suspenseful, psychological thriller. I just couldn’t get over a few minor plot intricacies that just didn’t gel for me.

I’ll be honest here, I battled with Cass’s behaviour from the get go. One of the cornerstones of the plot is that she didn’t share that she saw the victim on the night of her murder, with either of the two people that she apparently cared for the most. Initially it was portrayed that this lie of omission was based on the premise that she was afraid her husband would be upset that she didn't listen to him, and then later it was due to overwhelming guilt. I mean come on, anyone would have discussed the situation for the sake of the bigger picture, and anyone would have gone straight to the cops because not doing so would put more people in danger (including herself).

Oh and to contradict this behaviour, we are informed that she admitted immediately to a stranger that she didn't work at a company whose party she had just gate crashed???

I do however feel that by the end of the story these inconsistencies were justified. We only learn much later that her very being had already been compromised, so I suppose any type of behaviour could be justified. And aren’t most psychological thrillers based on lies of omission or averted admissions that we have to live with as they are crucial to the story. Regardless, at the time this did frustrate me.

Anyway, the concept was great, the writing brilliant. I just felt slightly let down when it came to Cass’s decisions at times. Additionally the ending was rolled out superbly.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin UK for a copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a gripping read. The tension was established right at the start with the storm lashing around on Cass's drive home. This tension is maintained throughout to the end as Cass deals with her concerns about her mental health. I would not wish to write too much in the review in case it worked as a spoiler so will comment mainly on the characterisation which I thought was superb. I certainly empathised with the main character who shared a profession and maternal health issues with myself. I also thought the setting was well done, both the house itself and the surrounding woods and villages. A nasty, but all too believable tale and I shall certainly read more by the author.

Having read and enjoyed Behind Closed doors, I was eagerly awaiting this next book.
If like me, you like to read two or three chapters at bedtime over a week or so, this book definitely won't fit the bill!! I started this book in the morning while waiting for a delivery, and was absorbed from page one and became totally engrossed as I read on. When the inevitable knock on the door came, I shot out of my skin! I think I read this book with my eyebrows raised, my jaw dropped and the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Never before have I read a book so quickly - it was riveting. Definitely the best book I've read to date.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for approving my request.

Ahhh so good!
I always find it particularly tricky to review thrillers to absolutely avoid any spoilers which is imperative to allow the book to speak for itself and astound each reader as they journey through.
Needless to say this is a must read; a breathtaking, brilliant piece of twisted narrative that grips you right to the end.

Cass is a happily married school teacher. After a tough time looking after her mother, she is now beginning to enjoy life with her doting husband and the support of her long time friend, Rachel.

Matthew is happily married to Cass and works for the oil rigs. He appears to be the kind and considerate husband.

After a night out with her colleagues at the end of term, Cass is caught in a storm. Visibility is very poor through the heavy downpour. Although, she has been warned to stick to the main roads, she is worried about having an accident and takes the treacherous country road. She notices a car parked in a lay by and stops to see if the driver is in need of assistance. Only, the driver doesn't get out of her car or shows any sign of distress. Cass makes an informed decision to drive on and send for help when she gets home.

The next morning, the breaking news is of the murder of a young woman in the same lay by. Cass is shaken up on learning the news and finds out later on that it's someone that she knows. She becomes even more distressed whilst experiencing the most unusual and worrying chain of events. She is also riddled with guilt, constantly thinking if only.......

These experiences become more and more frequent and she becomes more and more distressed, worrying about her sanity. At least she has Matthew and Rachel for support! As luck would have it, she stumbles upon some totally baffling and upsetting information which might shed light on the murder and her own dilemma.

This novel is very well paced. The characters are very well portrayed. It's full of suspense, mystery and angst. Although a little predictable in places, the revelation at the end is just Wow! I didn't see that one coming. Totally worth reading and would appeal to lovers of Psychological Thrillers.

I was kindly issued with a complimentary eARC from the publisher via NetGalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

The Breakdown had me gripped pretty much from page one. I read a large portion of it in bed at night, and I have to say that made for tense and eerie reading! I don’t usually get unsettled whilst reading or watching things (I am a big horror film fan) but, perhaps due in part to the darkness and being alone, this did leave me feeling a bit creeped out – it plays on your mind, but not in any way that hampered my enjoyment! I raced through it and felt it was a real page turner.

The characters are, at times, a bit frustrating – sometimes I felt like screaming at Cass to tell someone – but as you read on you understand, more and more, why she feels like this. They all feel like really well-crafted,convincing people that you can imagine having in your life...

As a reader you can also get a real sense of how it must feel to worry that you’re going mad or starting to show symptoms of dementia, and how that must affect how you confide in people.

This is a story where you’re never quite sure who’s being honest, who’s telling the truth or who’s a threat – and I love books like this. I’m a huge psychological thriller fan but some novels in this genre can get rather samey and completely ridiculous. This felt like a fresh take on the genre - it had some strange parts to it which seem a little unbelievable at first, but it all makes sense in the end!

The Breakdown felt like something a little different; something that stands out in the genre. It really gripped me, leaving me completely absorbed in the story and not wanting it to end! A definitely recommendation for any fans of the genre – or anyone fancying a fast paced, captivating read. I definitely want to read her other novel, Behind Closed Doors, now!

Compulsive reading,reeling you in so you don't know fact from fiction. The unreliabe narrator adds tension and interest. I did guess part of the outcome,though there was still a few surprises. I was a little disappointed with some aspects of the outcome,but overall, a must read

An absolute belter! B A Paris is just knocking them out of the park. Gripping, thrilling, fast-paced, couldn't put it down and would recommend it to anyone! A definite bestseller for 2017!

I really enjoyed B.A. Paris's gripping debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, and couldn't wait to get started on her latest book. I devoured The Breakdown over a weekend, I simply couldn't put it down, so spent most of the weekend sat outside in the back garden until I'd finished it.

Cass is the main character and the entire book is told from her perspective. One evening, after a night out with friends, she's driving home in the middle of a huge storm. On a spur of a whim moment, she decides to take a short cut along an isolated road through the woods, although she knows her husband would go mad if he discovered the twisty road she had driven down. Stopped on a layby she spots a car haphazardly pulled over. She can just about make out a woman sat behind the wheel, but the rain blurs the details. Cass is reluctant to get out of her car in the pouring rain and concerned it could be a nutter laying a trip, so when she realises the other woman doesn't appear to be in distress or in need of help, she drives off. The following morning there are news reports about a woman discovered brutally murdered while sat inside her car on the lonely road through the woods. It's the same woman that Cass saw, so she obviously feels a tremendous amount of guilt. She doesn't say anything to her husband or friends, because she knows how terrible she would appear for just driving off. Once the victim is named, Cass realises she knew her so feels even more terrible.

While this is taking place, Cass keeps forgetting other things; such as to buy a present for a friends birthday, that her husband has to work away, that she invited another family for a BBQ and simple things such as which windows she shut or didn't. Her own Mum developed early onset dementia and Cass is terrified she's following in her footsteps. Things continue happening; Cass is sure she is being watched, she keeps receiving silent phone calls and her memory doesn't seem to be improving. Meanwhile a murderer is still on the loose and Cass can't get the woman who was murdered out of her head.

The Breakdown is an excellent fast paced, psychological thriller that you won't want to put down until you reach the conclusion. As a reader we aren't sure if the main character is actually losing the plot or if something even more sinister is at work. With most thrillers, it's difficult to say too much about the book, without giving away huge chunks of the plot. It's no different with The Breakdown, it would spoil things for potential readers to go into too much detail about the plot or characters.
This book really is super addictive and once you pick it up you will struggle to put it down. There is a slightly eerie and anxiety filled ambience throughout, which keeps you turning the pages while trying to work out who the murderer is. If you enjoy well written psychological thrillers that are full of suspense and tension and keep you guessing right until the end, this is definitely one to add right to the top of your to buy list.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin (UK) Limited and BA Paris for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Wow oh wow oh wow!
My first BA Paris read, and certainly won't be my last. Intense psychological thriller, one which I'm sure will stay with me for a while. There were times when I was reading this book that I actually held my breath, and could feel my heart pounding, almost as if I were Cass- I was truly living the moment! Very cleverly written, I know this will be one of my top reads of 2017!

What a stunning story.
Just like Behind Closed Doors I couldn't put this book down.

It all started that night in the woods.
Cass Anderson didn’t stop to help the woman in the car, and now she’s dead.
I can see why she took the shortcut through the woods in a storm. I also would.
The spray from the main road would have been unbearable for me too.

Cass feels so much guilt that she didn’t stop.
Now she thinks the killer is stalking her through silent phone calls. She feels uneasy in her own home. She is filled with fear and paranoia.
So well written, it took me on an anxious journey with Cass. I felt I was with her the whole way, questioning my own sanity. I felt claustrophobic at times, my heart was racing.

Cass’s mum had early onset dementia and with all the things she’s forgetting she worries it is affecting her too. I like the double meaning of ‘the breakdown’.

I don’t want to say anything else for fear of spoiling the plot.

Please give this book a go, you won’t be disappointed.
I just loved the ending, absolutely perfect.
A gripping psychological thriller with lots of paranoia thrown in.
Thanks to the publishers, Harlequin (UK) Limited and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

So, I was super super hyped for this one after reading and loving "Behind Closed Doors" way more than I probably should have and this one didn't disappoint! The Breakdown was exciting and kept me guessing. Cass was a great character to follow as the events of a mysterious night began to unfold. You never knew what was going to happen next and I loved every page. Damn great. I cannot wait for B.A. Paris' next book already!!

An absolute belter of a book. Creepy and slightly disturbing, you really don't know who to believe. Is Cass really losing her mind?? I was totally absorbed in her tale -- why was she so distraught? Who can she trust??

A take your breath away, can't put it down kind of book. Read in (almost) one sitting. Don't want to say anymore, but read it. It's great.

5* from me.

I really liked this authors first book and was so pleased that I was able to review (thanks Netgalley) this new book. I could totally relate to this book as my mother has dementia and I am going through the same anxiety as Cass. This book had me a bit spooked to be honest but in a good way. One of the best books I have read in ages.

I was worried after reading Paris's first book that the second could be a let down. I needn't have. This book was absolutely stunning story about a woman who takes a short cut through the woods, and finds another can broken down at the die of the road.

What follows is a catalogue of events you couldn't predict. What an amazing literary gem. I couldn't put this down and didn't see the twist at the end coming at all.