A modern, twisting thriller - cleverly written, my thoughts on what had actually happened kept changing as the pages turned and the ending was a real surprise.

A great read.

This is a best seller and goes in my top five of the year so far, I just could not put this story down so read it very quick. I loved the characters, it is so well written that you cannot see what is going on until near the end. Another brilliant book by B A Paris.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

On their way back from a holiday in France to their home in UK a couple stop at a picnic stop, she remains in the car while he grabs supplies. When he return to the car she is missing, no sign of her anywhere. Now 12 years later we catch up with him, he has sort of moved on and is due to get married. She knows some of the details of the events in his past but begins to get concerned when items start to turn up at their home. What is the significance and why are they arriving now?

This is going to be such a vague “My Thoughts” post. No names, no details, no chance of spoiling the plot. To reveal anything would be to revealing one of the many threads that have been woven into this story. Set as a time slip as the reader is taken through events that occurred 12 years ago and also present day. It has three parts to the story and each part is deals with different sections in a definitive way. As you move through these sections you are drawn deeper into the story, the suspense continually builds and the red herrings have been superbly placed to lead you down the wrong thought path.

This is a suspense filled psychological thriller and mystery that moves quickly and definitely accelerates, I found myself almost racing through this story to find out the end and also having to slow my reading in the eagerness to get the truth. This story will almost certainly have you wondering who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. As you progress you will wonder who played what part if any in the mystery element of this book.

I loved this book and found myself quickly caught up and engrossed. This is a book I would highly recommend to readers who like their thrillers full of suspense and mystery that are quick in their pace and addictive reading.

I discovered B. A. Paris at the beginning of last year when I first read The Breakdown, her second novel. I was quickly engrossed in this novel and I found her writing brilliant and captivating. Then I read her debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, another fantastic psychological novel that kept me glued to the pages. So, when, in July, the author announced her third novel I was really excited and, in November, HQ, the author’s English publisher, sent me an early copy (for which I am very very thankful!).

Finn’s girlfriend, Kayla, disappeared mysteriously and she was never found. Finn never revealed the complete truth about the night she disappeared and now, twelve years later, he has given up in ever finding her and he is leading a quiet and normal life in a small town just outside of London. He works from home, he walks his dog, and he just got engaged to his girlfriend Ellen who happens to be Kayla’s older sister. And it’s right after the engagement is announced on a newspaper that strange things start to happen. First Ellen finds a Russian doll outside their house and then Finn starts receiving emails from someone claiming to know what happened to Kayla. And as more Russian dolls appear and more mysterious emails are received, Finn starts to wonder again what happened that night that Kayla disappeared.

First of all, the plot is twisty, thought-provoking, and intense. I like the author’s attention to details and descriptions and I found the small-town setting very evocative. The novel is full of suspense and I love the alternation between the past and the present and even between characters which made me turn page after page to see what happens next.

What I loved most about this novel is the author’s descriptions and exploration of the characters’ psychology. Finn’s guilt over what happened to Kayla and over his feelings towards Ellen and the characters’ what ifs make the novel more addictive, compelling, and unpredictable.

While I was reading I tried to guess who was sending the emails and the Russian dolls, but there are many unpredictable moments and I was completely taken by surprise by the final shocking revelation – which is always unexpected in this author’s novels.

Carefully plotted, dark, and engrossing, BRING ME BACK is the kind of book you can’t stop reading so I recommend you either take a day off or wait for the weekend or you can do like me and give up on a night of sleep because you won’t be able to put it down.

The book is about Finn’s first wife (Layla) going missing during a stop on a car journey, and the following developments. The story builds slowly at first, exploring Finn’s life some years after Layla’s disappearance and moves backwards and forward to the present, looking at different events through that time.
As Finn is about to marry Layla’s sister (Ellen), unbelievable, lightly sinister events begin to occur relating to Layla. There are a couple of sightings of the missing sister and tension builds as the story unfolds and becomes gripping and fast flowing, especially towards the end of the book when all becomes clear.
Finn’s character flaws are well drawn by the author, making him more interesting as a character and developments occur throughout the story. I liked the way certain events in the story are told by different characters, though the found the story slow in places.

This is a story of a love triangle with a sinister edge and makes compelling reading. It's quite far fetched and not really credible but this doesn't spoil the journey. The characters are strongly painted but they are seemingly unhinged by their dark secrets, ruthless and each have their trust issues. Finn's girlfriend, Layla disappears on a holiday in France. To avoid suspicion and conviction he twists the truth to the police. Layla is never found. Twelve years later he's due to marry her sister Ellen. Then there are cryptic emails and symbolic occurrences which make Finn believe Layla is still alive. It makes him revisit his emotions. Is she still alive or is someone playing a sick, macabre trick? It's a very unsettling read with a very unexpected ending. The message of the book is can we really trust others around us? Thank you to NetGalley and HQ

Dolls in general are pretty creepy, right? The glass eyes that follow you round the room, the oddly child-like features, the ones that talk...especially the ones that talk...*shudders*. So if you were going to write a book - a thriller, no less - where you were creating a omnipresent sense of foreboding, a potential back-from-the-dead plotline, a character exerting their power to possibly ruin your life you might think that creepy dolls would fit into the plot nicely. I certainly thought so.
But which creepy doll would you choose? A Stephen King style clown toy? A terrifying Victorian creation? A crudely made voodoo doll?

Or the most adorable, not even slightly creepy Matryoshka (or Russian dolls - you know, the super cute brightly painted type that nest inside of each other).

Yeah, I probably wouldn't go for that. But B. A. Paris did!

Bring Me Back is the story of Finn, a 40 something financy type person (something to do with stocks and shares portfolios - it's a bit vague). He's living with Ellen, the sister of his missing girlfriend Layla and has just asked her to marry him, which is weird but you know, whatevs. We know from the offset that Finn is hiding something about Layla's disappearance at a service station in France years before but we're not sure of details or even if Layla is still alive. However, Russian dolls start appearing in random places (relevant because Layla always carried one with her) and Finn starts receiving mysterious email correspondence regarding his previous life. What really happened? Is Finn to blame? Is Layla alive or is it an elaborate hoax? Where do Finn's loyalties lie?

OK, so back to my Matryoshka issue..

Now, I'm not so thick that I can't see the metaphoric relevance to the storyline (which I'm not going to elaborate on because spoilers) of using darling little Russian dolls as supposed harbringers of doom. However, when the explanation for them appearing is Layla always carried one with her, is that metaphor needed? Is it relevant? Wouldn't a mangled Barbie have done a better job?

I think it's time to let it go...

So, on to my other issues with the book:

1. The Characters
Finn is pretty much the only character that you get to know i.e. has any sort of personality, except for the character who may or may not be Layla. Ellen is the perfect sexy lamp of a girlfriend, not asking questions or doing anything other than watching her weight or getting her hair done. However, unlike so many female characters with no agency, this was clearly an intentional choice by the author and made sense when you found out the ending - but this meant that for 90% of the book Ellen may as well have been a cardboard cutout. The lesser characters are pretty interchangeable and are just there to react to the action.

Wait - did you say didn't ask questions? Isn't she dating the last person to have seen her missing sister alive - the guy who is most likely to be involved somehow in her disappearance?

Yes, dear readers, yes she is. Also the guy who, if she'd bothered to ask any of his friends, had to escape from Ireland because his "temper" aka abusive/violent tendencies had led to him having quite a few people after him. People that surprisingly didn't come forwards after Finn was implicated (and was presumably the top suspect) in a massive media story about his girlfriend's frankly bizzare disappearance.

Hmmm.

2. The World They Live In

Finn and Ellen live in a beautiful little village in Gloucestershire. Finn clearly earns a lot of money as a city trader and Ellen - well, Ellen is an illustrator but irrelevant so we know she earns enough to get her hair and nails done every month.

Wait - did you say city trader? Like the financial district in London which is...how many hours away from Gloucestershire?

Yes dear readers, yes I did. But, like so-freaking-many books written today both Ellen and Finn work from home, thus allowing them to ditch work and get involved in activities that push the storyline forwards at the drop of a hat. I'm not sure that's what happens in real life - especially as Finn is meant to be pulling off million pound deals and managing a huge share portfolio. I'd guess that's a pretty pressurised job and would require more than a couple of hours a day at a computer screen? And quite a lot of time in meetings?

Yeah, but don't worry - he drives in to the office a few times.

Wait - he drives into central London? From the other side of the country?

Yeah. Also the line "text me when you leave London, then I'll know what time you'll be back". Because there's never any delays or variable amounts of traffic driving out of London on a weekday afternoon.

But - trains?

Just - I don't know, I didn't write it.

3. The Ending

...was bullshit. Due to my promise of a delightfully spoiler free review I'm not going to say much more but seriously? It has to be one of the most unbelievable endings of all time.

4. The Fact That Despite All Of The Plot Holes and Various Other Bits Of Nonsense, I Quite Enjoyed It (Until The Ending)

This book is an absolute page turner. I could forgive all the incongruous details, the wooden characters (it's mostly Finn's perspective so they don't feature that heavily), the girlfriend-who-is-constantly-watching-her-weight-but-tootles-off-for-a-fry-up-at-a-moments-notice (not to mention an almost daily pub lunch), the wedding that's in a couple of months but still doesn't have a reception venue booked and the initial insta-love between Finn and Layla - not to mention (for those of you who've read it) the dog thing all because the plot goes at such a pace and has so many twists and turns that you become completely absorbed in the story almost instantly. I'd convince myself that I'd worked it all out, only to find out on the next page that I was completely wrong. I loved all the red herrings and the way that the intrigue was drawn out across the entire novel. I also liked the sort-of love triangle between Layla, Finn and Ellen and the way that Finn's emotions played out, as it added another layer of interest to the overall storyline. That ending though...
I really don't know how to rate this book. It's a fast paced, exciting read but there's no substance to it - the constant incongruous details, the supporting cast of personality deprived characters and that ending hugely detract from it. If the story had finished with something plausible then this would be one of those books that you whipped through then instantly forgot about but unfortunately I think I'll remember it for all the wrong reasons.

BA Paris had a hit with her last novel 'Behind Closed Doors' and now we have her new novel, 'Bring Me Back'. 

This one is based around Finn McQuaid who is still getting over the disappearance of his girlfriend Layla twelve years ago when they stopped in a lay-by. The chapters flit to the past and present day, where is now engaged to Layla's sister Ellen (that in itself may sound slightly weird to some readers!). BA Paris is good at building the tension as various parts of Finn's present day life start to unravel and it is a classic 'page turner'. You may however guess one of the twists towards the end of the novel.

It certainly won't disappoint her existing fans and will doubtless make her some new ones.

Fast-paced, totally addictive suspense fiction that draws you in from the first lie until the final terrifying twist. Written from Finn and his missing girlfriend's point of view, you learn their past and current thoughts, without slowing down the story.
Finn is troubled he has a shady past that occasionally resurfaces with devasting results, his obsessive love of Layla his missing girlfriend makes him an obvious suspect in her disappearance but his well-placed lies and excellent legal advice leave him free to rebuild his life. Twelve years later, Finn has moved on, but random events collide to make him believe the past hasn't done with him yet.
Focusing on Finn, his current girlfriend, a longtime friend and ex-girlfriend, the cast of this sinister thriller is small. As the menace escalates, Finn cannot trust anyone, and this sense of isolation builds his anger to boiling point.
The gripping final chapters reveal an unexpected twist, with horrific consequences for the story's major players. I guessed this before the end, but even then, the ultimate revelation is not quite as I envisaged. For me, part of the enjoyment is trying to foresee the outcome before the story's end.
The tagline #forgetsleep is true. I read this book through the night yesterday.
I received a copy of this book from HQ books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Bring Me Back - B A Paris

Ok So it's B A Paris so from the first two books ,'Behind Closed doors' and 'The Breakdown' , you know it's going to be good right? Wrong! It's excellent.
Twelve years ago Finn's girlfriend, Layla, disappeared from a 'Aire du Pleine' on their way home from a holiday in the south of France. Was she abducted or was she murdered? No body was discovered and no trace of her was ever found. Finn as the only witness was number one suspect but despite intensive investigations by the French police nothing could be proved .
Now we are told by Finn that he didn't tell the police the whole truth about that night. What was he hiding?
Presently engaged to Layla's sister, Emma, (Yes I know) strange things begin to happen which resonate with Finn and cause him to panic. Could Layla still be alive ? What really happened in France all those years ago?
B A Paris is fast becoming a master at building suspense and leading us astray. A great example of the tricks the mind can play. I really enjoyed 'Bring Me back'.

Having thoroughly enjoyed BA Paris's previous two books I was delighted to get an advance copy of 'Bring Me Back' through Netgalley. My excitement seemed justified as I couldn't put it down and read the first 3/4 of the book in one sitting. However, as a fan of psychological thrillers I found it easy to guess what the twist was going to be and was disappointed to be correct because of the implausibility of the outcome. This is a great book if you are the kind of reader who can suspend disbelief but if you are the kind who will be frustrated by irrational and inconsistent behaviour then you may not enjoy it as much. I'm giving it 4 stars for the main plot and the pace of the book. It would have been 5 stars but for the slightly dodgy ending.

A well constructed psychological thriller by this author. The chapters were very short and it meant that it was quite a quick read. The split of these chapters between the 'before' and the' now' kept your interest in the story. I did enjoy the book although I felt that the twist was very unlikely.

Having enjoyed the previous books, Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown by B A Paris, I was looking forward to reading this book. Once again it was different to the previous books. Although seeming a familiar read it was an enjoyable read. The plot was kind of predictable , but still gripping in parts.

A great psychological thriller that truly made me stay up way past my bed time and #ForgetSleep.
From the first chapter I was hooked, dying to know what happened to Finn’s girlfriend and wondering constantly if he had actuall done away with her.
What followed however was a suspenseful plot that had so many twists and turns that I just didn’t know who, in the end, was the suspect.
A fantastic ending which I did actually work out a few chapters before but still kept me gripped until the last word.
Fast paced, interesting characters and a plot that never quits, this book is recommended.

"I know we're not going to find her."

Bring Me Back started well, but ultimately it went down a rather ridiculous path. I guessed the ending, even though I thought that it couldn't really be true because it was completely unbelievable!

Though the ending was predictable (and daft) there were a few twists and turns along the way that were more surprising and gave the book a good flow. The first half of Bring Me Back is definitely stronger than the second, there is a lot of mystery and I really didn't know where it was going. But then once a few twists are revealed it all falls into predictable place

The characters are engaging enough, though not particularly likeable. I found the main character Finn irritating, he's arrogant, needy and he didn't act in a believable way.

However, I read Bring me Back quite quickly, it's a good sort of suspend belief thriller, perfect for a holiday read. It's engaging but not too disturbing or ground breaking.

I read a review that said this book would be best for new mystery readers and I think that's true, if you don't read many thrillers you probably won't see the twists coming, but as someone who reads a lot of crime thrillers, this one was almost a bit too formulaic.

My Rating: 3 Stars

I received a review copy of Bring Me Back, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

Having read BA Paris before, there's an expectation as to what you'll find between the covers. Compelling narrative, a great range of characters, with enough depth (hidden and on show) to keep you turning the page. You get this and more with her latest. Finn's life seems perfect, but is it just a veneer of respectability? His girlfriend, Layla, went missing 12 years ago. Nobody knows if she's alive, or what happened to her. He's now engaged to her sister, who thinks she spots Layla while out one day. Russian dolls (a favourite of Layla's) start turning up at Finn's place. Is it Layla making her presence known, or is it something more sinister?

First off, I love BA Paris's writing. Some books make me want to skim read, others I have to read every single word. This falls into the latter category. We get drip fed just enough to drive the plot forward without making things too obvious, and we spend a lot of time in Finn's head, with the turmoil of emotion that he's faced with when his past is dredged up.

It was all set up to be a shoot-out between 4 and 5 stars for me, but unfortunately the ending just left me feeling a bit flat. No spoilers, but it was all just too implausible for me to swallow. I know we need to suspend a certain amount of disbelief when reading, but it was a bridge too far this time. Having said that, BA Paris is still an author I'll come back to, and doesn't stop me being a fan in any way.

A truly addictive read I devoured the whole book more or less in one sitting. It is very much the classic psychological thriller but while parts seemed familiar and it was occasionally predictable the quality of writing made it a very enjoyable read.

It is a classic story, man’s soon to be wife disappears following a row and many years later it seems she, or someone connected to her disappearance, may have returned just as he’s about to marry her sister. What do they want, do they really know what happened to wife to be Layla, could they in fact be her or is someone just stirring up trouble?

This is a very twisty story that’s packed full of tension and almost every character seems to be hiding something. The author keeps you hooked throughout by dropping little hints and teasers, usually at the end of the chapter, so you have no choice but to keep reading. It’s frustrating as hell at times but effective. There are maybe a couple of pacing issues, some sections were dragged out a little too long in my opinion, but these are easily forgiven.

The story is told predominantly from main character Finn’s point of view and while I never really liked him, he has a temper, lies, threatens and is abusive, I did find him an intriguing character to read. I do often think however that it’s the horrible people who are the most enjoyable to read.

In the second part of the story he’s joined by another narrator whose voice I wasn’t so keen on. There was just something a little too much about it, but it was maybe just that I’m not a fan of the whole voices in my head thing. It tends to result in lots of eye rolling by me.

I also think the story was a little light in terms of secondary characters. I would have liked them to feature a little more and to get some more insight into their motivations. Finn’s best friend Harry for example is constantly bailing him out of trouble or riding in to the rescue despite knowing what he’s like and being treated badly. Finn is violent towards everyone but they all seem to want to help him. It just didn’t make sense to me.

Despite these niggles I did very much enjoy this story and even the ending which I guessed around halfway through was worth waiting for.

Loved this. Read in one go in 5 hours I genuinely did not want to put this down. A very unusual plot which switches between present time and before. What happed before is drip fed to you and you slowly build up the picture of what occurred. That being said I never guessed who was responsible.
Brilliantly executed. . #BringMeBack #NetGalley

Mysterious and intriguing. Can you live all your life as a lie? Gripping until the end>

I really enjoyed Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown was OK but I'm afraid I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to accept the plot line of this book. I spent the whole novel thinking surely not and it was with dawning realisation as I got to the closing stages and realised what I was being asked to swallow. Not for me I'm afraid.