This author is one of my favorite authors of late, he has a real masterful way of telling a story that really grabs your attention and keeps it. Abby and Brendan have been married for a while, hoping for a child, both working and both feel like they want more from their relationship, so decide to see a therapist. She recommends they download an app, Sugar and Spice (this book will make you think twice about downloading an app) is an app that promises to add some excitement to a relationship, at first both Abby and Brendan pick Sugar types of challenges, most are a little risky, sex in an elevator, buying and wearing expensive/sexy clothing, touching sexually in public. But then the Spice challenges start, and they aren't so sexy and that's where things get scary. Another story line follows Romeo and Juliet (a not so romantic couple, they appear to be murdering indiscriminately) , at first what they do doesn't tie together with what is happening with Abby and Brendan, until their paths cross and things go from scary to downright terrifying and Abby and Brendan are in a fight for their life as well as trying to figure out what or who is behind the chaos that has become their life. I will say I found the beginning made me a bit squeamish with some of the sex acts, but once past that I really did enjoy this and would recommend it. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Hampton Creek Press for the ARC.

During a marriage counseling session, Abby and Brendan are given a suggestion to download a relationship app called Sugar and Spice to add some inspiration into their marriage. Brendan is a financial analyst who discovers that a company he is assigned to investigate is siphoning money into a secret account. Abby is a writing her second novel and decides to use inspiration for her new book from the Sugar and Spice tasks they are given from the app. Little did they know, the app takes over every “smart” device in their lives. They discover millions have downloaded the app and earn points for every task they complete, and with each task completed the next task becomes more daring. Soon the app becomes deadly putting Brendan and Abby at the top of the hit list.

by J.D. Barker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WHAT A PAGE TURNER!!!

J. D. Barker is a fantastic author who just isn't talked about enough and I don't understand why! If this is your first time trying this author I STRONGLY suggest you start 'A Callers Game' or 'The Fourth Monkey' series next.

I loved the concept of this book, it had a real John Marrs feel to it. (in particular 'The Passengers') it also made me want to ditch my smart phone.

Can not recommend this book enough as a must read for 2024

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. I'm a big fan of J.D. Barker's, so I was happy to read this, and I wasn't disappointed! This is the best book he's written since the Fourth Monkey.

Brendan, an agent for the FDIC, and Abby, a writer, were in marriage counseling, and their new therapist suggested that they download an app called Sugar & Spice to help with their sex life. And it worked! Until it got more and more dangerous with no way out.

What a wild ride! Just when I thought I knew where the story was headed, there was a twist. Not just once, but over and over! J.D. Barker knows how to keep you guessing and keep turning pages late into the night.

I definitely recommend Behind a Closed Door for anyone who enjoys spine-tingling suspense. I can't wait for more of his books to be published!

4.25 stars-I love that JD Barker goes all in on his books, violence, sex, nothing is held back or minimized. Know going in, this book is heavy on both (I have read all of his previous books so I was prepared.) The story begins with a couple who have grown apart. They find a card for a therapist on their car windshield and decide to visit. (Weird way to advertise, but ok…) The therapist recommends a relationship app, kind of a relationship version of truth or dare, nice or naughty theme.) Meanwhile, Brendan, the husband, is a forensic accountant who is looking into a company that is syphoning money out of their business. The two things connect and the story unfolds. What I really enjoyed/kind of freaked out about, is how real the technology in this book could be. Millions of people downloaded the app, and like most people (including me), did not pay attention to what they were allowing in terms of privacy settings. The app has access to your photos, all of your Bluetooth devices, your camera, your microphone, etc and it pays rewards when you reach new levels. In this case it was a let’s see how far we can make people go. What if something like that did come out, and people wee given choices and challenges like one from the book “would you kill someone if it meant saving your partners life?” A lot of moral considerations to ponder for sure. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc. All opinions are my own, and heck yeah, I am going to be seeing this when it becomes a movie!

An action-packed thriller by bestselling author of the Fourth Monkey series. The Fourth Monkey series is highly regarded and before reading I'd seen it recommended everywhere, so I was eager to see what else this author could offer up. The story was a little slow to start with but once it got going it didn't let up. The story was fast-paced and thrilling and I could easily see this one being made into a movie. The premise of an app is interesting and very current and relevant today. There were twists and reveals I didn't see coming. Overall, a great book by a talented author.

Wow what did I just read. This was such a unique concept. I loved the plot. The characters were very well done and relatable. This book moved at a great pace. Oozes with suspense and terror. There are moments in this one that will leave your jaw literally hanging. Heart pounding chills throughout. This one is a real page turner a great creepy spine tingling read!

Thank you to netgalley and Hampton Creek Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed the grittiness of this book.

The premise of this book is intriguing but good lord it was painful. You want some nitty gritty smut? Check. You want some murder and complexity? Check. You want something long drawn out and by the end you wish you were one of the murder victims? Check.

Abby and Brendan are trying to save their marriage, visit a therapist, who suggest they may download an app to spice up their relationship. Both of them are being dared, letting them choose between "sugar" and "spice", which adds some sensuality to the story, still quickly you feel there will be more to come. A sence of violence and danger makes the story switch from soft erotic experimenting to a nerve-wrecking violent and scary story. And it makes you realize that, in our today's world, this could happen to a lot of us.
I feel like either being on a rollercoaster or in the middle of an action movie, still very curious to find out how it all comes together. The way this book was written reminds me of another Barker stand alone "a caller's game", which made me feel similar when reading it.
I really enjoyed reading 'Behind a closed door', quite some unexpected twists kept the story pretty entertaining.
I read a comparison "50 shades meet 'The Game'", but I would rather go for "50 shades meet Tarantino".
Thanks to JD Barker for yet another great book and for giving the opportunity to read it well beforehand through this channel !

Don't download that APP!!! 😱

Wow, such a cautionary tale + a heavy dose of sugar & spice.

Brendan and Abby are working on their marriage and find an app called Sugar & Spice that promises to "fix your sex life". Okay, well what could wrong? Brendan tells her its just "a game" and if it tells them to do something they don't want, then they just won't. Well, it doesn't quite work that way!

Reading this book felt dangerous! Things spin out of control fast. There are plenty of triggers, hardcore happenings that seemed to be driven by some kind of puppet master. Even though reading was uncomfortable at times, I couldn't put it down for long. I had to find out what was in store for the "players". ☠️

I appreciated the Author's Note where he reminds us of how our devices can sometimes rule our worlds and how we should always read the "Terms of Service" when we sign up for any contract. Just who is watching/listening to us? 👀

JD barker knocked it out of the park again! A new favorite! If you love thriller suspense and edge of your seat madness this book is for you!

A thought provoking, dark humour filled, satirical thriller in the digital age of our blind acceptance and possible manipulation. Don’t be surprised if immediately after finishing this adult read, you delete all your apps, destroy your phones and computers and go and live totally off the grid; but really it’s already too late anyway! Thank you to Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Sugar & Spice: Everything is not so nice!

Behind A Closed Door is a thriller with an original and intriguing plot.

When a married couple decides to spice up their sex life, they turn to an app called Sugar & Spice for help and get sucked into a world fueled by greed. Little do they know they are part of a bigger plot built on manipulation, lies, and murder.

Told from the POVs of Abby, Brendan, and Romeo, none are particularly likable, but all are interesting and bring something different to the narrative.

There are many layers to the plot. Once I thought I had a grasp on where I thought the storyline was headed, a twist would come, moving things in a different direction. Things start off spicy, but the spiciness settles down and eventually moves into thriller territory. There is plenty of action, drama, and suspense.

The pace was fast, but even so, there were times when the plot dragged, and I was ready for events to wrap up.

Behind A Closed Door is an entertaining thriller with a unique spin. Parts required me to suspend my disbelief, but because the plot was gripping and I was immersed in trying to figure out what in the world was going on, I didn’t mind too much. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a little something different. Be warned, the beginning is spicy, and there is some explicit language and sex scenes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press in exchange for an honest review.

What a wild ride this book was. I flew through the pages like I haven’t since I read Fourth Monkey. I have so much respect and admiration for the twisted and genius mind of this author!

Every time I thought I had my mind wrapped around what was happening and could make a solid guess as to what would come, I was thrown for a loop with a new twist.

This book was such an interesting concept and really makes you rethink allowing apps and devices to have all of your personal information!

Definitely recommend this incredible read. It was my very first NetGalley ARC!

Wow! 5 stars!

JD Barker has a way of making books so easy to devour. I usually struggle with a mental block with any books over 320ish pages, but this year I read the whole 4M series and this one and they were some of my fastest reads.

Behind A Closed Door jumps right into the steamy (or the lack of steam) relationship of Abby and Brendan. Their therapist suggests an app, Sugar & Spice. At first it seems to be just what they need to jumpstart the flames, but the app slowly takes over more and more control. Suddenly they appear to be pawns in a much bigger game. But who are the players? Who is the puppet master? Who can be trusted?

At times it felt a little over the top, making me question how realistic certain parts really were. That didn’t subtract points from. That’s the whole point. Brendan and Abby didn’t question things as quickly as I did as a reader because the reality is we click “okay” “accept” never expecting our choices to turn deadly, so why would they have assumed that. We already live with a certain comfort level of our devices/apps/websites knowing almost everything about us.

I recommend you read this if you’ve enjoyed other JD Barker books, like a little sizzle and spice, danger, and want to read a well written thriller.

Thank you NetGalley, JD Barker and Hampton Creek Press for this ARC opportunity.

Publication date: May 13, 2024

Thank you netgalley and to the publishers for this arc copy. I wasn’t really sure when I clicked on this title. It seemed very interesting and nothing like what I’ve ever read before. Also this author is a first for me won’t be a last I gave it 4 stars only because I’m still not sure if I like the part after you find out what the sugar and spice app is all about . I didn’t hate it I’m just not sure if me myself liked it 100% yet but everything else in the book was great the things they had to do in the book and other people .can’t wait to read another book from this author

JD Barker is back and better than ever! In this twisty tale, we get a look into relationships, app culture, conspiracies, and more. There is so much behind this closed door. I encourage you to open it immediately and dive in. Just be sure to read the terms and conditions first.

ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this book thank you for the opportunity. This is only my second book by this author, the first being A Caller’s Game. Behind A Closed Door reminded me of A Caller’s Game with the action it offered. I keep wanting to call it Sugar or Spice, so maybe it deserved a better title, something more catchy and unlike similar titles by other authors. If it wasn’t JD Barker and I saw just the title and cover I would not pick up this book. Also I don’t consider it Horror another thing that would prevent me from picking it up. It was a great read but I think I like reading the Author’s Note more than the book itself, and I think the note after the first book is what has actually made me a fan. So was it worth the wait? Yes, absolutely and I will look forward to the stock pile of new releases that may come. It’s nice to have discussion questions included too.

This is a well written story, but honestly I'm not surprised. Coming off the 4MK Series I had high expectations, but J.D. Barker did not disappoint! I never knew what was going to happen next, it was such a crazy entertaining ride from beginning to end!

Thank you to Netgalley, Hampton Creek Press and J.D. Barker for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for Behind A Closed Door is May 13, 2024