Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris is one of those books that I just know will stay with me for a long time. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that it’s rather unforgettable with a plot that draws the reader in from the very start and leaves the reader wanting, desperately, to know more. It was an astounding and impressive debut novel that has left me looking forward to more by the author.
To many people Jack and Grace would seem like the perfect couple who, having recently got married, spend their time hosting dinner parties, travelling to exotic destinations and preparing for the arrival of Millie, Grace’s younger sister who has Down’s syndrome and will soon be moving in with them. However, it soon becomes apparent that things are not as perfect as they would at first appear - there’s definitely something funny going on but what exactly is it?
Narrated entirely by Grace with chapters alternating between the past and present the reader finds out more about the less than perfect lives of Grace and Jack than any of their friends could ever possibly imagine. We discover exactly what is going on and I have to say that when I found out what was going on I was well and truly shocked. I couldn’t, and actually still can’t, believe that Jack was able to get away with what he put Grace through. I can only hope and pray that this is something that doesn’t become a reality for either myself or any other person out there.
B A Paris has written an extremely powerful novel in Behind Closed Doors that made me feel a whole range of emotions - from anger towards Jack to upset for Grace and the predicament she was in. I wanted nothing more than for Grace to escape her domestic life which was clearly doing her far more harm than good and found myself feeling her frustration when things didn’t quite go to plan. In fact so good was B A Paris' writing and the description within the book that I could fully visualise the scenes playing out in my head.
Behind Closed Doors delved into a subject and issue that I had never really considered or given much thought to before. In this respect it was extremely thought-provoking and really caused me to give some serious thought to how I would react if I was in Grace’s position and how I could go about helping others if they ever were.
This was without a doubt an extremely clever novel that was entirely gripping from beginning to end. I do recommend this book and would like to extend my thanks to the publishers who very kindly sent me an advance copy of this incredible book in exchange for an honest review.
