Cover Image: Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A past kidnapping and a current one. The similarities are eerie. Stacey has many buried memories from her abduction, but as they work their way to the surface can she believe them? When her stepdaughter, Lyra, is abducted and Stacey's ex pleads for her help to rescue his daughter, the past is thrown into the open.

Carol nailed it with this one. Yes, there are disturbing events. Yes, there are plot twists. A deep secret or two make for some interesting skeletons lurking in the closets.

If you plan on reading this one at night, I'd recommend leaving a light on.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an advance copy of Behind Closed Doors in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Enjoyed it and would give the book 3.5 stars. I loved the Detective Natalie Ward and the Detective Kate Young series, so I was excited to read this. It was a great mystery/thriller that kept me guessing until the end. From the start I was suspicious of Jack. Who wouldn't go to the police when their child is kidnapped? I questioned everything he did and he always seemed to be hiding something. Stacey constantly caught him in lies. Jack and Stacey's father were so much alike. Both were horrible people. Henry could have saved his daughter, but refused to pay the ransom. Stacey doesn't remember much from her kidnapping that occurred twenty years ago. With Lyra's disappearance, snippets are coming back to her. Therapy didn't work for her in the past, put with the help of the hypnotherapist, Stacey starts remembering her terrible ordeal. The ending was CRAZY and I wasn't expecting everything that was revealed!!! What is wrong with people??? The worst part is that people knew who kidnapped Stacey and did nothing to help her. Throughout the whole book I kept shouting (in my head)- just go to he police!!!! Stacey told so many people about Lyra being kidnapped. Why didn't they alert the authorities? Especially the therapist. All around it was a great book.

Definitely recommend the book. Enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. The lengths people will go to for money is scary. All the planning and scheming. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Hopefully there will be a new detective series!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to netgalley for letting me review this book.. WHen Stacey's ex husband turns up on her doorstep and begs for her help in finding his daughter lyla. Stacey was kidnapped 30 years ago and her kidnapper was never found, she remembers enough about her kidnapping that her dad never paid the ransom to get her released. She wont let that happen to lyla.. Do they save lyla? Who has done this? Could it be the same person who took stacey?
Lots of twists and turns, i was on the edge of my seat. There were also the I DIDNT SEE THAT COMING moments. Highley recommend

Was this review helpful?

A great standard novel by one of my favourite authors.
A journalist had been the victim of a kidnapping when she was a child, a finger and part of an ear had been sent to her family but her father refused to pay the ransom, she’s never forgiven him.
30 years later and she answers a knock at the door, it’s her ex, his daughter, her step daughter has been kidnapped and the person that took her has said they’ll kill here if the police are informed.
Using her journalistic contacts she starts the search, but it’s bringing back repressed memories.
Is it a coincidence that her step daughter has been taken.
Is it a simple kidnapping.
This is a great thriller with lots of twists and turns

Was this review helpful?

Journalist Stacey O'Hara survived being kidnapped as a child - minus one finger taken by her captor. But amnesia means that most of the details are unknown to her. So when Stacey's ex-husband Jack seeks her help when his daughter goes missing, she is invested. And when a ransom note is delivered, she has to find young Lyra.

Stacey uses her investigative skills and some specialist contacts but finds little to help. But she becomes increasingly convinced that the kidnapping is somehow linked to her own experiences. So she undergoes hypnosis to try to free her buried memories.

Behind Closed Doors works well as a standalone thriller. A number of suspects are identified and then ruled out before the truth is revealed. But the investigation brings up many unpleasant truths for Stacey.

The narrative arc is sweeping, covering two time periods, and the character development is well written. Stacey is a sympathetic and engaging lead, and the reader is pulled into her story as she tries to find both her missing stepdaughter and her own past.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
The main subject of this book is the kidnapping of two young women, a subject I found quite disturbing because of the graphic descriptions. Plus, the book didn't pull me in, I got a bit bored early on and didn't finish the read. I had read several of the author's other books and liked them, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Was this review helpful?

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. From the beginning, the book was intriguing, if somewhat gory. That aspect did take away from the story…it was difficult reading after what happened to the character at the start. However, this book is an intriguing mystery with red herrings. Surprises…secrets…likable characters and some not so much.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free copy of, Behind Closed Doors, by Carol Wyer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Stacey was kidnapped when she was younger, she never really got over it either. When her ex calls her to help her find a kidnapped child, it all comes back to Stacey. This book was way too disturbing for me, being sent Lyra's finger, was too over the top for me.

Was this review helpful?

An OK read.

A journalist was kidnapped in her childhood and the experience has left her with amnesia, although, she does have flashbacks occasionally. The book begins with her ex husband turning up out of the blue and frantic with worry as his daughter has also been kidnapped. What follows is a mixed bag of family secrets and lies. I found it fantastical and frustrating as a whole, but, with some interesting elements.

Overall, an easy, OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to preview.

Was this review helpful?

Although I did enjoy this read and the ending did have a few surprise twists and turns for me it did feel a little too long in the middle but I'm guessing that without those slower, finding her truths pages, Stacey might not have stumbled upon the ending.
I thought the characters were interesting and their drives varied enough to not make it glaringly obvious from the start what is really happening. I had to kind of read between the lines to have an idea about how it would end and even then I'd only guessed a small part of the twisty finale!
This was an interesting read and so if you think you would enjoy it from the 'blurb' I'd say to give it a go, it's worth reading!

Was this review helpful?

This book has so many twists and turns. Its the PERFECT thriller for a rainy day. I found myself needing a 2nd bowl of my snack because I couldn't put it down. I would def recommend!

Was this review helpful?

This book single handedly kept me sane whilst stuck on a plane for an extra 2hrs before we even took off! This is definitely one of those that gets under yout skin and jusy makes you completely forget the outside world. The characters were so well smitten and wee rounded that you can picture them crystal clear and they do provoke that emotion response, whether is be empathy or just sheer frustration fro the delightful ex hubby!!! The twists and turns really made it so unexpected and i just loved every second

Was this review helpful?

This was really not for me. I deeply wanted the characters to behave so differently. All of their choices just felt wrong, and I wanted to shake them.

Was this review helpful?

Fast-paced crime thriller. I am giving this book 4 stars. I was invested in the story and couldn’t wait to see who the kidnappers were.

The main character Stacey is a strong woman and has awful luck with the men in her life. It was tough at times to read about the torture she was subjected to as a young girl. This has shaped who she is as an adult and her relationships.

If you enjoy thrillers and suspenseful books then give this one a try. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! So many crazy twists! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and many twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been a fan of Carol’s books for quite awhile and they never seem to disappoint. When Stacey’s ex husband Jack’s daughter is kidnapped, she is willing to do anything to help him, even if it means reliving her own kidnapping many decades ago. Are they past and present intertwining and what is Stacey missing that she just can’ seem to put her finger on. The clock is ticking to find his daughter before it’s too late, but at what cost? An interesting read from beginning to end with a twist I didn’t see coming.

Was this review helpful?

Well written novel but I just couldn't get into the story. Did not finish the book but can see others loving this

Was this review helpful?

A big fan of all the author’s three crime series, I expected this to be good, but this excelled all my expectations.
It starts with a bang that grabs you and doesn’t let you go as it hurtles along, a rollercoaster of suspense. I read this in one day and I definitely wasn’t putting it down until I’d got to the end.
When Stacey’s ex husband turns up on her doorstep distraught because his daughter Lyra has been kidnapped, in addition to fearing for Lyra, she’s transported back to her own kidnap some thirty years before. Surely the two cases couldn’t possibly be connected? As time runs out for Lyra, Stacey must get to the truth and to do so not only face her own demons but those of whom should have protected and loved her most. Is there anyone in her life that she can really trust?
A brilliant standalone from this oh so talented author

Was this review helpful?

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Amazon Publishing UK and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A twisted thriller full of chilling suspense.

Was this review helpful?

Stacey survived a traumatic kidnapping as a young girl and it has haunted her since, remembering only scraps of the event. Now thirty years later her stepdaughter is going through almost exactly the same ordeal. Stacey needs to find her. Can it really be happening, is it a copy cat, is it a coincidence? This stand alone thriller, by one of my go-to authors, is tense, with several good twists and a great ending. Thanks for another great read!

Was this review helpful?