I enjoyed this book very much== at times, I felt very in touch with the main character and thought I was going mad right along with her. I did however, figure out what was going on part way through the book, which did disappoint me because I truly love being shocked while reading. I look forward to recommending this book to my customers and coworkers though.

See link to goodreads review

This book has the potential to be a great psychological thriller but it was just a bit too predictable for me. Although it was predictable it still kept my focus and kept me reading through to the end. I think that in itself makes The Breakdown a worthwhile read.

I didn’t like the main character Cass. For a supposedly intelligent woman (a teacher), she was melodramatic and weak. I found it difficult to believe someone would automatically presume that silent calls were from an anonymous killer. All of that hassle just because she was too scared to tell her husband she drove home on a road he asked her to avoid. Really?

I thought this book was unrealistic but predictable. How can a intelligent bright teacher become such a wimp in a few days. Characters were all shallow . Ending had some intrigue and revenge but a little too late .The book did just not seem believable to me.

I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I've been blessed so far this year. The books I've read are excellent, and this one is too. It took me a little while to jump into the story, because I felt bad for Cass... Her mind was failing, she was diagnosed with early onset dementia, so she -- and I -- was always questioning if she was going crazy or if everything that happened to her was real. And I'm that kind of reader: when I'm afraid for the character, I stop reading (like it's going to help them somehow)... But I raced through the 60-70 last pages like my life depended on it, heart racing.

Like I said, excellent book. Read it, you will be satisfied too.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Decent thriller but not outstanding.
Let's play a game of plus and minus, shall we?

+did not predict the major twist
-twist was not believable. Without revealing too much, certain characters' plans went perfectly with no room for error which is not true to real life. I know that thrillers require a suspension of belief but this one didn't resonate with me
+page turner and easy to read
-didn't feel anything towards any of the characters, not even much sympathy for Cass
+entertaining
-lots of plot holes as indicated above in terms of believability

Felt the same way about this one that I did about B.A. Paris's Behind Closed Doors: semi-fun thriller but nothing to write home about.

I was a huge fan of Behind Closed Doors, so I was thrilled to be able to review this one. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Lots of action, a compelling storyline and the main character, Cass, is one you want to root for..... all of these things make for an exciting read. This is one of those books that you will end up staying up late to finish because you don't want to put it down.

I loved the author's book Behind Closed Doors and this one was fairly close. The ending was a bit obvious and the characters seemed to lack emotions where normal people would have "felt something". I will certainly read the author again but this one fell short for me. 3.3 stars

I really enjoyed this novel. How would you live with the guilt of passing someone by who you could have helped? This is the main storyline of this novel. It becomes so much more, and keeps you turning the pages in suspense.

B.A. Paris has done it again. She is now one of my favorite authors for psychological thrillers. She is out of this world. I loved Behind Closed Doors and The Break Down did not disappoint. The first 50% of this book was good however, the last 50% will have you on the edge of your seat. I was pulled into Cass' story from the very beginning and the more you read, the more you feel her pain and frustration.

Cass is a teacher at a local school, however she took a leave of absence to care for her mother until she died. Now Cass is back at work and her life completely changes one rainy night when she takes a shorter wooded road home. She sees a woman pulled over in a car in the rain only to find out the following morning the woman was murdered after she saw her. All Cass can think about is this woman but can she trust her thoughts and actions?

This book can be read in one or two sittings if you have the time but be prepared to be wrapped up and on the edge of your seat towards the end. The character development is amazing especially of Cass and the plot is wonderful. Be prepared for a great read. B. A. Paris has done it again.

Thanks to NetGally for the opportunity to read this book and provide honest feedback.

I could not put this book down! The last book that kept me up all night was the author's previous release, Behind Closed Doors. Paris is an amazing storyteller and this one will penetrate your life, keeping you awake at night thinking about the levels of deceit that exist in this world. A definite 5-star read.

Oh wow, wowee wow wow wow! That was one terrific tilt-a-whirl ride. More to come.

OK, so here's the rest.

I love psychological suspense, especially if the plot involves domestic situations (and it seems since "Gone Girl" was published, most do), but it seems that lately many fall short of my lofty expectations. This one didn't. Paris' first book, "Behind Closed Doors" was a little too tense for me but this was just right. Even though Cass's responses to a few incidents were a little overwrought, I was in this novel's grip from the very start. And yes, I did suspect the final outcome (the author dropped a vague clue at the beginning) but the author still had a few surprises for me.

This is the perfect summer beach read, especially for fans of--OK, I'm going to say it, Gone Girl, but also lesser known titles such as The Couple Next Door and The Silent Wife. I predict this will be the blockbuster of the summer.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy.

If you like mysteries, this is the perfect book for you! But-- You had better make sure you have plenty of time, because you will want to keep on reading!
Definitely an entertaining and suspense filled story with surprises every few pages!
Just when I though I had solved the mystery, some thing would happen in the coming pages to show me I was wrong- right up to the the last few pages.
Great storyline!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and B.A. Paris for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

“The Breakdown” is a psychological thriller with a slow buildup that has you tensed for whatever is really happening to Cass. Even though I found it a little slow in the beginning, I couldn't put it down since it really felt like there's something else happening here and I don't know what it is yet so I need to be ready and looking for clues. I was definitely pleasantly surprised with the last 25% of the story and thinking OMG!

Cass makes a decision to take a shortcut home on a dark and stormy night even though she's feeling like it would be safer and less scary to go the long way around. She passes a car parked near the woods with a woman inside, and she stops to offer help. After stopping though, she's afraid to get out of her car in case it's a setup so she decides the woman will approach her if she needs help. When she doesn't, Cass decides to drives off. The next morning she discovers that the woman was later found dead in the car and had been brutally murdered! Cass is beside herself with guilt wondering if she could have saved this woman or would she also have been murdered if she'd stopped to help? She becomes scared, forgetful, paranoid and begins to show signs of early onset dementia which her mother had suffered with.

You get immersed in the perspective of a character whose world seems to be spinning out of control when she can no longer trust their own mental faculties. A well written psychological thriller that I could not put down! B.A. Paris is on my automatic read list since I really enjoyed "Behind Closed Doors" as well.

I couldn't put this book down even though I had a pretty good idea of "whodunnit" early on. But, knowing the "who" does not tell you the "why" or "how". Discovering the answer to those last two was quite a wild and emotional ride. In the end, the revenge was oh so sweet. Can't say enough good things about the experience of reading this book.

I enjoyed Paris' Behind Closed Doors so much that perhaps my expectations for her new novel, The Breakdown, were a bit too lofty. When Cass takes a shortcut through the woods to her house one stormy night, she passes by a woman in a car; unable to decide if she should help or if it's a dangerous scam, Cass continues on without stopping. When news report that the woman in the car has been murdered, Cass's sense of guilt over her decision not to stop eats her alive...added to this is a troubling development of her inability to remember things, a growing sense of paranoia that all is not right with her marriage, and an ominous feeling that the murderer may be after her. As the plot twists and turns, Cass and the reader find themselves in a strange, devious situation, where Cass stands to lose it all - possibly even her life - if she cannot figure out what is going on. While the premise of the plot is interesting, I found the eventual explanation and ending to be fantastical, over dramatic, and not as clever as Behind Closed Doors. None of the characters exhibited any depth of development, and the lead up to the climax simply just took too long.

4.5/5 This book mixes the trauma of having been unable to stop a murder with the a completely different kind of fear: dementia. And if your protagonist doesn't have a clear frame of mind, then neither does the reader. This is a fast and fun read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

I was totally swept away by the suspense and mystery of The Break Down. Cass and Matthew have a great life together although she has secretly feared she will end up with dementia like her mother. Things begin to fall apart when Cass realizes that a murdered woman is someone she knew, and that she passed her car on the road in a terrible thunderstorm on her way home the night before. She becomes fearful that the murderer may be after her next. She starts to forget things, minor absent-mindedness at first but then it escalates to the point that she can't remember ordering packages that have been delivered, or how to work her own coffee machine. Is it just the stress? Is it the start of dementia? Or is it something more sinister? Could someone be gas lighting her? Or will she be the next murder victim? Alfred Hitchcock could not have crafted a more electrifying thriller with such a satisfying conclusion. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but it quickly pulled me right in. The characters, the plot, the crazy side story, all fit together so perfectly and I loved how the author revealed what had happened. I was so shocked. I pretty much guessed every character except the one who did it lol! Seriously great book.

Let me start off by saying I read B. A. Paris' first book, Behind Closed Doors and absolutely fell in love with it. When I heard a new book was coming out I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. A lot of the time when a book is extremely hyped, I tend to be disappointed. Luckily that was in no way the case with The Breakdown.
The character building in this book was amazing, I felt like I got a wonderful idea of who each character was while also questioning them all throughout the book. I found myself immediately drawn in because the book was written with an extreme air if mystery. I physically felt as though I had to keep turning each page and find out immediately what was going on. I love the fact that it touches on the subject of early on-set dementia, which I don't hear or know much about.
Overall this book was a great mystery that was so unpredictable I couldn't stop reading if I wanted to. It flowed so well and kept me guessing until the very end. I would highly recommend this book if you like psychological thrillers.