Cover Image: The Breakdown

The Breakdown

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is absolute page turner. Read it in a couple of days. The book is as good if not better than the first.

Was this review helpful?

Another twisty suspense from B.A. Paris, and I can't get enough of her books! Like Behind Closed Doors, this is a tense, anxiety-ridden what's-going-on kind of story. This will be a great read alike for our teens who loved Big Little Lies and Girl on the Train.

Was this review helpful?

3.5★★★Stars

Genre: Physiological Thriller
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female

Cassandra is a teacher living with her gorgeous husband of almost a year. Life was perfect, money wasn't a problem for her. After the death of her mother she inherited a good amount of money. One stormy day changed her life though. She took a short cut home that evening and finds a woman broken down in the middle of the storm. I honestly don't blame her for not getting out of her vehicle to help. However; that night hunted Cass for months.

Cass life came crashing down so fast she hardly saw it coming. A murder the news said, one she thought she could have prevented or maybe not. The mystery of who the murder was, had Cass going crazy and losing her mind.

This book was a fast pace read that will have you on the edge of your seat. I honestly read it in one setting I just had to know what happened. However; I found myself guessing some of the twists way before they came up. I found myself frustrated a little with Cass because I felt she had it all in front and didn't bothered to wonder.

Even though the book was predictable I still enjoyed it because it had me glued to the pages from the beginning. I did however, felt like the ending needed a little more. I guess I'm a sucker for revenge even though justice was made I felt it could have ended bloody and more twisted.

The Breakdown' is a psychological thriller that really sucked me in from the very beginning. I honestly couldn't put it down it will be appealing to readers looking for a fast pace read. After reading this author’s debut novel, 'Behind Closed Doors', I was super excited to to read this book. This author's writing fascinated me with her well written work.

Was this review helpful?

B.A. Paris knows how to grab your attention. Although this one isn't as intense as her "Behind Closed Doors" is, it still keeps you staying awake unable to put it down until you know what has happened and who is doing what! Seriously, I chose to read this one not because of the description but because of her writing. This author has the ability to get your attention and hold on tight. I hesitate to describe too much for fear of spoilers but suffice it to say main character Cass takes a shortcut home in a rainstorm and a woman she sees on her path turns out to be murdered. Since she had promised her husband she would not to take the dangerous shortcut she can't even tell him why she is so frightened when she begins getting silent phone calls - is it the murderer who thinks she can identify him or her? Another excellent read from Ms. Paris.

Was this review helpful?

This review may have one what considers a spoiler FYI.

When I started this book, for the first maybe 10 chapters it was off to a good start for me. Each character was interesting enough, and I already started to draw conclusions about them. However, the bulk of this book from about 25% in to about 95% through the book, I felt like I was losing my mind right along with the main character. It was basically like reading the same chapter over and over and over again. SOOOO redundant! Half way through the book I just wanted to finish already!! and not because I was in desperate need to find out the ending. I wanted to be put out of my misery! While I will admit it was a surprising and nice twist at the end, it just needed more of an exciting build up. I wouldn't recommend this book

Was this review helpful?

This was quite a good read but must admit I did guess the ending, but didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Was this review helpful?

After reading the brilliant 'Behind Closed Doors', I was wondering how BA Paris would be able to excel expectations - and she has thankfully managed to avoid the usual psychological thriller pitfalls once again.

There was a massive red herring which provides a brilliant twist and opportunity for the ultimate revenge. Feeling claustrophobic throughout, due to the main character's apparent early onset dementia, it sets an unnerving tone from the outset. At this point I did worry it would end up with the same gaps in information such as in Girl On A Train. However, Paris manages to steer clear of becoming another wannabe Gone Girl, and totally holds her own.

For about 75 per cent of the time, you will find the protagonist's almost neurotic personality quite annoying until the last quarter of the book where you will end up completely empathising with her. Another fantastic dark tale from BA Paris.

Was this review helpful?

Excellent! The author had me feeling uneasy from the beginning. he things I thought I was uneasy about were well written and there were some masterfully executed twists.

Was this review helpful?

THE BREAKDOWN by BA Paris. Couldn't connect with Cass in the way I did with Grace in Ms Paris BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. The characters here seemed flat without much substance. The story didn't start to get exciting until the last third of the book when the pace picked up and Cass seem to suddenly grow a backbone. However, it was an entertaining read and a good one, just not the level I was expecting and I was a bit let down.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Was this review helpful?

There are a plethora of suspense books on the market these days, and The Breakdown is one of them. Here the similarity ends because Breakdown stands out far above the rest. A new twist on a tried and true plot make this book an exhilarating suspenseful page turner until the last page. An unpredictable story ending that is very satisfying.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the review copy.

This is the second book by B.A. Paris that I've read and just like Behind Closed Doors, it was a page-turner, a suspense filled thriller. Thoroughly enjoyable, I liked the character development, the story line with the various twists and turns and loved the ending.

Cass's breakdown makes sense as each incident piles up. Her husband, friends, and coworkers are all concerned about her mental health. The one person who seems to treat her as sane is the husband of the murdered woman- and he's a suspect in his wife's murder!

A quick read, and worth the time if you enjoy psychological thrillers with interesting characters and storylines, without the graphic language, opportunistic sex or violence.

Was this review helpful?

As Cass is driving home on a rainy evening a decision she makes will haunt her for weeks and make her question her own mental health. The Breakdown takes us on a twisted path of one losing her sense of reality fearing her mental state will continue to deteriorate. As Cass questions who she can trust she fears she may have put herself in the path of a murderer. Filled with twists and turns The Breakdown is a suspenseful tale that kept me up way too late.

ARC provided by Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Breakdown, by BA Paris. I read and loved her previous book, Behind Closed Doors. This one is no different, well maybe it's better. I read this book as fast as I could without missing anything. It's about a married woman who may or may not be losing her mind. Things keep happening around her that she doesn't remember; and on top of that, there's a killer on the loose. It's not hard to see why everyone is loving this book. It's so easy to read and so engrossing - there was never a dull moment and I was always eager to see what would happen next. I was totally invested in the characters and I needed to know what the outcome was. I won't say whether there was a happy ending or not, but I will say that at the end of the book, I left satisfied with the ending and that I had all my questions answered. This book hasn't even yet come out and I can't wait for her next one! xo

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Thank you for giving me an advance copy of The Breakdown. I absolutely loved this book! I read it in 2 days, probably a record for me. This book had me at every word. I felt invested and interested in the characters as well as the story. I wanted to get answers as much as Cass did. I had a few different ideas of how it would end but in the end, I was very satisfied with how it turned out.

Was this review helpful?

On a wet stormy night Cass is on her way home after spending a pleasant evening with her work colleagues when she decides to take a shortcut down a desolate winding country road.She is almost home when she comes across a car with a young woman sat in it.Cass is concerned about the young woman but can't decide what to do so she decides to go home and contact someone to come out and help the young woman but when Cass gets home she gets distracted and forgets all about the incident.Next day Cass learns that the young woman is dead,then not long afterwards Cass starts receiving silent phone calls and keeps getting the feeling that she is being watched.

The killer is still at large,is Cass just being paranoid or has she been marked as the killers next victim?

I know from reading the other reviews that I am in the minority here but although I did enjoy the book enough to actually finish it I also found it predictable,repetitive and after the first thrilling chapter lacked the tension and twists that you expect to find in a thriller.Cass`s concerns over the possibility that she had early onset dementia were understandable especially considering the fact that her mum had suffered from it before she died but Cass`s mental breakdown happened a bit too swiftly and she was constantly terrified for such a stupid reason.It was hard to feel sympathy for a woman who was supposed to be a teacher and therefore meant to be quite intelligent who constantly overreacted over the smallest of things.I worked out what was going on pretty early in the book,there was no twists and one big coincidence that felt like it was just added to move the story to a conclusion.

I liked the way that what was happening was all explained in the form of text messages instead of by the killer in a long drawn out confession,the title of the book was clever and I enjoyed the opening chapter.Like I said I did enjoy the book enough to finish it and it was well written,it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Was this review helpful?

I am not going to lie I am not easily disturbed or creeped out but this book scared the bejesus out of me. B.A. Paris's first book behind closed doors also creeped me out so kudos to her for being able to do what not many can. Paris finds a way to twist what are normal fears ( you know such as being murdered or getting dementia) and turn them into something terrifying. If you are looking for a quick but thrilling read that grips you from beginning to end definitely check this one out!

Was this review helpful?

Before you start reading this book I advise you to clear your calendar and find a comfortable place to read because you aren't going to stop reading until you get to the end. This book literally had me so interested that I couldn't do anything at all until the last page because I was so absorbed by the story and anxious about the outcome.

Cass is a high school teacher with a loving and devoted husband, Matthew. One night returning from a school get together, she takes a short cut through the woods during a blinding thunder storm. When she sees a car stopped along the road, she decides to stop but she is reluctant to go to the car in case it might someone who wanted to harm her. She decides to go home and is shocked the next morning to find out that the woman in the car had been brutally murdered. She is consumed with guilt and remorse once she realizes that she knew the woman who has murdered and starts struggling to remember things. Knowing that her mother had been diagnosed with early onset dementia made all of her forgetfulness convince her that she too had the disease. As her life spirals further out of control, the tension in the book continues to build as no one has been charged with the murder in the woods. I am reluctant to tell you any more about the plot because I don't want to give anything away. What I will tell you is that I had the culprit figured out by the middle of the book and then changed my mind another fifty pages later only to be totally surprised for the last 40 pages of the book.

This is the second book by B.A. Paris and even though I loved her first book, I thought that this one was even better. Can't wait for her next book!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second by this author that I have been unable to resist reading. A psychological thriller that has you on the edge of your seat for a turbulent trip of twists and I certainly didn't expect the twist at the end.. Excellent read and would recommend for others that have enjoyed Behind Closed Doors or other books in the genre..

Was this review helpful?

First of all, I would not compare to "Behind Closed Doors" because they are COMPLETELY different, which is high praise for B.A. Paris's first two novels.

This was a really fast, gripping read for me. I read it in about two days over vacation - so obviously I was intrigued! The beginning took a bit to get into, partly because I was tired, and partly because I was waiting for Behind Closed Doors Part 2.

However, once you get into it, you get INTO it. I kept racking my brain trying to figure out what was happening to Cass. I will admit she started to annoy me after a while just like she annoyed the people in her life. But with good reason, she knew something fishy was going on and kept racking her brain herself. It just got repetitive after a while.

The storyline is full of mystery and intrigue. The characters are well developed, and I definitely felt an emotional connection to Cass. The writing itself had a great flow and was easy to read - which was especially helpful toward the end when I couldn't put it down.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone. It's not scary (if you are worried about that). But a gripping theory where you don't know the truth until the very end. And then you can't put it down. I think most types of people and readers would enjoy this! I'm B.A. Paris's newest fan!

*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

Was this review helpful?

3.5 Stars

The Breakdown is a suspense-filled psychological thriller about a woman who is slowly having a nervous breakdown brought on by a car that breaks down.

While driving home late one night in the midst of a storm, Cass decides to take a shortcut through isolated back roads. She passes a woman whose car appears to have broken down. Since it’s stormy and spooky out, Cass decides that rather than stop to see if she can help, she will call for help when she arrives home. However, she forgets about the woman and the next morning she wakes to discover that the woman was murdered.

Cass’s forgetfulness begins to haunt her. She feels like the murderer is watching her every move. As her paranoia grows, she becomes plagued with forgetfulness. She begins to forget making plans with friends and her husband. She forgets that she ordered things online. She forgets how the appliances in her home work. Pretty soon, she starts questioning her sanity and wonders if she has early onset dementia, a disease her mother suffered from. Cass’s behavior continues to spiral out of control until she comes to the realization that all is not right in her world and not everything she thinks to be true adds up.

While I enjoyed this book, there were times when I was just waiting for something to happen. I predicted the twist, but it was still fun to see how things played out. It goes a bit lifetime movie at times, but overall it was a quick and entertaining read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?