Wow - this Knocked my Socks Right Off! What a Crazy Wild Roller Coaster of a Ride. 5 Stars!

This has to be the thriller of the year! There were times when I was holding my breath, gripping the book so intensely I thought I would break my e-reader. It was that crazy. B.A. Paris’ “The Breakdown” is an emotional psychological thriller. It grips you from the first sentence and keeps hold till the last.

The main character, Cass is a teacher who, after leaving a party, drives down a poorly lit, wooded road and sees a car stopped on the side of a road with a woman inside. Cass stops in front of it and tries to get the woman’s attention to see if she is alright but decides not to get out her own car in case it’s a trick as she is a woman alone and has always been told not to do so. Fearing for herself, Cass drives off, as most women alone would. I know that I probably would.

The next morning, Cass discovers that this woman was murdered that evening, on that dark wooded road. For fear of being judged, Cass told no one that she saw this young woman, not even her husband Matthew. This woman’s name was Jane, and it turns out that Cass knew her. And that triggers a chain of events, leading Cass to fear for her own life. She becomes scared, forgetful, paranoid and begins to show signs of early onset dementia, which what her mother passed away from.

After the murder, Cass is terrorized and spends every second looking over her shoulder. And we do too. My heart was in my throat throughout most of this book, petrified for Cass, wondering if she was in danger or if she was imagining everything. B.A. Paris did an incredible job keeping the readers on the edge of their seats. I wanted to tear through the book as fast as possible but didn’t want to miss a second of it.

This is the best emotional psychological thriller I have read in years. I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you want to read a book you can’t put down, that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the second you pick it up, till the moment you put it down, this is it.

I did not read B.A. Paris’s debut “Behind Closed Doors” - however, “The Breakdown” was so fantastic that I just ordered it on Amazon and am planning to read it next as this was amazing and I can’t wait to read her debut.

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

Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 2/12/17.

*Will be published on Amazon on 6/20/17.

I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Cass and her husband Matt seem to have the perfect marriage. One evening, Cass is on her way home from a night out with friends as she passes a suspicious car on the side of the road during a downpour. The next day a local woman is found brutally murdered in her car. Cass realizes that she may have been a witness to that murder. She chooses not to come forward but the guilt gnaws at her. She starts to receive silent phone calls, she becomes forgetful, and she's frightened at every turn. Her life goes into a tailspin. Paris' prior novel, 'Behind Closed Doors', was a blockbuster debut and this second novel is a thrill ride that is hard to put down.

I received this book from netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Wow. This book was great. It's sucked me in from page one, and I didn't want to put it down.

Loved it! Favourite book so far from net galley. Kept me hooked even though I kind of guessed who was behind it..... always suspicious when two characters "hate" each other. But still an overall very enjoyable read. Thank you

I consumed this book in two sittings and I was on the edge of my seat. I don't really even want to say much about it as I wouldn't want to give much away. My only issue was with the ending, which I felt was a little abrupt

I read a lot of thrillers and horror stories and i like to think it takes a lot to creep me out but my god was i ever on edge reading this. The level of tension created in this story is incredible and even in the middle of the day i was as tense and worked up as if i was on the creepy back road with Cass where the story begins.

It's only February but i know this is going to be in my top five books of the year come December because it's just that good. Well written, intriguing story and engaging characters it was exactly what you want from a psychological thriller.

Really enjoyable thriller, with an intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages. Will definitely look forward to more by this author.

I loved B.A. Paris's first book, "Behind Closed Doors" so was quick to read her new novel, "The Breakdown". There was an element of concern, after all, how many really good books can an author churn out in a brief amount of time. I'm very happy to say, at least two!

Cass has been struggling with guilt since seeing a woman in a broken down car during a rain storm, and not successfully stopping to help. That concern quickly turns to fear when she learns that the woman was murdered, and is someone she recently became acquainted with. As she comes to terms with the news, strange things begin to happen which make her believe she is suffering from the same early onset dementia that only a few years earlier claimed the life of her mother. As these occurrences become more frequent, and explanations few and far between, she must find out what is happening in her mind before madness consumes her.

This is a completely different plot than her first book, but with unexpected twists that will keep a delighted reader interested until the last page is turned. For readers who enjoy Gillian Flynn and Carol O'Connell, this is a can't miss book for 2017.

Behind Closed Doors was one of my top reads in 2016 so I was I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Breakdown!!!! I am ecstatic to announce that B.A. Paris has knocked it out of the park once again!!!

Just like the title says, this enticing novel centers around a breakdown. While driving home on a stormy night, Cass Anderson spots a woman on the side of the road waiting inside a broken down car. Cass initially thinks she should stop to offer assistance, but thinking of her personal safety, Cass ultimately decides to keep driving. That women ends up dead!!!!! From that point, Cass has found herself in a tailspin of should've, would've, could've!! And then strange and unexplainable occurrences start happening to Cass and she fears she's being targeted!!! Wowzer!!!

I love a novel that shocks me with it's outcome, and The Breakdown was definitely shocking! The twists and turns were very well timed--love that!!!! I can honestly say that as much as I tried to come up with my own theories, I was completely at a loss!! When B.A. Paris finally put all of the puzzle pieces together my jaw actually dropped...totally stunned!! The Breakdown is a 5 star book that is definitely on my 2017 favorites list!! I cannot wait to see what B.A. Paris has up her sleeve next!!!!

I had no expectations going into this because I have, yet, to read B. A. Paris's previous book. Although, I have heard great things about that one, which I will be reading very soon! This book had me hooked from the first page. I had every intention of reading a few chapters before I headed off to work but then I couldn't seem to get myself to put it down. And even after I got to work, I found myself sneaking into the breakroom to read! One of my friends has read this and found it to be predictable but I didn't think that at all. I thought this was so well written that I just had to find out what and how this was all going to come together. I was not disappointed in this story. Highly recommend for any mystery/thriller readers out there!!

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one - read it in one sitting as confined to house by illness but surprised just how quickly I got through it.
Cass takes a short cut through the woods on her drive home. She sees a woman in a car but doesn't stop to help. It emerges the woman was murdered. Cass is consumed by guilt after realising she knew the woman and strange things begin happen. There are silent phone calls. She gets forgetful, she sees things. Is she inheriting her mother’s early dementia or is something more sinister at play? Is the murderer tormenting her?
It didn't quite reach the heights of Behind Closed Doors, the authors previous novel, and was perhaps just a little bit predictable but there were lots of twists and turns to make this a very entertaining read. I really couldn't put it down!
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this copy to review.

B. A. Paris turned me into a huge fan of hers with Behind Closed Doors so when the opportunity came up to review this I thought my birthday had come early and she did not disappoint. Her plot is involved, well-written, and extremely clever; once you start reading this you’ll see it just never lets you go until the end. Her story line will have you on the edge of your seat as the fear of what is to come will keep you glued to the pages.

She writes multifaceted characters so intriguing that just when you know you figured out who the villain is that is when you are most wrong. There is just something intense and haunting about this book that will creep you out to the core.

Her fast pace, short chapters, and the emotional impact from the mental breakdown (hence the title) add up to a winning combination to make one hell of a thrilling ride you won’t want to miss. You really need to read this and if you haven’t read Behind Closed Doors it’s a MUST!!!

Received this eARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to have my request approved. This story was good. The only problem I had that dropped the rating to 4 stars, I felt it dragged on in some parts. Love the conclusion.

I really liked Behind Closed Doors so I was excited to read this one as well. It was somewhere in the 4.5 star range but I rounded up because I couldn't put it down! It had me spooked just thinking about the fear of someone watching you + the fear of losing your memory/mind and I couldn't wait to see what happened. I felt the twists weren't the most shocking twists I've read...but that's because I read a lot of these books. My suspicions were in the general vicinity of the conclusion however, just like in her previous book, the story wraps up well. I didn't have that one standout sentence that gave me goosebumps like "What was the color of Milly's room?" in Behind Closed Doors...but I can forgive that fact. Definitely will continue to read Paris' books!

Page turner! Loved this fast paced thrill! Another great novel by this author!

Thank you BA Paris and Netgalley for an honest review in exchange of an honest review.
I just love this new author, Behind Closed Doors was definitely one of my favourite reads of 2016 and The Breakdown is going to be just as popular. I read this title in a day as the writing just carries you so fast through to the very end. The only problem I had with it is that the ending was just too short and quick.
Do yourself a favour and discover an amazing author. Highly recommend.

Happy birthday to me! After reading and LOVING Behind Closed Doors, I was ecstatic to finally be approved to read this, just in time for my birthday.

B.A. Paris honestly outdid the last novel with this one. Going on my favorites list, no questions asked.

Cass is plagued by guilt after driving through the woods one night during a storm, and not helping the woman in the car sitting on the road. That same woman is then found murdered the next day. After losing her mother to early onset dementia, Cass is worried that she is suffering the same fate. She starts forgetting things, dates, appointments...and is going mad.

The silent phone calls soon start and only plunge her further into madness. This book, wow, just wow. The amount of tension and paranoia that comes to life from the pages made this an epic page turner.

Can't wait for the next novel by B.A. Paris!

No book has made me so tense since I was eleven years old reading horror by torch underneath my covers. I was legitimately scared by this book, and found myself twitching and jumping with the turn of every digital page. It was legitimately at a place where I couldn't look away.

If I had slowed down a little I would have known what was happening, because my suspicions were both confirmed in various ways; however, I felt as lost and as bewildered as Cass did because of how imperative it was that I keep reading.

I started this in an attempt to read before I fell asleep which was a bad idea and I ended up having to stop myself forcibly in order to get any sleep because it drew me in so quickly. I'm not particularly fond of Cass as she's a fairly weak character and is easily pushed around, but the writing was powerful and I completely understood why she felt the way that she did.

Figuring out each of the characters and what motives they might have was incredibly interesting and Paris once again did a fantastic job of bringing each minor event into the plot. I was never completely sure of anything while reading this.

I may be a little bit jumpy for the next week or so after reading this. I didn't expect it to be quite so thrilling. But I highly recommend it.

Make sure you've got a few hours and a cosy light before you read this, but definitely put it high on your must read list.

4-4.5* Emotionally HAUNTING.
This was my first B. A. Paris read, but it won't be my last. Once The Breakdown grabbed me, it had me completely absorbed and I couldn't put it down. I love when you read a book that has you all paranoid, questioning everyone and not being sure who to trust.

* Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review *

This is the third book within a couple of weeks which I anticipated for quite a while and got disappointed after reading them finally. What’s wrong with me?



I really liked “Saving Grace” from the author. It was not flawless but I enjoyed reading it very much. So was very much looking forward to this book. But my problems with the story started right after the first few pages. Cass drives home late in the evening from a pub during a heavy rain storm. She takes a shortcut through a little forest which her husband begs her not to take so late in the evening in this weather. She regrets her decision after a few minutes but then she sees a car standing on the road. She drives past it and stops. She can see a blurred woman’s face but nothing happens. Cass considers leaving her car and walk over but she is afraid it might be some kind of trick or a trap. Remember, it is late in the evening, it rains, she is alone in her car, no mobile reception and she is on a remoted street. So when the woman in the car does react to her Cass drives on. The next morning she learns that the woman in that car was murdered. She is ashamed to tell anybody that she took the shortcut and saw the car. But she feels awful about it. When she hears that the victim is her friend of hers her guilt grows worse. And that is the problem. Would it really be so bad if she admits that she saw the car? She was alone in the dark on a road in the forest. She stopped and waited. This guilt she nursed during the book is important because it leads to her ongoing mental meltdown. But this initial situation did not work for me. It felt too made up. It just started implausible.



Unfortunately it does not get better. Cass slides too smoothly into her mental disorientation. She even makes it worse because she makes a lot of stupid things like lying when it is absolute unnecessary. But what ruined it for me is that I figured out who was behind everything after a few chapters. I was hoping for a surprise but it turned out exactly like I suspected. Only the murder thing was a bit of a surprise but somehow it was not that important.



The book is well writing and reasonable entertaining. I read it in two sittings. But it is very predictable and Cass is a very annoying character. She is whiny and needy and unable to cope with her daily routine. There are a lot of unlikely things in this book but I will not spoil it for you. There were a lot of negative reviews about “Saving Grace” which I could all understand but I really liked it. Now it seems that everything negative I read about that book fits twice as much for “The Breakdown”. The story seems not genuine, not natural. It is a readable book and entertaining enough but also very predictable and the main character is very annoying. So I am a little bit disappointed.