Yikes!

When those ol' marbles start rollin' around inside your head and they seem to shift and move back and forth as if on cue.........you know you're in trouble........big trouble.

Cass Anderson feels that crazy rotation. Battling a torrential downpour late one night, she takes the shortcut home. Her headlights are cast upon a car parked to the side with what appears to be a blonde woman behind the wheel. Stalled? Cass pulls ahead of her and waits for a few brief seconds. The woman never indicates that she needs help. Cass promised her husband earlier that she would stay only on the main highway. Instinct tells her to get home quickly.

The next morning Cass finds out that a woman had been murdered on that same road the night before. The marbles begin to collide from intense guilt and fear. Could she have prevented what happened on that dark, lonely road? Would going to the police now make any difference? And would the murderer recognize her car and pay her a little visit?

Consumed by terrifying thoughts, Cass is blanketed in paranoia. She begins to hear unaccustomed sounds within her house, misplacement of items, phantom phone calls, and the dreaded presence of someone watching her. Her greatest fear seems to be coming true. Her mother was diagnosed at the young age of forty-four with early on-set dementia. Is this what awaits Cass or something far more menacing?

B.A. Paris does it again with The Breakdown. If you read, Behind Closed Doors, you know that Paris has both hands tightly on the wheel taking you on some mighty slippery slopes. This one proves, in another go-round, that she has an uncanny knowledge of what makes those marbles roll and spin in staccato motion. As the character of Cass becomes unglued, you feel the trigger of instability happening a bit too close.

Many Sherlocks out there may fit the pieces together early on. But what eventually develops within this glass jar will cleverly put the lid on in the finale. This is a fast read and a satisfying one for all B.A. Paris fans, and certainly, those new to this talented author's game table. Looking forward to the next round, Ms. Paris.

I received a copy of The Breakdown through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to B.A. Paris for the opportunity.

I enjoyed this title, Cass, was a good character. I was drawn in right from the start, I knew she would take that road through the woods. As the author was telling the story of Cass driving down that deserted road I felt like I was in the car with her. I could not put this book down, by 60% I felt as though it was time to start the wrap up, I had figured out what was going on and wanted to know how B.A Paris was going to pull it all together. Great read!

Really good book, thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was great and I liked the characters. This was a real page turner, I had trouble putting it down! A solid 5 out of 5.

Brilliantly written, fast paced and twisted story of jealousy, deceit and murder.

Another great book from B.A. Paris! Thanks to netgalley for an advance copy. I found myself not being able to put this down, even from the very first chapter. It had a (good) creepy feel that drew me in. I appreciated the shorter chapters, which made it a fast read. Some of Cass' decisions made me frustrated, but that was the point I suppose. I wanted her to be a little stronger, but it still worked for her character. Although a few of the twists I saw coming, I didn't see the big final twist at the end. Overall, another page turner from a strong author. I'm looking forward to more!

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgally, but does not influence my review in any way.

I simply love B.A. Paris's style of writing. It took me awhile to get into The Breakdown as I wasn't really sure what the story was trying to tell me or where the journey was heading. About mid-way through it was becoming clear that this was going to be a twisty wild ride.

Cass is a school teacher who lost her mum to early onset dementia. Her husband Matthew is a caring, doting husband who wants to help Cass (Or is he?) Cass is having short term memory issues and is really stressed about the murder of a young woman in her town. Cass didn't know her well, but they were acquaintances. Cass is trying to piece together some puzzling things, while dealing with what she think may be a stalker.

The writing is stellar, and the while I saw what was coming, It was the way everything unfolded that had me furiously turning the pages to find out what happened next.

I want to thank B.A. Paris, St. Martin's Press and Netgally for being so gracious in letting me read an early copy of this book. I am looking forward to buying it in print.

Although the story started off slowly and the main character caused much of her own problems, I enjoyed it once it picked up and will definitely look for more from this author.

I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
While the writing is excellent and the characters fully formed, I did find the plot predictable. Maybe it's just me - because I read so many mysteries - but I knew what was happening before the end of the third chapter.
Cass has had a lot of trauma in her life. With a mother who passed at a young age from dementia, to her feelings of guilt about leaving a woman stranded in car on a stormy night - only to discover later on the woman was murdered. Add in the seemingly endless things she is "forgetting" lately, Cass is a troubled woman.
As I said, the writing is excellent, and the characters are believable - as is the storyline. I simply found no surprise in the "mystery."

I had been looking forward to reading this title as soon as I saw it. I was late to the party with Behind Closed Doors but loved it. This is a proper page turner - the sort of book that keeps you up late or makes you get up early so you can find out what happens. Cass did irritate me slightly just like Grace did in the previous book. I never guess plot lines so I was surprised in the twists and turns. Excellent read. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the chance to read this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of Breakdown by B.A. Shapiro.

I must give credit to whomever chose the brilliant title for this psychological thriller. With its multiple meanings, Breakdown provides many possibilities.The story centers around Cass, a schoolteacher who has just been celebrating the end of term with some colleagues. Her husband phones to say the roads are very bad where they live, due to a storm so avoid the backroads and drive carefully. He also mentions he has a migraine and is turning in for the night. As Cass heads for home, a huge truck forces her off the main road so in a moment of panic , she veers off the highway and opps to take the backroads through the woods. While making her way in the downpour she notices a stopped car with a female driver inside. Debating what to do in the dark and pouring rain, Cass decides the woman in the car, is not making any attempts for help so she must be waiting for someone to arrive, so Cass continues to drives home.
The next morning, Cass is shocked to discover that a woman has been found dead in the back roads inside her vehicle. Regret and guilt seize Cass as she realizes it's the woman she saw last night. Ashamed to admit she did not stop to offer assistance and that she took the backroad after her husband explicitly told her not to, she says nothing. Hours later, Cass learns the woman was somebody she had recently met and had lunch with. Although the guilt is gnawing at her, Cass still remains silent.
Eventually, Cass phones the police anonymously to say she had seen the woman alive around 11:45pm. Still feeling guilty and scared, Cass soon begins to receive mysterious phone calls,leading Cass to believe the murderer saw her and is now after her.
Meanwhile, aside from this terrible ordeal, Cass is experiencing memory loss which she attributes to early onset dementia because her mom had the same illness. Before long, Cass is spiraling out of control and can't remember what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to doubt herself, her husband and friends begin to do the same. No one will listen when she insists the murderer is stalking her..
I am becoming a little frustrated with authors who have been using this formula lately; unreliable narrators who may or may not have an underlying condition (anxiety, alcohol abuse, dementia). I found the scenario a bit unoriginal and I had the mystery pretty much figured out early on. It was frustrating that an intelligent woman was not able to ascertain certain "clues" fairly quickly and easily. Good news was that I did breeze through the story and was compelled to read until the end to see if my hunches were correct (they were). This story was OK, but not great. I think those who read thrillers all the time, will have this figured out rather quickly but for casual readers, this book will be exciting and compulsive.

A really well written steady read. Very hard to put down. I'll be checking out Behind Closed Doors now that I've discovered this amazing writer.

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

As a fierce storm rages, Cass fights to maintain control of her car as she makes her way home on a dark and winding road. Straining to see through the pounding rain, she passes a car pulled over to the side, and catches sight of a woman's face. Desperate to get home and out of the storm, Cass drives on, vowing to call the police to alert them of a possible breakdown of a vehicle by the side of the road. Upon arriving home, Cass fails to make that call. She forgets. Next day, the news is full of the murder of the woman in her car.

Cass is forgetting quite a lot of things these days. Riddled with guilt, self-doubt, and untold truths, her mind begins to slip. Then the telephone calls begin, with no one speaking but with an air of menace about them. Has someone been in the house? Why can't she remember anything? The paranoia begins to eat her alive, and she fears she is going mad. Her wild ravings and accusations have eroded her credibility with her husband, her friends, and the police. Cass is convinced the killer of the woman in the car is after her now.

I applaud the pacing, and like the title, which carries multiple meanings. This was a quick and entertaining read, but as a psychological thriller, it just didn’t mess with my head quite enough.

Wow!! Even better than behind closed doors! If you're ready for a crazy roller coaster thrill ride read this book! I actually felt like I was spiraling down with cass, frantically trying to sort everything out. And while I had guessed a piece of the puzzle I still hadn't realized how much more to it there was. This is definitely an author I'll snap up anytime I see anything new!!

Wow hooked from page one. It didn't matter that it was obvious where the storyline was going from the start, you just wanted to see how the victim Cass was going to work it out for herself. Couldn't put this book down. Not as many twists and turns as this authors first book but still an edge of your seat thriller. Excellently written with easy to believe plot. Enjoy.

It took me far too long to read this book and I dont know why. It was an amazing read. A slow build up of tension and suspense. I loved that Cass wasnt exactly reliable.

4.5 stars for this one!

Cass Anderson is driving home through torrential rain after a late night out with her co-workers. She makes the pivotal decision to take a lonely, heavily wooded short cut that comes out near her house. Her husband, Matthew, has forbidden her to drive this road alone at night because it is so isolated, but Cass just wants to get home and out of the storm the quickest route possible. As she is coming around a bend, she is forced to swerve to avoid a car that is not completely off the road. As she passes the car, she notices the driver is a woman. Thinking she may need assistance, Cass pulls over and waits to see if the woman will approach her for help. When that doesn’t happen, Cass drives off and makes it home safely.

The next morning, Matthew informs Cass that the news stations are reporting a woman was found murdered overnight inside her car on the short cut. Realizing that Matthew will be furious if she tells him she came home that way, Cass decides to say nothing, not even to the police, thus concealing the fact she may have been the last person to see the woman alive. When Cass subsequently discovers the murdered woman was an acquaintance, her guilt for not doing or saying anything overwhelms her. She becomes paranoid that the murderer may have been in the car when she pulled over, took note of her vehicle and license plate number, and is actively looking for her.

Cass begins to receive phone calls where the caller doesn’t say anything. She finds windows open and doors unlocked when she is sure she had just closed or locked them. She is convinced she is being followed whenever she leaves the house. She hears strange noises when she is home alone and is afraid there is an intruder. Complicating matters, Cass is beginning to experience increasing and significant memory issues. She repetitively forgets appointments, online purchases arrive in the mail that she doesn’t remember buying, and there is even a home alarm system contract with her signature that she does not recall signing. She lost her mother to early onset dementia, and Cass fears that she herself may now be facing the same diagnosis. Although Matthew is being supportive, she worries what affect her mental health is having on their relationship. She starts to wonder if she is imagining things or losing her sanity.

This was a captivating novel. I thought I had the mystery solved out about three-fourths of the way through the book, but I was so wrong. I truly didn’t see that ending coming, and that’s what I really loved about it! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and surprise endings. Put this one on your “To Read” list. You will be glad you did!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

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.

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.

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.