
Member Reviews

Wow! A fast heart-pounding, page turning thriller! I really couldn't believe the twist at the end.. Well worth a read. .

It is twisty and it is psychologically baffling and the question is – Is Layla alive after all these years? Layla and Finn were getting serious but she disappears. Presumed dead, after some years Finn moves on and finds love with Layla’s sister Ellen. Suddenly Layla’s been seen, emails start coming from someone, and strangely Russian dolls a factor in the lives of Layla and Ellen appear. Finn has to figure out what it all means and face his feelings, but where will it take him?
While the conclusion surprised me and kept me going to the end, it was the characters that turned me off. When the characters don’t catch my interest, not even my love for thrillers and mystery will bring enjoyment to a book. It was a quick and will be satisfying to many but for me a three star.

Received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
B.A. Paris did not disappoint me yet again. She knows how to write a first-rate psychological thriller! Grabbed me from the first page and once I started reading it, was very hard to put down.
Full of plot twists, the story line is excellent and is so very well written. The characters are very flawed, which in this case makes me really like them.
I have to admit I sort of had the "mystery" figured out about 80% in but it was still fun riding along to the end to see how Paris solved it.
This one gets a 5 star because Paris had me riveted from the first paragraph and kept me there.

Bring Me Back was a suspenseful thriller that moved very quickly. I enjoyed the back and forth between the past, present and different characters. While driving home, Finn and Layla stop and after Finn comes back from the toilet, he finds Layla has disappeared. Finn has kept some secrets hidden from that night, and years later with his marriage to Beth quickly approaching he finds some of his past coming back to haunt him.
I really enjoyed reading this book since I was really creeped out by the things happening the Finn. (Maybe it was those creepy Russian dolls!) There was always a part of me wondering whether it was real or imagined. I'm sure some people could easily figure out what was going on, but I enjoyed the slow reveal. Lots of good red herrings to keep you guessing!

Received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review
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I was really excited about this book. The premise seemed intriguing, it promised mystery and an interesting plot. And it had both of these things for the first part of the story. Maybe it's that I've read too many thrillers lately, or maybe I read it too quickly, but I was so disappointed when the second part hit. I will say that I had fun for the first half and it was a very easy read.
Finn and his girlfriend Layla are on holiday 12 years ago, when she all of a sudden disappears and is never to be seen again. 12 years later, Finn is about to marry his potentially dead ex's sister (...who does that) and they start getting relics of Layla's past in the mail. The point of view alternates between the past and the present, and we get a piecemeal version of what happened when Layla disappeared and what is happening in the present.
Like I mentioned, the first part of the book is interesting, you get Finn, and learn about his life with his soon to be bride (which is weird, since he's marrying his ex's sister, but whatever). You start learning about what did/did not happen when Layla disappears. You get Finn as your unreliable narrator, which incidentally comes off as sensationalist and not very well done - many of his chapters end with some terse sentence meant to build suspense, which fall flat, "But then she spoiled everything." Queue ominous music.
You get a lot of red herrings, none of which really make sense. Eh.
Then part two, which really was a let down. Typically when you start to get answers, it's the thrilling part of the thriller, but I was so disappointed. Which should have foreshadowed the twist.
The twist was not rooted in any believable world and it made me really unhappy.
Didn't love it, but was entertained for the first half or so.

A Marmite book that initially comes off as "Best Day Ever"-turns-"Gone Girl".
It's actually the story of a man whose fiancée-to-be disappeared twelve years ago and was presumed dead five years ago; but now that he's engaged to marry her sister, the fiancée-to-be is lurking in the shadows, forcing him to choose between them.
Another mind game like "Behind Closed Doors," although lacking that originality. As with "The Breakdown," the author takes what's been done before (hence my having worked this one out at around 25%) and — cleverly, but not altogether convincingly here — makes it her own.
Despite knowing the outcome, I found it to be A HIGHLY ADDICTIVE, FAST-PACED READ and recommend it to beachgoers who aren't fluent in the language of psychological thrillers.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

Oh my gosh! I could not put this book down. It took me a little bit to get into it, however, this author just was able to take a story and spin it in multiple directions and get me wound up!
There are multiple areas I thought I knew what was going on and I had my suspicions of what the truth is going to be. While I’m happy to say I was mostly right, that did not make this book any less enjoyable.
This is the first time I’ve read this author and I loved the complexity of the case; the way she was able to keep you on your toes throughout the entire story. One minute you thought one person was crazy and the next minute you thought somebody else was crazy. Heck, maybe they all are crazy, or maybe you are.
Plenty of edge-of-your-seat excitement, secrets, and scattered pieces will keep you turning these pages just as fast as I did… in a rush to find out the final truth. The ending killed me though. Not what I wanted. LOL
With minute details and great character development, B.A. Paris did a fabulous job on the story. I just wish I hadn’t guessed what was going on. That would’ve have made it a perfect read!

This book started off strong enough but fizzled so steadily as the story progressed that I was exasperated by the end. I don't mind unlikable characters -- they can make a book -- but they have to be interesting, engaging unlikables. I never understood why any of the cast acted as they did, aside from chalking it up to rampant mental illness.
Why did urbane Harry behave like a faithful dog, passively enduring Finn's continual abuse and exploitation? And why was Ruby also cast as a supportive friend, despite Finn's bad treatment of her? And, least believable of all, why didn't Finn go to the police (when he clearly was in over his head) even though he had detective Tony (yet another unquestioning loyalist) apparently at his beck and call?
I did plow on to the end, hoping against hope, but the rushed resolution was the most unsatisfying element of all.
This was an advance reader's copy from NetGalley, and I sincerely wished I had enjoyed it more.

crazy plot, unreliable narrators, and an interesting twist. I did figure it out before I reached the end but it was still an enjoyable read. Well written, I'd read other things by this author

Bring Me Back is an edge-of-the-seat thriller from B.A. Paris. Fans of highly suspenseful thrillers will enjoy this read.

Very similar in style to Harlan Coben novels. Reels you right in from the get-go. It has you wondering what is real, what isn’t, who did what and HOW. I loved it.
This takes place mostly in London, the main character is a Brit, Finn, whose girlfriend Layla disappears one night while he is in the men’s room at a rest stop. Layla and her sister Ellen are the two women in Finn’s life, past and present.
There are some disturbing moments in taking a look at Finn, especially when he has these dark ponderings. This is a twisty, compulsive read that will pull at many a readers emotions. The conclusion may seem like a stretch, but when you factor in all that you have read, the author, imho, manages to make you believe it. Hard to put down. Highly recommended for lovers of suspense and mysterious noir. This was my first novel by author Paris, but it won’t be my last.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my pre-release digital copy of this novel, to be released June 19, 2018.

A very suspenseful book and it keeps you guessing until the very last page. The story was creepy with so many secrets and lies you don't know what is the truth. I received an advanced readers copy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

This is the second book I have read by this author so I was excited to read this as I was unable to put down the first one I read (and I read in less than 24 hours!). This did not keep me on the edge of my seat, though it was still a thrilling read. I did find the book a little predictable and was able to figure out what was happening. The characters were well developed, but the plot had some unanswered questions.

Gripping! This book had me at the start and didn't let go until the last page. I love a mystery that starts to reveal itself towards the end, too. As a reader, you become invested in determining whether your hunch is correct and it bonds you to the book in a way that bait and switch endings don't provide.
BA Paris has a way of telling a story from multiple perspectives to deepen a narrative's dimensions so you can see events from different vantage points.
If you enjoyed Behind Closed Doors you'll love the ride this book takes you on. It's a perfect summer travel escape read, highly recommend!

The nature of this book makes it hard to give any real, character detailed feedback without providing spoilers. I will say that B.A. Paris' new book titled Bring Me Back is one of her best yet. Every time you thing you have the story figured out, it takes another twist. When I read the ending I was shocked, floored, stunned.... you name it! SUPERB craftsmanship of this fantastic thriller!

This newest offering from BA Paris is sure to please old fans and bring in new ones looking for a quick and entertaining domestic thriller.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was full of twists and turns. Finn and Layla were in love. One night they stop at a filling station and Layla disappears. Finn is the suspect and years pass. Fast forward, and now Finn and Ellen are engaged. Nothing wrong with him being engaged except....Ellen is Layla's sister.
Odd things start happening and Finn and Ellen start thinking that Layla has reappeared.
This book kept me guessing - even at the end! I really enjoyed this book!

This is a hard one to review without spoilers! I'd give it more 3.5 stars but rounded up.
I thought the first part was very good, but then we sort of find out the answer to the Big Question, so the next part lost some of the narrative steam for me. I thought it got a bit repetitive at times with the "Can I trust X? I can trust X. Can I trust Y? I can trust Y. But what about X, can I trust them?" And it bothered me that Ellen had no agency whatsoever. She kept relying on Finn to talk to the police about her own sister's case. I also didn't understand why Finn wouldn't talk to Ellen about what was happening. Screw getting her hopes up or worrying her; she's an adult woman and can handle her own emotions when it comes to her missing sister! Have we learned nothing about keeping secrets in these kinds of situations? Because of that, I found myself slightly less compelled by the story the further I got into it. But then twist ending wasn't <i>quite</i> what I was expecting, though along the same lines, so it was a satisfying conclusion.
Still very readable and I did like the alternating structure.

Another ARC from NetGalley! I had read B.A. Paris's Behind Closed Doors, and loved it, so I was excited to read this book. It did not disappoint. Finn and Layla had a whirlwind romance. One night, on the way hope from a trip to France, the couple stops at a rest area. Finn goes to use the restroom and when he returns, Layla has disappeared. After an exhaustive search, she is presumed dead. Finn meets Layla's sister, Ellen, and during their mourning of Layla, the eventually fall in love and get engaged. Suddenly, after the engagement is announced, people say they have seen Layla, and Finn and Ellen start receiving memoirs from Layla and Ellen's childhood that only a select few know about. Is Layla back? Where has she been for 12 years? This book kept me intrigued throughout, and there was a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Although I was a bit disappointed in the ending, I would still highly advise reading this book, especially if you are a lover of suspense!

A very interesting mystery that has you routing for all sides. It is difficult to know how you want this tell of psychological warfare/love to end. I did not discover the truth till the author revealed it. Lots of twists and turns and hints that I did not pick-up on due the the misdirection. Excellent tale!