“Bring Me Back” by B A Paris starts with thought-provoking first person comments from twelve years prior. “I should have been nearer. That was the statement I gave to the police… It was the truth. But not quite the whole truth.” Right from the start, we know he is not exactly truthful.
The tone of the story is suspenseful and tense right from the start. Layla is gone, except that being declared dead is not the same as being dead. Finn is haunted by his past and by Layla, so why he is engaged to marry Ellen, Layla’s sister? What else he is hiding? It should not matter since twelve years have passed, but it does. And now, someone has seen her, Layla.
The characters are stealthy, and it is not always clear who is narrating any particular portion. What is clear is, however, that is that there is a massive hidden mystery, and everyone has secrets of epic proportions. The conflict engages the reader and causes distrust in the narrator. Readers wonder page after page not only what will happen next but also what happened in France twelve years before. Here a little lie, there a little, lie everywhere lies, lies, and more lies.
The storyline is not linear, and chapters alternate back and forth in time to show how the past events shaped the present. Some chapters are directed to the reader; in others, the narrative is directed to Layla. Chapters also alternate between narrators to allow characters to tell the story in their own voices and from their own perspectives. Chapters are tagged to identify time frame and eventually the person communicating. The first person construction enhances the distrust because readers see the duplicity and are perplexed by the secrets. Little clues and misdirection in every chapter build to a shocking revelation.
Fun note -- Layla is from the land of Peter May -- Lewis, a remote island in the Outer Hebrides,
I received an advanced copy of “Bring Me Back” from B. A. Paris, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley. Paris created compelling characters and a suspenseful story that keeps readers turning pages to see what happens next. I highly recommend it with the caveat that that you should not schedule anything but reading because once you start you will not be able to put this down.

This book started off slow and confusing, picked up a tiny bit of steam toward the middle, then fell off the cliff of ridiculousness. Finn, our main character, used to love a girl named Layla. She disappeared while they were on vacation in France, Fast forward to many years later, and he's engaged to Layla's sister, Ellen. He knows he'll never love Ellen like he loved Layla, but that's okay with him. Then he starts getting emails that make him think Layla might be alive. Someone is leaving Russian dolls all over the place (these have a tenuous connection to Layla, so he thinks it's a sign.) We're supposed to want to know if Layla is alive or dead, or if Finn had anything to do with her disappearance, but that suspense isn't successfully built. It becomes clear pretty early on what the "twist" is, but it's one that's so completely unbelievable and overused that you think it can't possibly be THAT. But it is. It is THAT. And by the time it's confirmed, you're at the end of the book, and you can't believe THAT really just happened. The afternoon soap opera of thriller novels.

I was thoroughly engrossed in this book from the first page until the last. It felt as if I were going through this ordeal with the characters the whole time, and I found myself second guessing my instincts about what was really happening on just about every page. I loved this fast-paced thriller, and I think anyone who enjoys this kind of book will too. Highly recommended. Thank you @stmartinspress for sending me this Early Readers Edition and @baparisauthor for writing this book! #BringMeBack

Coming back from holiday, Layla goes missing at a rest stop. Finn moves on many years later, but then an item appears that can only be from Layla. Is she alive? Finn is engaged to be married and is happy now. But he cant help but wonder. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?

B.A. Paris really knows how to suck you in to a book and get you hooked! You can never trust any of her characters for very long, and I love that I am always trying to guess what is really happening and looking for clues. I had figured this one out early on, then ditched everything I believed only to have been right from the start. I love how I (and Finn!!!) kept changing our minds on what was really happening. I liked The Breakdown and Behind Closed Doors a little better than this one, but it was still good!

Bottom Line: This book will be out in June, be sure to get on the wait list at the library now!! If you enjoyed her other two, you are sure to like this as well.

**I received a copy of Bring Me Back from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

The book was creepy. I saw the plot twist coming, but was unsure of all of the "how's" to get there. Thought it was well-written and entertaining. Definitely not a happy, feel good book, but one I would recommend to folks who enjoy psychological thrillers.

I enjoy B.A Paris books but my only issue is I can always figure them out. I love twists and once again this one didn’t have any that left ur mouth open with that omg shock value. It started out sooo good and then totally fell flat, with the same thing happening over and over again. Then, the ending was pretty predictable. If I had a penny for every time I read the words Russian Doll I would be a millionaire. Over all, it’s a decent read. Some might enjoy it more than I did and It’s worth giving it a chance.

Thank you to the publishers for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had such high hopes for this book especially since it started off so well. The rest of the story was just not as interesting or as intense as it could have been and I despised the ending. All in all, I really was not overly impressed.

I did not want to put this book down! I just had to know what was going on.

Layla disappeared 12 years ago, but just as her boyfriend Finn is finally ready to move on with his life, things start happening that cause Finn to wonder if maybe Layla might be back. But why did she wait 12 years? And why won't she agree to meet him? Or is someone else playing some sick game with him?

My mind raced through all sorts of theories as I read, but I never quite figured it out. I wondered, but then just dismissed it because it just couldn't be...

Oh yes - this book kept me reading right up until the very end, and then I just kept thinking about it long after the last page had been read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advance copy. I enjoyed it very much!

Another great book by B.A. Paris! Twists that I definitely didn't see coming and a fast pace throughout! I didn't want to stop reading!

I truly loved this book - it was dark and creepy in it's true to life realization on how childhood trauma affects people. Really delving into mental illness this book showed exactly how abuse can damage a person inside, sometimes completely changing their entire identity. Whether they meant to have it change that drastically or not. It was a doozy but so worth reading! 5 Stars!

A compelling read!! B.A. Paris’s latest psychological thriller centers around an unusual love triangle. There’s Finn—an at-times volatile man—and Layla and Ellen, sisters who are completely opposite in temperament and taste. Finn’s initial relationship is with Layla, who vanishes without a trace while the young lovers are returning to England from a holiday on the continent. After an investigation, Finn is cleared of suspicion of foul play by the police, and Layla’s body is never found.

Years after Layla’s disappearance, Finn embarks on a romantic relationship with Layla’s sister, Ellen. Soon after the couple announce their engagement, mysterious signs and sightings raise questions about Layla’s fate and whereabouts: Is it possible that Layla has returned? If so, why now and where has she been for the past 12 years? What would such a turn of events mean for Finn and Ellen’s future? Or, on the other hand, is this merely a cruel hoax by someone determined to destroy Finn and Ellen’s relationship?

The unfolding story is riveting and well-told: part one alternates between the present time and the last decade, filling in the back story; part two alternates between Finn and Layla’s voices, revealing their inner thoughts; and part three hurtles towards a stunning conclusion. Supporting characters add strong elements of suspicion and motive that kept this reader guessing and turning pages to the story’s end.

With this latest novel, B.A. Paris presents her third outstanding, twisty tale, proving beyond doubt that she is a master of suspense and a formidable voice in the genre

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy for review!

I think a lot of the thrillers lately have been using a familiar trope, often related to lack of memory and unreliable (or mentally unstable) female narrators. Although this one doesn't entirely depart from that, it at least shifts the focus onto a male character and has a somewhat refreshing mystery. It got a little tiresome about three quarters of the way through but I have to give the author credit that when I started to sense this, the story did start to evolve into a satisfying climax. I had my doubts with the overall plausibility but are we really looking for that in a thriller? In the end, it didn't have the emotional impact that I really look for in a 5-star read but for what it was, a page-turning mystery, I have to give it a solid 4½.

Who'd have thought Russian Stacking Dolls could be nefarious? Turns out, they are when they suddenly start appearing on the fence outside your house, on your car, in the mail, and even with the check at a restaurant.

Twelve years after Finn's girlfriend, Layla, disappeared while they were holidaying in France, Finn has moved on and is engaged to Layla's sister, Ellen. We're immediately pulled into the intrigue of what happened to Layla, what Finn knows, and more importantly, what he had to do with it. The only thing we know for sure is that Finn lied to the police and that he is one of those problematic and unlikeable characters that I, personally, love.

Suddenly, Finn is told that a neighbor saw Layla outside their cottage in St Marys. Then, little Russian dolls start appearing, and Ellen becomes convinced that Layla is alive. Finn thinks someone else is harassing them, especially once emails start arriving from someone wanting to buy the cottage, casting doubt on almost everything. He becomes paranoid and secretive, especially with Ellen, and when he's asked to make a choice between past and present, things start to spiral even further out of control.

Bring Me Back is a bit of a slow burn, told in three parts and two voices. While I had figured out the likeliest scenario about halfway through the book, there was enough clever misdirection and other problematic characters for it to still keep me second-guessing. Even once I had figured it out for sure, there were still a couple of surprises. The conclusion is both tragic and satisfying at the same time.

While I haven't read any of Ms Paris' previous works, I'm told this one is a little different. Don't let that put you off. It's definitely a good, quick read.

Ahhhhhh... I have such mixed feelings about this book. I don't know where to start or how to properly review without giving away spoilers, but I just had such high hopes throughout the first half of this story and then... meh.

This was my first B.A. Paris book. I've heard great things about the author and this book in particular, the buzz was deafening, but for me it just fell flat.

Don't get me wrong, the premise was so intriguing and I jumped right in with all the whodunit questions. I jumped from character to character with the turn of every page, not knowing who knew what, who did what, and these are EXACTLY the style of books I love. Unfortunately, I had major suspicions about 50% through, and I was pretty much correct - but the execution just made me more or less angry. It's like those books where you're so dumbfounded, you have no idea whats going to happen, you're so excited for those super fun twisty turny clues and then everything starts falling into place. But this was not the case with Bring Me Back. It felt like a cop-out at the end. It was like - the whole story was questions, and then you get all the answers in one final chapter and you're like... ummm what? I dunno - it felt lazy at the end, unconnected a bit, and pretty unbelievable.

The basic story is that Finn meets Layla, they fall in love and then one night, as they're stopped at a gas station rest stop, Finn returns from the restroom and Layla is gone. Did she leave, was she forced or kidnapped? Ten years later, Finn is about to marry someone else, and clues begin to appear raising questions as to if Layla is alive, and if so, where is she?

Without spoiling anything, I WILL say It was a fun idea, and the writing is top notch. I loved how stories were interwoven and little clues popping up everywhere. But again, the end just fell flat for me. I'll definitely be checking out some of B.A. Paris's other books for sure though after reading this. I really enjoyed the writing style and MOST of the book!

The story unfolds with a young man and woman at a rest area; when the young man returns from ablutions, the lady is gone without much of a trace. After initial suspicion, he is cleared of any wrongdoing and attempts to move on with his life. Jump to twelve years later and he is engaged to the elder sister of his missing girlfriend. They begin to receive items that are significant only to the three of them, and the mystery of her disappearance deepens.

I found this book somewhat slow and didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters. It was well-written, and I did enjoy the ending, however.

I am a huge Fan of B A Paris that being said I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the last two. Don’t get me wrong it is a really good book and I couldn’t put it down but I thought I had it figured out from chapter 3 and I was right but the details leading up to the conclusion were nothing I could have imagined. So if you like a good who done it this is a good pick

So I absolutely LOVED the other two books from B.A. Paris but this one I only LIKED. I kept waiting for something to happen and when the mystery was finally revealed, it felt a little improbable. One thing Paris definitely has a knack for creating a frenzied main character who has trouble trusting everyone around them as the mystery unfolds.

Why can’t we rate books in sections yet you guys?! I am struggling so hardcore with my rating/feelings about this book, I loved the first half and the last half was annoying and totally unbelievable. Sigh. I guess I will do my best to explain what did or did not work for me and hope I give you guys enough information to decide for yourselves whether this is a book for you.

One thing that I want to make very clear is that Paris is one heck of an author with a style that I absolutely adore. I’ve been drawn into all three of her books, she crafts compelling premises that have that awesome sense of doubt, mistrust and dread emanating from the pages. She never really creates the most likable characters but I don’t care about that, I love their unreliability and paranoia and overall lack of scruples. The pacing is relentlessly fast and furious, you really can’t say anything but that it’s unputdownable, so why am I so torn???

My main problem was the big twist was so unbelievable. Listen, I have no problem suspending disbelief whatsoever, I do it all of the time with no issues but I just could not get past the improbability of this reveal. You guys know that I won’t spoil anything for you, but I just kept thinking, no way in hell could this really happen. Never.

Here’s the bottom line, if you’re a fan of Paris you should probably read this book for yourself and draw your own conclusions. If you’ve never read her work her two previous novels are insanely awesome and come highly recommended by me. If you don’t mind out there twists and unbelievable resolutions then you might love this one, but for me I just can’t say that I did. I liked it though, and no matter what I’ll definitely be reading whatever Paris comes up with next because no one does compelling page turners as well as she does.

I thought this started out well, but had some clunky writing at the beginning. The plot was good - I wasn't sure if Layla was killed at the rest stop or not. The story of the missing Russian doll started off being interesting, but eventually the whole thing got too redundant (how many Russian dolls have to be given to make the point?). About half way through I started skimming and "read" the last 1/3 in less than an hour. It got my attention, but couldn't keep it.

This is more of a 2-2 1/2 star book. It wasn't bad, but it kind of made me roll my eyes. Maybe because I read a lot of mystery/thrillers. Maybe it just wasn't that good. I could see the twist coming maybe halfway through the book so I just wanted to get to the end. It wasn't a long book and it was an easy read. Also, sort of cheesy.