What would you do for the perfect life? Would you lie? Would you steal? Would you kill?...

Alex Dahl's debut novel 'The Boy At The Door' is a cross between a domestic noir and a psychological thriller that is based in the picture-postcard town of Sandefjord, Norway. Interior designer Cecilia Wilborg's seemingly perfect life is actually built on lies, secrets and deception. She portrays herself as having the ideal life - an attractive husband, Johan, two beautiful daughters and a large house in the countryside. Then Tobias enters her life and turns everything upside down. Can this small, friendless eight-year-old really bring Cecilia's world crashing down?

It was the premise that initially caught my attention here and this was a book I very much enjoyed. There is tension, twists and suspense aplenty as the story slowly unfurls and Cecelia unravels. It is a book that will pose provocative and intriguing questions that will get you thinking deeper about your actions and their possible consequences. The characters are unlikable but that never worries me or impacts my appreciation as I know that the majority of characters in a crime thriller will be that way, it's the nature of the books I read. They do, however, feel realistic and believable which is more important to me. Something else I thought was excellent was the fact that there was humour interspersed throughout the book, and it served to lighten the mood at key times.

Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars! This was gripping, suspenseful and intense. I’m so impressed that this is a debut novel!

The storyline pulled me in from the very first page. We meet Cecilia Wilborg and her picture-perfect family - a handsome husband and two beautiful daughters. After watching her daughters’ weekly swimming lessons, Cecilia is asked to drive eight-year-old Tobias home from the swimming centre after his parents fail to pick him up. The decision to drive Tobias home changes Cecilia’s life forever.

These characters got to me – there were two extremely stand out characters (I won’t mention names to avoid potential spoilers). I adored these characters and wanted to reach out and hug them several times throughout this novel. I felt deeply immersed within the whirlwind of stress and chaos that kept me flipping the pages of this book as fast as possible. There is an extremely dark side of this story that had me hoping for a positive outcome. My curiosity for how the novel would conclude overshadowed my every thought once I started this book, even when I wasn’t reading it. I simply had to know how things would end.

The suspense will keep you flipping the pages. The twists will keep you guessing. The writing will leave you feeling satisfied upon finishing. The ending will make you gasp!

I read this with my Traveling Sisters and we all enjoyed the thrilling journey we made with these characters.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and Alex Dahl for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Head Of Zeus and NetGalley for the free ARC copy of this book! I was so excited to read this book after reading the description and was thrilled to begin.

The words to describe this book - thrilling, chilling, and lies! And that cover!? Oh my gosh, it gives me chills. I loved this book from beginning to end. It was very well written and I loved it from the beginning. I was hooked from the start and it kept my interest throughout the entire book, as I read more and more to see what would happen next. There wasn't a dull moment at all in this book and I loved that.  There are so many shocking revelations, twists and turns, betrayal and lies. 

This book follows the story of the Wilborg family - Cecilia, her husband  and their two daughters. Cecilia has it all - a loving and devoted husband who is very successful at his job and makes a lot of money, two beautiful daughters, and a lovely big home. To everyone in their community, Cecilia has a perfect life. Cecilia works very hard to keep up that image. 

One day while Cecilia is leaving the community pool with her daughters, one of the workers at the pool asks if Cecilia will take a little boy with her and drop him off at his home. It appears the little boy was dropped off at the pool and someone hadn't yet shown up to pick him up and the pool was closing. Cecilia wasn't happy with this, but decided to take the boy with them, and took him to the address given to her to where the boy lived. When they arrive at the house, it appears to be abandoned. Cecilia asks the little boy if this is the correct address and the boy is adamant that it is. Cecilia and the boy enter the home (the door is unlocked) only to find it empty and barren. The boy couldn't possibly live here?!? 

The boy doesn't say a lot, mostly nodding and shaking his head in answer to many questions. He does speak randomly, but getting him to talk is rare. Not wanting to leave the child alone in what appears to be an abandoned and run down house all alone, she is not sure what to do with the boy. With no other choice, Cecilia takes him back to her place until she can find out who the child belongs to and how to get in touch with them.

Cecilia is confused. Why would someone drop the young boy off at the pool and then not return for him? What was she going to do with the boy? He couldn't possibly live with her and her family in her house? 

Without giving too much away this book was seriously amazing! I loved it from beginning to end. Great for fans of any type of thriller books. Read this one, you won't be disappointed!

The idea that anyone would ask you just to take a child home from swimming that you didn’t know is silly. Even sillier is the chance that you would agree. I went along with it though but when the child was then allowed to stay overnight at your home without calling the police was really just a step too far.
All decision making was bad throughout the story and I’m sorry to say I cannot find much to praise it for. Perhaps to say it’s easy to read es
Ecially the first half.

I thought that the whole plot was very good. I did not see the twist coming. I thought that part of the book was really well written. However parts of the book are confusing. It was hard in places to work out who was narrating. The story was also a bit slow in places. I also felt no warmth or empathy for Cecilia. Maybe I was not supposed to?

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I could not put this book down. It was a book of snakes and ladders, just when I thought I knew where it was headed , the book did an about turn. The main characters of flawless Cecille and eventually Tobias were so perfectly described they were easy to imagine.. I couldn't wait for bedtime to become engrossed again. It's a 10/10 read. Brilliant!!

I found this book to be a bit disappointing in its premise. It could’ve been a more suspenseful read and yet, I found myself just feeling sorry for every character involved. The name brand dropping and snobby narcissistic bragging by Cecilia became annoying, and the ending left me feeling.....flat.

I was wanting more, sadly.

I thought this book was cleverly written, slowly revealing little bits at a time, which keep you gripped to the very end.
What ever your feelings are for the characters are, this is definitely a page turner and very good debut.

Thank you netgalley, publisher and Alex Dahl for allowing me to read and review this book.

Wow! What a read, a real page turner that keeps you gripped to the end.

Cecilia has the seemingly perfect life and she will stop at nothing to protect it. When a young boy is left at the swimming pool she can't predict the consequences of her decision to take him home for the night. Just who is Tobias and why is Anni so important?

The author has created a truly loathsome central character, who seems to only care about herself. She has lied and cheated to maintain her life and you wonder just how low she can stoop.
The story is difficult to review without giving away the plot and some of the twists are slightly predictable. However this is a fab read and I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It flows beautifully and is an easy read that before you know it you've read 50 pages. The characters are well rounded if not always likeable and at times its gritty, however the need to know what is going to happen to this little boy is strong. My only criticism is that each chapter is with in the first person and I didn't always know immediately whom I was reading about.

This started off with such promise, a boy is left at a swimming baths and taken home by a woman who, at first glance, has it all. Of course, life's not that simple and the child staying with the family opens up all sorts of issues, memories and problems. It's told from various perspectives, which I found confusing at times and overall it didn't live up to expectations set by the fabulous first chapter. It's also incredibly slow in parts and I found myself flicking through it.
I read this book as a preview from net galley and Berkley publishers in exchange for an honest review.

How can a little boy turn your world upside down?

Cecilia has a perfect life. Her husband, children and house are all perfect; that is until she agrees to take a little boy home after his family forget to pick him up from the pool. When Cecilia gets to his supposed address it is empty and abandoned; she has no choice but to take him home with her.

It doesn’t take long for the little boy’s knowing eyes and silent presence to trigger unwanted memories which turn her perfect world upside down.

This is a dark psychological book that keeps you guessing right to the end. I enjoyed it very much as it was very different which is always a good thing.

A book worth reading if not always a comfortable read. Strong characters and a strong storyline makes this book a 5-star rating.

Shesat

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review

This story unfolded and then unfolded a little bit more. The truth reveals itself in layers and reinforces that you shouldn't just judge on what's said and done on the surface.
Cecilia Wilborg has it all. Or does she? And what price is she paying to keep everyone thinking that she does? Her perfect life is in may ways just that - loving husband, children, beautiful home - but for Cecilia herself there is a dark and threatening past that is threatening to destroy it all.
Above all else, this book teaches you that people do bad things not because they're inherently bad themselves but because background, circumstances and the actions of others have forced them to a place that no-one would willingly choose. And it can be a very dark place.

I found this book to be very readable, and I loved the main character who was so cold and calculating - and often inappropriate. I also liked the different perspectives of Anni and the little boy Tobias. On the downside, I did think the book dragged ad became repetitive at ties, and there were many parts that were quite implausible. But overall a good read.

Some hints to story plot beware ,I thoroughly enjoyed this novel ,I was worried that it wd be a dark tale of abuse and it is but not in a graphic awfull dread to turn the page way,no this is readable,very and it is sad yes oh very but the main character in this is so selfish and continues to be more so that u just want to see where it ends if she will be able to get herself out of all these situations ,lie upon lie upon lie and the consequences of this not just then but now just build an build and ripple through everyone ,and oh how u feel for Alex ,I’m not sure he gets his happy ending even if it may look like that on the surface .
It’s a book about the have and have nots and both party’s are unlikable,weak ,wether they have everything they cd want or not ,they both grasping for more ,or to not lose what they have through any means , Though I wd say the other female in this that plays a part in Alex’s life may just have the edge on being more likeable ,though has no real strength of her own left
Oh and the Poor husband eh ,
Wd look at another novel written by this author and thanks netgalley and publishers for letting me read this and review

Cecilia Wilborg’s perfect life is in reality built on fragile foundations – if secrets and lies can ever be considered foundations – and Tobias, even though he’s only eight, may be just the person who brings the whole thing crashing down. ‘I’m overwhelmed by a sensation of the past as a slithering snake sneaking up on me, ready to unleash its poison on this immaculate life I’ve fought so hard for.’

Tobias is perceptive, observant and his childhood experiences have taught him to be self-dependent, self-controlled and to trust no-one. Above all, he notices things, particularly about Cecilia. ‘She’s sad. I don’t know why, because she has the things to make you happy, but she isn’t.’ And he remembers fragments from the past that don’t immediately make sense to him. That doesn’t mean he’s not also a lost little boy.

Some of the places Tobias has stayed are a far cry from the well-to-do area in which Cecilia, her husband, Johan, and their two daughters live. And Cecilia’s ‘carefully curated life’ of shopping, managing her interior design business, glamorous foreign holidays, visiting the gym and enjoying the odd glass of wine (or four) is far removed from that of Annika, extracts from whose journal are interspersed through the book. However, perhaps Cecilia and Annika have more in common than one might think?

The Boy at the Door takes the reader into a dark world of secrets, lies, drugs and violence, all set against a backdrop of Norway’s forests and fjords. The book takes you on a twisty, suspenseful and compelling journey as the web of lies becomes more complicated and intricate by the minute, before secrets from the past are finally revealed with devastating consequences. If you’re fascinated by the character, Cecilia Wilborg, why not visit her blog?

I received a review copy courtesy of publishers, Head of Zeus, in return for an honest and unbiased review. Oh, and thanks for the letter, Cecilia…

The boy at the door is a roller coaster of tension and suspense, and was a great read. we have the perfect family with Cecilia, an interior designer who is married to the handsome Johan , she is also reluctantly the mother to two young girls. Then one day a little boy is left at the swimming pool and the receptionist remarkably asks Cecilia to take him home and it is the start of Cecilia's unravelling, it is a book that will make you question who is right or wrong and stay with you for a long time after you have finished.

This is a brilliant debut that keeps you turning the pages. Although unrealistic at times the plot is quite a refreshing change and although the main characters are not likable at all the author has done an awesome job of making them feel real. This book is set Norway which was interesting and although dark at times there is also some humor in there also.

‘The Boy at the Door’ is Alex Dahl’s first novel. Set in Norway, we are told the story predominantly through the voice of Cecilia, interior designer who is married to Johan and mother to two young girls. Dahl sets the scene by taking us through Cecilia’s domestic routine; she is clearly privileged, spoilt, discontent and lacking warmth. (She prefers her children when they are asleep!) Unreliable and unattractive narrators are not an unusual feature of contemporary writing and, skilfully crafted, can often make readers question not only why the characters have become this way but also prompt us to reflect upon our own ideologies. However, Dahl’s central character comes across as merely cartoonish in her unpleasantness. The rather inelegant writing style does not allow for any nuances in characterisation. For example, when asked to look after the titular boy, Dahl writes of Cecilia’s response as, ‘‘Come on,’ I say, but realise my voice sounds harsh.’
The novel is full of this sort of description. It’s a real pity that the writer’s style lacks the subtleties evident in the more successful psychological thrillers. Details about elements as diverse as the Sandefjord landscape and the struggling drug addict Anni’s habits are effective enough. The plot allows the reader to become involved with several characters’ lives and the various strands are generally interwoven well. However, all things considered, this novel is not one to add to my recommended list because I just couldn’t get past the awkward style in which it’s been written.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus Ltd for a copy of this novel in return for a fair review.

If there’s one thing I like, it is discovering new authors. I had never read anything by this author before and so I picked up the book with some excitement and I began to read. I really enjoyed this book but more about that in a bit.
Cecilia Wilborg really got on my nerves from the start and I can’t say that I warmed to her at all. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as it meant that I could keep an open mind and think things through in an unbiased manner. Cecilia is a career woman, who works hard and she has two children, although she depends on an au pair for help. The au pair isn’t around at the moment which means that Cecilia has to transport her children places and she seems to begrudge looking after her own children, which made me want to slap her silly with a wet flip flop. Honestly, the woman is lucky enough to have children but she doesn’t want to have to care for them. I also can’t believe her stupidity. She picks her child up from the swimming baths and she takes a strange child home because the receptionist of the swimming baths asks her to as his parents haven’t picked him up. She does take him home and care for him overnight without notifying the authorities, without considering the risk that this child may or may not present to her own children and in fact in my eyes, she is guilty of child abduction. Cecilia doesn’t realise what she has got herself into and things start to go wrong. I realise that it looks as though I am ripping her character to pieces but let me explain. I used to work in Childrens Social Services and then the Disclosure & Barring Service so of course I look at this kind of scenario with my safeguarding hat on.
I have to say that reading this book did become addictive. As soon as I started reading the book, I was hooked and I just had to keep turning those pages to find out who the little boy is or was and whether or not Cecilia kept hold of her perfect life. As the tension level increased, so did the speed with which I turned the pages. At times the page numbers seemed to fly past in a blur. I loved the way that the characters were devised. Each and every one of them had their secrets or were tortured souls in one way and it was interesting to see how this affected their day to day interactions. The characters seemed so real and believable that they seemed to come alive and I even began comparing them to some people that I know as they share similar characteristics. Reading this book was very much like riding on a scary rollercoaster ride with no real idea of which direction the story (or the ride) is going to take. There were moments that made me cross, moments that made me gasp out loud and moments that made my heart rate increase.
In conclusion I loved reading this book although I can’t say the same about Cecilia, who just made me shake my head at some of her actions. I would recommend this book to other readers and especially to those fans of psychological thrillers. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*,