Member Review

Make sure you’ve got a few hours free when you pick up Behind the Red Door. You won’t want to put this book down! This gripping story about Fern Douglas and her bizarre childhood kept me up way past my bedtime.

Right away, we learn that Fern has severe anxiety that she copes with through medication and counseling (and with much love and patience from her husband). Her husband Eric knows all about Fern’s odd upbringing, so when her dad calls saying he “needs her” to help him pack up the house since he’s moving, he tells Fern that he doesn’t think she should go. However, Fern has always craved her father’s attention, and hearing him say he “needs her” convinces her that he’s finally ready to give her that attention.

Before Fern leaves, she sees a news story about a missing woman who was also missing 20 years ago. Fern is convinced she knows her somehow, but Eric tells her that she must have seen her picture somewhere. This one event stirs up what Fern is convinced are memories of this woman’s first kidnapping.

Behind the Red Door is creepy and intense. Its darkly atmospheric nature pulls you deep into the story so completely that you forget you’re reading a fictional novel. As I read about Fern’s upbringing, I just felt physically ill. It made me want to throttle her parents! I was amazed by the fact that Fern was unable to see how disturbing and messed up her childhood was.

Psychological thrillers are one of my favorite types of books, so all of the chilling details drew me even further into Fern’s story. Collins’s descriptive writing made this book for me. I knew who the “villain” was way before the reveal, but I think we’re supposed to know. That’s part of the horrific nature of the crime. Yes, there are a few characters who could also have committed the crime. However, as the layers of the story are peeled back, it becomes more and more obvious whodunit.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, you’ll be captivated by Behind the Red Door.