I love B.A.Paris and am always so excited when I see she's coming out with a new novel. I think Behind Closed Doors was the first book of hers that I read, and it was so good, I had my book club read it so I'd have people to talk to about it! After I read The Dilemma, I couldn't stop thinking and talking about it. I drove my friends crazy, but they all read it. So I'm really sad not to be able to give her latest novels, The Therapist, the same rave reviews I've written in the past. That said, I'm sure I will be in the minority and this will be another best seller for Paris.

My main issue is that the central character, Alice, is dumb as a box of rocks. I suppose I need to feel empathy for my fictional characters, and that wasn't possible with Alice. The plot of The Therapist is that Alice and her significant other, Leo, move into a small, gated community outside London. Alice soon discovers that the prior owner was murdered in the bedroom of their new house. Her husband was the primary suspect in the murder, and he subsequently committed suicide, thus solidifying everyone's suspicions. To make matters worse, Leo knew about this murder before he purchased the house but decided not to tell Alice. How can she ever trust him again (clutch pearls!)! From there on, the novel follows Alice as she obsessively tries to prove that the husband wasn't the murderer. (Why? you might ask. I sure did.) It's a small community, only a dozen homes, and Alice suspects pretty much every resident at one point or another. She also suspects her own boyfriend and the real estate agent who sold them the house. Here's a passage to illustrate her mind at work:

"Was A also involved? If B murdered C, was A his accomplice? And how much does D know? Is she completely innocent, or is she part of a conspiracy that includes E and F, even G and H? Unless A murdered C. Maybe he became obsessed with her . . . and they had an affair. Did he kill C and then tell B what he had done? Is that when the cover-up started? Or has everyone been in it together from the start . . ."

There were a couple of cool twists at the end of the novel, although the murderer's identity wasn't one of them. I thought that was pretty obvious. Overall, The Therapist is a pretty standard domestic thriller. B.A. Paris is a great writer, and the pacing is spot-on. It's definitely a page-turner, and I read it in about a day. It's bound to be popular even though it wasn't for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Therapist is scheduled for publication on July 13, 2021.

Wow, this was a great read. I stayed up until three in the morning to finish this one. The plot was extremely engaging and gripping. The main character, Alice, was complex and very sympathetic, and, through her eyes, I became suspicious of all of the other characters as she was. Even so, the twist ending shocked me. B.A. Paris has become one of my favorites, with each book better than the last. I can’t wait to read further thrillers from her.

The Therapist by B. A. Paris is more of a mystery than a thriller. The past secrets were balanced with the suspense of current events. Alice and Leo were annoying at times and The Circle neighbors were a diverse group and at times unlikable. The ending was a surprise and didn't see that coming. Misses the intensity of Behind Closed Doors but it is an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Alice and Leo have been in a long distance relationship for sometime now and have decided to move into a beautiful gated community together. Alice is excited (and a bit apprehensive) to start a new chapter of her life and make friends with all her new neighbors. But she soon realizes not everything is as it seems. When dark secrets about the house's previous tenant, Nina, comes to light, she finds herself obsessed with finding out what happened.

Alice is one of the most naïve characters I've read. Despite that, she's still likable and I found myself rooting for her. Same for the previous tenant, Nina. The more information that was leaked about Nina, the more I started caring about her and wanted to know what really happened.

The ending was one of those 'I'm trying to knock your socks off with an awesome twist' kinda deals, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning what was going on. That being said, I don't care. I find all Paris's books to be predictable, but I still love them. Sometimes it's not about having a mind-blowing "I didn't see that coming" twist. Sometimes it's about the journey. And I enjoyed this journey. And I enjoyed the characters. And I enjoyed Paris's gripping writing style. In fact, I finished reading this book in a day. Once I started, I simply couldn't put it down!

If you like psychological/domestic thrillers (particularly ones revolving around a gated community), give this a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another absolutely amazing book by B.A. Paris! I definitely recommend this book and author, what an unexpected story.

This was another edge of your seat, read during the daylight, physiological thriller by this author.

I started it & couldn't put it down. Read in one day. Trying to build a relationship with a base of lies. Then doing the very same thing to the person you don't trust.

Full of twists & turns that keep you guessing until the end.

I received an advanced copy, but voluntarily left this review.

I will leave 5 star review on Amazon under name of Connie
Thank you for granting me access to this book!

Predictably, Paris has written another cracker of a novel. That's the truth, and nothing but the truth. The Therapist grabs you from the start and simply doesn't let go. Paris has such an engaging writing style that pleasantly pulls you into the thrilling stories she crafts. The pages seemingly turn themselves as you become engrossed in this terrific thriller. The protagonist is likable with a past we uncover over the course of the book. The twists and the turns of the book leave her struggling to differentiate truth from fiction. This book is at once a murder mystery and a psychological thriller. Paris is a master at combining the two to create another great read. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy! #TheTherapist #NetGalley

Alice is rural woman with a tragic past. She is excited to fall in love with a city Risk Manager and begin a new life in London, in a posh gated community. While she embraces her new exclusive neighborhood, the neighbors seem a bit standoffish. When a Private Investigator turns up at her door looking for answers on behalf of her client, Alice learned that her fancy new home holds an unspeakable history. She believes she can come to terms with her own tragic past as well as solve the mystery of what really happened at her home to the last inhabitant. To do this, she teams up with her new Private Investigator friend, and they take on the neighborhood where they aren't sure anything is what it seems. What happened in The Circle that night?

When I saw that B.A. Paris had a new book coming, I was instantly excited. Every lover of domestic thrillers knows the success that was Behind Closed Doors, and I equally loved (very different, but equally compelling) The Dilemma. The Therapist was highly readable, and I finished it quickly. I didn't feel an intense connection to the main character, who I felt was a bit TOO "damaged" for my liking. Honestly, I didn't connect with any of the characters. The ending definitely threw me through a loop though -- which is hard to do! So for that reason alone, I recommend the read. The two plot twists were shocking, sad, and unexpected, and at the very end I finally developed a relationship with one of the characters. I'd love to say more, but I can't risk spoiling anything for you, reader!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC!

Do you think you really know your partner? Your neighbors? The friendly person who appears out of nowhere at an invitees-only party?

Think again. This story of an essentially cloistered community in the middle of London will leave you guessing until the end (unless I was too into the story to see the clues).

Leo and Alice move into a home in this community, and we soon learn that a murder had been committed there, with the evidence pointing to Oliver, the husband of the murdered woman, Nina, a therapist, (a woman we soon learn that Leo had had an affair with before falling in love with Alice). We also learn in the early pages of the story that Oliver had subsequently committed suicide, lending more credence to the theory that he was Nina’s killer, despite all of the neighbors claiming how much in love the two of them had been.

Alice becomes determined to get to the bottom of what appear to be conflicting stories and hidden agendas. And, she does, but I can say nothing more without revealing spoilers.

There were times that I felt that the plot to The Therapist was ludicrous, but it’s not - it’s just involved and easy to be sucked into, thinking “WHAT!?” as it unfolded. . But most of the time I felt like making sure my doors and windows were firmly locked, all the lights in my house blazing, and my alarm set - the story is so creepy and full of so many layers that the hairs on the back were standing up on end throughout.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

This book took complete control of my day and I was completely captivated. Absolutely loved it! Page turning and emotjonal