Can you imagine taking that big leap of faith, move into a new home with your boyfriend / girlfriend only to discover that a brutal murder had been committed there and your loved one not only knew about it but kept it from you? Worse yet, the apparent murderer was possibly innocent, which means the real murderer is still out there.

Welcome to Alice’s world. After moving into an exclusive gated community with her boyfriend, Leo, things appear to be as they should. To get to know her neighbors, she hosts a cocktail reception and notices a stranger there that nobody else recalls seeing. When the stranger appears on her doorstep with the shocking news that a brutal unsolved murder occurred in her home, Alice is devastated and when she further discovers that Leo not only knew about it, but kept it from her, she doesn’t feel like she can stay. The stranger tells her he is a private investigator hired by the family of the victim’s husband to investigate the matter and clear his name. When Alice decides to assist the P.I. with his inquiry, she is shocked at the sense of secrecy amongst her neighbors. What are they hiding?

I was quickly and easily pulled into this story and eager to discover what people were hiding. Alice appears to be consumed and obsessed with the former resident, Nina and upon learning Nina is also the name of Alice’s sister who died tragically, I completely understood and could empathize with her situation.

My Spidey-sense kept tingling and I had a major distrust of practically every character in the story, including Leo and Thomas, the private investigator. I trusted nobody. I also struggled with understanding why Alice continued to stay, especially after she noticed things out of place inside the house. She suspects someone is coming into the house. In her place, I would like to think that I would beat feet out of there.

My Final Verdict: The story is a little slow in the build-up, but quickly escalates and provides a heart pounding conclusion that I didn’t see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and recommend it to fans of domestic thrillers and mysteries who like the suspense and aren’t afraid to go into a room without turning on the lights.

The Therapist is a page-turner of a thriller set in an exclusive gated community in London. Alice and Leo have recently moved into the community after finding a home there at a hard-to-resist price. Things are great at first, but then Alice starts learning things about the home's previous resident, Nina, a therapist. It all starts when an uninvited guest shows up at a party and tells Alice that he is a private investigator looking into Nina. Alice becomes a touch obsessed with learning more about Nina and whatever happened, but none of the neighbors want to share any details. Alice was one of those thriller protagonists who is a bit unreliable and frustrating. I wanted to shake her "what are you doing, woman?!?!"

The audiobook was well done and was a fun listen. Perfect to listen to while doing weekend chores.

It took a lot for Leo to convince his partner, Alice, to leave her little cottage and move with him to the newly renovated home in an exclusive gated community. But Alice agrees, and it is easy for her to fall in love with such a posh home in a neighborhood where the residents are close. But then Alice discovers Leo kept a very big secret from her about their new home. The previous lady of the house was murdered in that house and the husband committed suicide after being accused of her murder. The entire neighborhood was relieved knowing that they solved the murder, but when a private investigator shows up on Alice and Leo's doorstep, Alice believes they were all wrong and the murder is still out there. The more Alice digs, the more she realizes that their new community is full of secrets and some of them may even end up killing her.



I have come to expect big things from B.A. Paris. Her writing pushes boundaries and hooks a reader from the very first page. The Therapist did not leave me feeling hooked. I never got the vibe that Leo and Alice were made for each other. And while I understand Alice's outrage at Leo's secrecy, it also felt forced. Over the top. I wasn't all that surprised by the end. It wasn't what I had guessed, but it didn't really leave me "wowed." - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS



Bottom Line - While The Therapist didn't really live up to my expectations, it was an enjoyable enough read for a summer afternoon.



Details:

The Therapist by B.A. Paris
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Pages: 304
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 7/13/2021
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Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

THE THERAPIST is the fourth novel by Paris that I have read and they keep getting better. The way the author constructs this story allows the reader to go on the ride with the characters. The careful revealing of details and psychological tension that builds is addictive. What a book!

This was a pain to get through. Painfully predictable and has no character development. The twists I saw coming from a mile off and there was nothing shocking. Just.... a no from me.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheTherapist in exchange for my honest review.

I want to say thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Therapist. The Therapist is a very fast paced thriller obsessive read. Alice and Leo moved into a new house in The Circle. This is the house they have dreamed of, but appearances can be deceptive. As Alice was getting to know her neighbors she discovers a devastating secret about their new home. Alice becomes obsessed on what went down in their house until she solves it.

My phone broke and I wasn't able to listen to this audiobook. I couldn't download it again on my new phone, I'm so sorry for not being able to review this audiobook like I wanted to.

great thriller with lots of twists and turns! I hope to be able to read more by this author soon because I enjoyed the pacing and storyline of this one so much! I did struggle with keeping track of everything at first book of the audiobook format but thats on my end. I did however love the narrator for this story!

This was a pretty straightforward mystery/thriller. I seriously disliked a few of the characters, but I was supposed to. There's not much new here, but this was an enjoyable read, if a bit formulaic.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

Another day, another thriller read. I wonder if anyone else feels like the more thrillers they read the less likely they are to enjoy them? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy The Therapist, but also it falls in line with most of the thrillers I have read recently.

It seems that the genre is always pushing authors to come up with ideas that others haven’t thought of before, yet in doing so they turn out being very similar to all the other thrillers out there?

I would say that this book would be good for anyone who enjoys more of a whodunit rather than a psychological thriller. It is psychological in the sense that part of the plot revolves around a therapist (wish it did so even more), but to me it was a psychological thriller as much in the true sense.

Overall, I enjoyed parts of this book, but felt like the overall construction felt disjointed. The book has interspersed chapters with a therapist and as important as they are they also felt out of place. I’d almost say this book would be better for those who haven’t read many thrillers as there is a greater chance you will be surprised and enjoy the reading experience.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another good one by Paris. I really got into the story. There were a couple of weird things (Alice’s obsession with people named Nina, for one). But they weren’t enough to distract from the storyline. Three big twists at the end were enough to turn this 3.5 into a 4!

I like the narrator. She emoted well and pulled you into the story.

If you're seeking a frightful read, look no further than The Therapist by B.A. Paris. This book has a serious creep factor, and you'll never again look at your neighbors in the same way.

Alice and Leo have been dating for about a year when he asks her to move in. Alice has mixed emotions; she loves Leo, but she also loves her little cottage and her friends. Leo is her polar opposite, a total introvert with no family. Leo convinces Alice move to a beautiful home in an exclusive gated community.

At first Alice wonders about the standoffish neighbors until one of them spills the beans. The house was so cheap because its last occupant was murdered in the house. Thanks to Leo's frequent business travels, Alice is frequently alone in the house. She begins to wonder about the murder; all the while, hearing things that go bump in the night. Alice does become a little tedious as she investigates the murder. She lets events accumulate while refusing to reach out for help.

Evan though I found Alice tedious and annoying after a while, I did enjoy The Therapist. I would recommend it to fans of B.A. Paris and to anyone looking for a psychological thriller.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital audio copy of this book from Net Galley.

#TheTherapist#NetGalley

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* there was certainly a lot going on in this book but it was pretty good, would reread eventually

Love this author but this was not one of my favorites - my first audiobook and I think I will stick with reading

I did a mix of audio and physical for this book and like switching between depending on what I'm doing. It's nice to do chores and listen in! While this isn't my favorite Paris book, I did like it better than The Dilemma. It was compelling enough to keep me interested, and was a quick read.

Secrets.....those we keep and those we share. But what if someone knew all of your secrets, and your neighbors. BA Paris has always done an excellent job of building suspense and this narrator takes it to a higher level. We hear the tension, the anger, the confusion, every emotion is displayed as we see the open book of neighborhood gossip and rumors turned truth. WOW!

Really enjoyed this book. Will definitely recommend this book to others. I always enjoy books by this author.

This story will definitely keep you listening/turning pages. The people living around where Alice wants to buy are insane, but we all have that ONE neighbor we question. What would you do if it was the whole neighborhood?!? These people are sneaky and manipulative, yet perfect and friendly. Alice has to determine whom she can trust, and by the end you'll be wondering if there is ANYONE she can trust. A page-turner!

I am a HUGE fan of B..A. Paris and The Therapist hit the nail for me. I will admit that I didn't "love" The Dilemma but only because I went in expecting it to be like her previous books and while it was still good it was more family saga than thriller! The Therapist was back to psychological thriller and I really enjoyed it!

I appreciate being sent an arc in exchange for my honest review.

We all have secrets. What happens if those secrets-ours and others around us creates paranoia and lack of trust-that doubts become like weeds creeping into all areas of our lives? What if every relationship becomes tainted? Can secrets kill you?
As the tension begins to ratchet up you begin to worry “Is this an unreliable narrator?” See, because the lies and paranoia spill off the page and into your life.

In B A Paris fashion—relationships and friendship revelations are peeled away like onion layers creating more suspense (and some tears)

I had a note written “Wanted more information about Nina” but realize now it was never really about her anyway was it?

The Narration is excellent especially in light of the many diverse characters. Paris is rocking this genre! Thank you #NetGalley for sharing an ARC copy of Audiobook