Who is the therapist?
Who is the patient?
Who murdered Nina?

Alice and her boyfriend Leo buy a house in an exclusive gated London community called The Circle. When Alice learns that the previous tenant was murdered in the house, she takes it upon herself to solve what seems to already be a closed case. No one can be trusted and everyone is a suspect. She must follow the clues before the killer strikes again.

I am so thrilled that The Therapist is Paris’s return to the psychological/domestic thriller genre. I absolutely love all of her books (I just may be a super fan) except for the Dilemma, which drastically veered away from her signature intrigue, mystery, and unsolvable endings. Well, hold on to your hair because she’s back with a creepy, twisty story that will keep you guessing until the end!

I listened to the audiobook which is mainly narrated by Olivia Dowd. She brilliantly captures Alice’s voice, bringing the book to life and willing me to keep listening. There is an easy flow to the narration, which is very captivating. My one critique is that she speaks rather slowly, which was easily remedied by speeding up the playback.

Paris does an excellent job with misdirecting the reader throughout this book. While I did somewhat guess the ending, there were still some surprises. There is also a lot of passive action, as we hear Alice’s continual inner dialogue. However, the story still kept my interest the whole way through. The Therapist is a solid domestic thriller and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of The Therapist in exchange for an honest review.

Narrators:
Olivia Dowd is the voice of Alice. Olivia has a delightful British accent fulfilling the characters voice. Olivia was the main narrator throughout The Therapist.

Thomas Judd is an actor, producer, and voiceover artist. He’s an award winning audiobook narrator. He’s a British voice performer from London serving the UK. Thomas narrated one chapter out of the entire book.

This audiobook is 10 hours and 2 minutes. I listened to the English version using the Netgalley app. This is one of those books that translates very well in audiobook. I’m glad I got the opportunity to listen. In fact, I prefer the audiobook over reading myself. This has everything to do with my inability to represent the British dialect. It’s an easy listen. I enjoyed listening to Olivia bring Alice’s character to life.

B.A. Paris is a British writer. Im pleased that she chose a narrator who spoke with a British dialect. I do wish I had more experience with the geography of London for it would’ve allowed me to visualize the places mentioned. I struggled in the beginning trying to visualize this circle of houses until BA Paris described it as a clock. BA Paris is a bestselling author. This is her fifth novel. The Therapist is a psychological suspense.

Alice and Leo moved in together after commuting for months. Leo suggested they move in a house he found in London. Although, Alice would have to uproot her life and leave behind her support group of friends she allowed it since they professed love for one another.
Although, Alice was unaware the house sat empty for over a year. With the reduced price this allowed Alice to keep her cottage. The neighbors were thrilled someone finally moved into the house. There are 12 houses in the Circle with them moving into house #6. All 12 homes in the Circle are the same model except for the one Leo and Alice purchased. They remodeled the home converting the upstairs into a larger space.
Alice worked from home as a freelance translator while Leo commented back to the city. Given that it’s a small community of twelve homes living in a gated housing development Alice seemed positive she could establish new friendships here. Alice invited the Circle of neighbors over for a meet and greet. However, Alice gained more than friendship. She discovered that the house she lived in held secrets and the neighbors knew about these secrets.
These secrets haunted Alice’s mind.

BA Paris played devils advocate of offering both sides to this dilemma Alice is faced with. Memories of the past surface periodically.
I had these preconceived ideas about the Therapist thinking this was more about a therapist and her sessions. But, this is better than what my mind conjured. This concept gave me plenty to contemplate. I couldn’t stop thinking about the circumstances of this house in the Circle. BA Paris opens the door to so many questions. Most she addresses herself. This book has much to ponder allowing the reader to think for themselves.
There’s truth to be found from the people living in the Circle. With Alice being the last resident in the Circle she takes the initiative to ask questions. I enjoyed every possible scenario Alice spoke openly about. Her thought process for minimizing the details by drawing closer to the truth was fascinating. Alice wants a normal life without the burden of carrying someone else’s secrets. She’s on her guard suspicious of everyone. I found it fascinating listening to Alice voice each scenario based upon the gossip and activity taking place in the Circle.

•My thoughts: I listened to this one on audiobook and I really enjoyed it! It had me wanting to listen to it nonstop. I found the storyline to be different enough and it did keep me guessing until close to the end! And then there was still more surprises! I just love the way the author tells a story. If you like a thriller add this to your tbr!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and B A Paris for this Audio-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Alice has decided to move forward in her relationship with Leo. They find the perfect home at the right price. What Alice doesn't know is a brutal murder happened in that home. Nina, who happens to share the same name as Alice's sister, was murdered by her husband. Everyone in the neighborhood is determined to move on from it but when a PI comes knocking Alice is thrown. Alice is obsessed to find out what really happened to Nina.

I am a huge B A Paris fan. I have read all of her novels so I was ecstatic to receive this as an ARC. I was hooked into the story from the get go. It took me a little bit to get all of the characters straightened out as this was an audiobook version and several were introduced at the same time. My favorite novel by this author is The Breakdown. The Therapist is very reminiscent of that story line without repeating it. I was kept guessing trying to figure out the actual murderer. All in all very great quick read listened to in less than 24 hours. Any fan of thrillers this is a must read!

Alice and Leo have bought a house in The Circle, a gated community of close neighbors. Leo has had the second floor renovated and Alice is thrilled with her new home. Anxious to meet and make friends with her new neighbors, Alice organizes a drinks evening, but when a man she assumes is the one of the neighbors arrives, things take a twist. It turns out he is not one of the neighbors, but is a private investigator. What he tells her sets off a chain of events that changes everything.

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It started off a little slow, but soon I was engaged in the story and the characters. I feel like maybe a few of the neighbors weren't necessary to the story but overall this worked well and Alice's background was intriguing.

I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator very easy to listen to and enjoyable. The pacing was mostly good, though there were a few times that it seemed to go a bit slowly.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Available July 23, 2021.

This was a 3.75 stars for me. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book!

I really enjoyed this book.
We have Alice and Leo who move into a house and everything seems to be great until Alice finds out that the previous owner was actually murdered there. And this is where everything starts, where suspicion creeps in and everyone becomes a suspect (neighbours, family, friends).

I was very puzzled by Alice decision to stay in the house even though she was very afraid and shocked by the murder that took place. Especially since weird things started to happen in the house.

All in all a good, fast read!

I think I’ve just read too many neighborhood dramas lately. They’ve all started to blur together. I had a hard time getting into The Therapist. As someone who lives in an old house, the notion of my home being a former murder site just doesn’t bother me. I found Alice’s reaction to this news to be totally dramatic and over the top. Alice kinda sucked, Leo was the absolute worst, and the neighborhood friends felt a bit underdeveloped. The last 50 pages saved this book for me. While a slightly predictable, the ending was suspenseful and well played out. I just felt it took too long for the action to happen.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is the first book that I have read by Ms. Paris. Actually, I listened to the audiobook. The premise is interesting, and the story kept my interest, as I was curious to see who murdered the infamous Nina. Unfortunately, the main character, Alice was rather annoying, as she became focused on the murder that took place in the house that she and her boyfriend had moved in to. She was very angry with Leo, her boyfriend, because he had neglected to tell her that a murder had occurred there. For one thing, she and Leo barely seemed to know each other, and when the truth came out about the house, she was understandably upset, but she made him move out and she stayed in the house. This made no sense to me. She primarily spent all her waking hours focusing on the murder and suspected just about everyone that she came in contact with to be the murderer, except, of course, the true murderer. This was a mystery that was not difficult to solve, and I guess that the author basically leads the reader on so many wild goose chases with Alice, that the frustration builds up, and one really does want to find out whodunnit, mainly to see if they called it correctly. In my case, I had. Olivia Dowd is an excellent narrator, and I probably enjoyed the book more due to her narration. Thomas Judd, the other narrator has a very small part. I would recommend this book to fans of Ms. Paris, as I would imagine that her books appeal to her readers. I would say it is a quick beach read that doesn't take too much energy to follow, therefore may hit the spot for some readers. I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was just okay for me. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Alice and how she justified all her decisions. I definitely was guessing and didn’t see the ending coming, but the story as a whole was just a little flat.
I enjoyed the narration by Olivia Dowd.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

Very clever!

I was involved from the first page and couldn't stop until I unraveled the mystery of Nina's murder. While I had moments where I suspected the identity of the killer I also suspected several others...I love a book with great misdirection and a pond full of red herrings.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy, it was my pleasure to write an honest review.

3.5

Decent, and mainly in keeping with standard BA Paris fare. With an identifiable main character, even though many of the twists are anticipated, it was still an enjoyable read.

I was excited to get copies of the ebook and audiobook ARCs. This one threw me for a loop. I thought that I had it figured out for about the first half of the book ... It seemed really obvious what the outcome was going to be. But there were a bit more twist and turns, and you don't quite end up where you think you will. I think anybody who enjoys thrillers and will be able to get through that beginning where it feels a little too obvious, will enjoy this.

A big thanks to the author, publisher, and that galley for the ARC.

The Therapist by B. A. Paris

Alice and her boyfriend Leo move into a gated community in London called The Circle. A perfect neighborhood of twelve houses. All the neighbors know each other. Alice wants to fit and and get to know her neighbors.

Alice soon finds out that a horrible murder happened in their new house. How did no one tell her?

Wait...her boyfriend knew when purchasing it! Why didn’t he tell her?

Alice becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened in the house. But no one seems to want to talk about it. What secrets are there?

A little slow for me, but kept my interest as I wanted to know what was going to happen.

Thank you B. A. Paris, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy to read in return for my honest review!

Most of the book isn't really a thriller but follows Alice in her day-to-day life as she struggles to piece together a mystery that happened in the house she and her boyfriend recently moved into. Even though these works aren't exactly chilling to read I did find them very interesting. I think it helped to add a lot to the suspense and add details into the story to help you figure out who did it. A lot of the chapters just follow Alice as she tries to make friends in the new community she's in and also later as she deals with a little bit of drama. All of these chapters do fit in with the mystery in the book, just not directly.

I did find some of it very mysterious and it had me on the edge of my seat but it took a little bit for this to happen. The book starts out pretty quickly leading us into the murder and mystery but then kind of pauses on this as the story develops. A lot of the beginning of the book is just setting up the world and giving us details on the people that will help lead us to the killer or draw us to the wrong conclusion. It continues we get that wanted psychological aspect and I definitely found myself wondering at some points what the heck was going on. I have to say I did not see the ending coming which now that I know I can't believe I didn't figure it out. Like with all psychological thrillers there was evidence throughout the book that pointed to the truth I just didn't happen to see it, which in my case I'm happy about because it made the book so much more interesting.

What made this book really unique was that there were chapters from the “past” which were very vague and each time they showed up it was re saying the same event in multiple ways. Each time different details were given and the story was changed slightly in what happened. These chapters definitely kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how they fit in with the rest of the book. They do come into place at the end of the book but I'm still not exactly sure how everything fit in. I think a lot of it was just to add to the confusion of what was taking place.

I think the setting also added a lot to the book. The setting was build up perfectly for a thriller like this, a gated community, secluded people who are reserve, and the mysterious past surrounding them. This makes it hard for Alice to integrate into the community which adds to the drama of the book because some people aren't so keen an Alice and her boyfriend's moving into the house one of their friends used to live in. I understand this did add to some of the backgrounds of the story but I think it made the book lean a little too much into the contemporary genre, but then again the book wouldn't it be the same without this.

Another reason I like this so book so much, even with some minor critiques, is because B.A. Paris is a wonderful writer that depicts characters with so much personality. I was drawn into their thinking and their worries. I felt my heart beating faster when Alice got into difficult situations. I could easily picture the worry and anxiety flooding into Alice’s life. The characters were easy to relate to and they were written in such a wonderful way that made it even more enjoyable. Like others are saying Alice is kind of naive and makes some pretty stupid decisions. But just like in horror movies when the main character goes into a shed with chainsaws hanging on the walls, Alice makes some of those types of decisions that add some tension and lead to some dangerous situations.

I personally really like the audio version of this book. There was nothing special included in the audiobook but I think the narrator instilled in her voice some of the anxiety that the character was feeling and helped to build the suspense more when suspenseful moments were taking place. I also really like the voice of the narrator, I feel like it fit the character very well so I had an easier time picturing the character and getting my mind wrapped around her and her situation. Unlike some other audiobooks, the narrator's voice is perfect for listening to and doesn’t change her voice in exaggerated ways for other characters.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this is anything special. I enjoyed reading it and I wasn’t bored during any part of the story. I didn’t see the ending coming and there were plenty of different subplots and people to keep the story going in a different direction. I am not interested in reading some of the other stories written by this author and will look for her next book to come.

Alice and Leo move into a new home in a very tight and cliquey community called 'The Circle'. While getting to know her new neighbours and community, she discovers a devastating secret that took place in her home a few years ago. Alice then becomes obsessed with discovering what went down in her new house. Should she leave? Or should she stay?

The beginning starts off strong. I was genuinely interested and curious about what was going on. I definitely had suspicions about every character in the book. This almost felt like a big old game of CLUE. That being said, the whole time I just wanted to give the main character, Alice, a shake. She was SO ditsy and oblivious that it completely took away from the story. Character development and connection is so key when it comes to a good book, but I really was rolling my eyes a lot through this story. Severely unrealistic, far-fetched, and underwhelming. I would say if you are planning to read this, just don't go in with high expectations. I'm overall just feeling "meh" about this story. Glad I read it, but could also live without it.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me with this advanced readers audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I am not normally an audiobook person but was impressed that the readers voice wasn't flat and was enough to keep me engaged and wanting to listen through.

At first, I was very confused by this book. However, after I went back to listen again, I found myself drawn in by it. I do think it could have been shortened a little bit but for the most part, this book was a decent read.

So it is honesty time. I have a weird relationship with BA Paris books. Some really work for me and others fall flat. I am never going to give them up though, because they are all super quick reads for me and when I like them, I really them. Even if they aren't my faves they are still solid 3 star reads.

I so enjoyed this one. I figured our bad guy out pretty quick ( maybe at the half way point) but I didn't know the why and how it all fit together. I really enjoyed the way it all played out. While I do believe the ending was a bit fantastical, I still read it and would recommend it to any of my thriller loving friends.

I also had the lovely privilege of listening to this one as well. I got to flip back and forth between reading and listening. Audio was on point and very well done. The narrator kept me on the edge of my seat during the crazy times. I could almost feel my heart racing as I was listening. That my audio loving friends is the sign of a great narrator.

4.5 stars from me and I do think, if you are a thriller lover, give this a go. You won't be disappointed.

Man, BA Paris is so good at writing such sad stories! This is my third BA Paris and I really enjoyed this story. I loved the setting of the gated community and the suburbia vibe, The characters felt full and interesting. Some reveals were predictable to me, but they made sense with how the story was coming together so that did not ruin anything for me. I loved the use of the mysterious therapist chapters. The two narrators were perfect!!

2.5 stars, rounded up.

As a rule, I enjoy domestic thrillers. I also thoroughly enjoyed B.A Paris’ other books. Unfortunately, this book is not one I enjoyed. Our main character is so stupid that it’s frustrating. This thriller includes an “OTT” (over-the-top twist), which I usually enjoy. This twist though was so unsurprising, that I just laughed when it was officially revealed.
The story is fast-paced and interesting until about 50% in. At that point, things started to drag, and I found myself caring less and less. BA Paris may be an author I have to put down for a while, as this simply wasn’t good.

Full review will be on my blog on August 27th, 2021.

Another great book. So easy to read and the book make you anxious to turn to the next page. So realistic and the characters always remind you of someone you know. So exciting I couldn't stop reading until I got to the end. Looking forward to the next book!