I have mixed emotions about this one. The first part of the book was terrifying and kept me glued to my seat. I was thinking to myself "what if this could really happen?" But then it took a left turn, got really weird, unbelievable and left me back at the crossroads. By the end, my head was spinning so much I didn't even care I just wanted off the ride. Still a Barker fan but this was not a favorite. My thanks to Hampton Creek Press for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I can definitely see why this has been compared to the film The Game, but with more kinks and sex involved. I kept expecting there to be some sort of big twist reveal, but this is a fairly straightforward dark thriller, with the spicy shenanigans masking the underlying (less titillating) activity.

The plot explores the terrifying idea that an app could take over your phone, all other electronic devices, and from there your whole life. And it was scary how quickly the app spread and how quickly people could be manipulated into antisocial or immoral behaviour. Main characters Abby and Brendan attempt to save their struggling marriage and I guess the app does kind of help them with that, as they are able to trauma-bond over the actions they are led to perform.

You can expect lots of sex and violence (and on occasion, both together) and, despite feeling somewhat OTT and me feeling initially lukewarm towards the characters, I found myself hooked to read on, with that edge-of-my-seat feeling. Almost as if I thought things would end badly if I put the book down for a breather!

Thriller readers will find this a darkly exciting read and everyone else will find it makes them reconsider their technological security and casual online habits – I was jumping every time someone’s phone pinged for quite a while after reading!

Fantastic book! I would highly recommend both this book and other books by this author. Be sure to read this book!

Synopsis:

To resolve their marital issues, Brendan and Abby Hollander seek therapy. The therapist suggests that they install the Sugar and Spice app to spice things up. For Abby and Brendan Hollander, downloading the newest app craze that's taking the world by storm—Sugar & Spice—leads to a risky game of life or death. They quickly become entangled in a twisted web of violence and seduction after the app gives them a string of increasingly taboo tasks.

Behind a Closed Door is dark, unique, skillfully written, provocative, and engrossing. J. D. Barker crafted a nail-biter until the last page.

I prefer thrillers as movies/ TV shows and not as books, I don't know why I struggle with them in books.
Auto,atically I give it three stars. i wasn't captivated in this one as Ihoped so, that's why I don't request thrillers anymore because I don't like readig them. Sorry thriller readers, that's a me problem.

JD Barker does it again! Thank you so much for the ARC! An absolute page turner, lol no real feedback other than to keep writing!!

Confusing and Disjointed

None of it makes any sense. Like, at all. The plot jumps all over the place, the characters lack depth, and any attempt at a dark romance or thriller vibe completely misses the mark. I kept waiting for it to come together, but it never did. The blurb made it sound intriguing, but the execution was a mess. I have no idea who enjoyed this—because it certainly wasn’t me.

I loved this thriller. It hooked me from the beginning and was full throttle all the way through. This will have you on the edge of your seat with all the high action twists and turns. If you loved the 4MK series, this is a must read.

Was going through my Netgalley library to see what books I have not read. I realized your book was on a hard disk that died on me smd now it is quite late to get it again or review it. Hope to review books of yours in the future maybe

I loved this book. Barker is one of my favorite authors. It kept me guessing and was suspenseful. The twist ending was a surprise. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thriller.

This book was SO good. Loved the app and how that played into this. Would recommend to anyone that loves something twisty

Wow, this book was amazing! From the very first page, I was totally hooked. The twists and turns just kept coming, and I never knew who to trust or what would happen next. The story was super intense but easy to follow, and the characters felt real—like people you’d want to know (or avoid!).

If you love thrillers that keep you up way too late because you have to know what happens, this is definitely for you. I couldn’t put it down!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for giving me an early copy to read and review.

Rating: 4/5

This is a darker twist to the usual works of J.D.B. that I've read so far and loved it! So why 4 stars?

*the resolution part of the story felt hurried
*inconsistent character development/traits
*would have worked as a movie script but some scenes, and how they're written were not translating well on text

I love the concepts and themes explored in this one though.

If you want to stay awake and love mystery thrillers, I highly recommend this one.

Tropes:
*miscommunication
*blackmail
*big reveal and twist by 'villain' speech

This was a great book that kept me guessing what was going on and wha was going to happen next! The ending pulled it all together and was more action packed than I expected. The storyline is slightly far fetched but still fun to think about and makes you wonder about all of these devices we rely on everyday! Overall very enjoyable read.

JD Barker is completely unpredictable. You absolutely never know what you’re going to get when you start his novels. Behind A Closed Door is unputdownable and unforgettable. A must read!

I feel like I should be ashamed to say I like this. I wholly wasn't expecting to, especially after the drama around the author and a little email that went around, but I did, I really really did. I think my only gripe is it definitely didn't need to be this long.

Behind a Closed Door” by J.D. Barker is a wild, dark ride from start to finish. The twists hit hard, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what would happen next. It’s the kind of thriller that keeps you up way too late. Definitely a must-read if you love a good psychological mystery.

Such an enjoyable book, the pacing was a little off and somewhat predictable on the plot, but overall enjoyed it for what it was...

This book gave me a little bit of an escape room vibes/ extra creepy fifty shades vibes There was nothing in this book that held my interest. I struggled to get through this book. I didn’t think I’d ever finish. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story line. Thank you NetGalley, J.D. Barker and Hampton Creek Press.

There are parts I liked and there were others I didn't. In general it was just ok.

Thanks NetGalley, Author and publisher for this