View source for Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris

{{infobox1
|title=Behind Closed Doors
|author=B A Paris
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Thrillers
|summary=A tense thriller that will leave you wondering how Grace can escape the gaoler who is her handsome husband. A good read.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=286
|publisher=Mira
|date=February 2016
|isbn=978-1848454125
|website=http://darleyanderson.com/authors/b-a-paris
|cover=1848454120
|aznuk=1848454120
|aznus=1848454120
}}

On the face of it, they look like the perfect couple.  Jack is handsome and a dedicated lawyer.  He's never lost a case in his work with battered women.  He ''looks'' like a loving husband too.  His wife, Grace, is elegant and a brilliant housewife.  Her sister Millie has Down's Syndrome but Grace is her guardian and they're close.  She and Jack go to see Millie at her school most weekends and she'll soon be coming to live with them when she's eighteen.  You ''might'' wonder why Grace is very careful about what she says in front of Jack and why you can never get her on her own and you're probably a little bit curious as to why Grace is never available for social events during the day when she doesn't work, but there's a very simple answer.  Grace is a prisoner.

It's a portrait of a man with a sadistic mind.  It isn't Grace Jack wants: it's a woman's fear that he craves and Grace is not the ultimate target.  Jack keeps Grace locked in a room with minimal amenities during the day and she's punished for any transgressions no matter how minor.  He does feed her, but not very regularly.  More than a year after their marriage Grace is just about losing the will to escape, but then comes the realisation of what Jack ''really'' wants.  But how will she stop him?

It's tense and it's frightening because Grace had no inkling of what Jack was like when they married, but then she knew the hell she was in for within hours.  Watching Grace try to escape is like watching a caged animal - and her gaoler is always one step ahead of her.  This isn't a book to read last thing at night, because you will struggle to sleep afterwards.  You'll empathise with Grace, long for her to find a way to escape and you'll love Millie.  She might have Down's Syndrome and she struggles with a lot of the stuff of daily life but she shouldn't be underestimated.

I read the book in a couple of sittings and I don't think I breathed out until I reached the final page.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For another mind game imposed by one spouse on the other have a look at [[Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn]].  we've also recently enjoyed [[If She Did It by Jessica Treadway]].  You might also like [[Bring Me Back by B A Paris]].

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