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The Breakdown

by B.A. Paris (Goodreads Author)

4.09 · Rating Details · 8,185 Ratings · 1,737 Reviews

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. ...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: July 18th 2017 by St. Martin's Press

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Community Reviews

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Mar 21, 2017 Deanna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorites

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

To say I was excited for this novel is an understatement. I loved Behind Closed Doors so I couldn't wait to see what B.A Paris had in store for me this time.

"If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?"

The beginning of The Breakdown is like a scene out of a horror movie. I could picture it. Cass Anderson is in a rush to get home....it's raining and the weather is only getting worse. She speaks with her husband, Matthew a ...more

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Mar 07, 2017 Kristin (KC) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, psychological-thriller, thriller

*4.5 Stars…because I would not, COULD NOT, put this down!

There are no profound reasons as to why this book was so much fun for me. It certainly doesn't shatter any psychological-thriller molds, and to be quite honest, there wasn't much shock value in its pages. There were some seemingly mundane moments that some could even call repetitive.

So why, oh why then, could I Not. Stop. Reading?

It boils down to an exhilarating execution: The quick pacing; the heavy buildup of anticipation; the spark of ...more

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Nov 18, 2016 Emily May rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-horror, 2017

Last year, I read and enjoyed Paris's Behind Closed Doors. I made it clear in my review that it wasn't a clever, twisty thriller of the Gone Girl-variety. In fact, the book quickly gave up all its secrets and was more about what happened to the characters after that. And yet, it was very compelling.

The Breakdown is more of a traditional mystery and, in my opinion, it is less compelling. I feel like the author simply didn't play to her strengths. Paris is fantastic at creating dramatic scenes fil ...more

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May 08, 2017 Melissa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, not-for-me, suspense, predictable, 2017

Let me preface my review by saying, I was not one of those readers that was over the moon for this author’s first book, Behind Closed Doors. While I liked the characters, especially memorable Millie, and found myself engrossed in the storyline, the execution didn’t wow me; in fact, I felt there was something major missing.

Against my better judgment, I let my twitchy and often overeager ARC requesting finger take charge where this book was concerned (will I ever learn self-control?), resulting i Let me preface my review by saying, I was not one of those readers that was over the moon for this author’s first book, Behind Closed Doors. While I liked the characters, especially memorable Millie, and found myself engrossed in the storyline, the execution didn’t wow me; in fact, I felt there was something major missing.

Against my better judgment, I let my twitchy and often overeager ARC requesting finger take charge where this book was concerned (will I ever learn self-control?), resulting in a potent dose of regret and a pinch of dread when it came time to pick it up. I tried to pacify myself with the thought that Behind Closed Doors was only my first encounter with B.A. Paris' storytelling, and even though they say first impressions are everything, I figured I should check my skepticism at the door and give the author the benefit of the doubt. Why not sit back and let her try and win me over on our second go-round; it could happen, right? Well, turns out, I liked this one even less than her debut. Sad to say, this author’s writing and this reader’s sensibilities aren’t a great mix. I wish Ms. Paris luck, but it’s probably best if we part ways here.

The author relies heavily on the frantic pacing, which I’ll give her, is a tad addicting, but for me, substance is key. Establishing some type of feelings or connection with the characters whose lives I’m wrapping myself up in is major. Without that I’m pretty much checked-out, just going through the motions. The complete lack of character development, overused plot devices, dramatic tone, very short list of suspects and the predictability of it all, led me down that dreadful road of discontent. On the larger scale, this story is all too forgettable.

Maybe I’m jaded, suspicious by nature or too cynical because it didn’t take much guesswork for me to figure out what was going on; I'm talking within the first few chapters. It's not even worth getting into the nitty-gritty of the plot here, in the off chance I might spoil it for someone else. What it all boils down to is preference and subjectively what makes a story great in your eyes; unfortunately for me, this wasn’t my cup of tea.

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 10, 2017 Arianna✦❋SteamyReadsBlog❋✦ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: january-2017

3.75 Stars!!

If you read and enjoyed this author’s debut novel, 'Behind Closed Doors', you might consider trying this one as well, because this one was just as fantastically written and gripping. Since I enjoyed B.A. Paris's first novel, I was eagerly looking forward to read this one ever since I’ve heard about it. 'The Breakdown' is a psychological thriller that really sucked me in from the very beginning.

Cass is a teacher who lives with her husband, Matthew, in a great, but isolated house in a

3.75 Stars!!

Cass is a teacher who lives with her husband, Matthew, in a great, but isolated house in a small English town. Cass makes the worst decision of her life one rainy night when she decides to take a shortcut home, despite the fact that her husband told her many times the woods are too dark and dangerous for a woman. Cass is a little scared and she believes no one is as stupid as her to drive in the rain, especially in the woods, so she’s surprised to see a car. At first she thinks someone is driving it, but as soon she realizes the car is actually parked and sees a woman in the driver’s seat, she stops. Since the rain is pouring, Cass can’t tell who the woman is or if she needs help, but she’s willing to help with whatever problem she may have. She stays a couple of minutes in her car, waiting for the woman to give her a sign she needs help, but the sign never comes. Cass, wanting to get home as soon as possible, drives off. The next day, Cass finds out from the news the strange woman she “met” was found dead, murdered. She doesn’t tell her husband about the woman, feeling more than guilty, believing she could have saved her, even if she doesn’t know when or how was she murdered. Everything gets worse for Cass when she realizes she met the deceased woman when she had lunch with her not so long ago.

Stressed and depressed, feeling so guilty with each and every day, Cass’s mental state worsens considerably. She starts experiencing episodes of memory loss, forgetting even the most simple and obvious things. The fact that her mother suffered from dementia before she died doesn’t help Cass’s mental state since she didn’t tell her husband anything about it. Everything changes for Cass when she starts getting “strange” calls from someone, which she suspects to be from the one who killed the woman in the woods.

'The Breakdown' was, most of all, an addictive read. From the moment I started it, I couldn’t put it down. With each and every chapter I was more confused and more enthralled with everything. The fact that the story was fast-paced made me devour this thrilling read in one sitting. Cass’s story was filled with suspense from the first chapter, so yeah, the book definitely starts with a bang. I liked how the suspense aspect was blended with the psychological one. The suspense was fantastically done and I loved how it grew with each and every chapter. It held me at the edge of my seat as the story unfolded and the fact that our heroine wasn’t a reliable narrator made me love this story even more.

Cass was an unreliable heroine so I obviously questioned everything she said and everything she did for a good part of the story. I sympathized with her and, even though I found her to be an interesting and well-developed character, she frustrated the hell out of me. God, at times, I wanted to slap the woman senseless.

The big revelation/twist didn’t do anything for me since I saw it coming. However, I enjoyed the twists and turns as the story unfolded and with the outcome of the story in general. I also liked the fact that each one of them plays a role into the story. As 'Behind Closed Doors', the other book by this author, this one had a realistic vibe that made me think, keeping me at the edge of my seat the entire time.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, twisted, page-turner psychological thriller, with a captivating plot and interesting characters, look no further and try this awesome read!

Find me on:

...more

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Feb 12, 2017 Susanne Strong rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, favorite-authors, must-read, 2017-five-star-books

Wow - this Knocked my Socks Right Off! What a Crazy Wild Roller Coaster of a Ride. 5 Stars!

This has to be the thriller of the year! There were times when I was holding my breath, gripping the book so intensely I thought I would break my e-reader. It was that crazy. B.A. Paris’ “The Breakdown” is an emotional psychological thriller. It grips you from the first sentence and keeps hold till the last.

The main character, Cass is a teacher who, after leaving a party, drives down a poorly lit, wooded Wow - this Knocked my Socks Right Off! What a Crazy Wild Roller Coaster of a Ride. 5 Stars!

This has to be the thriller of the year! There were times when I was holding my breath, gripping the book so intensely I thought I would break my e-reader. It was that crazy. B.A. Paris’ “The Breakdown” is an emotional psychological thriller. It grips you from the first sentence and keeps hold till the last.

The main character, Cass is a teacher who, after leaving a party, drives down a poorly lit, wooded road and sees a car stopped on the side of a road with a woman inside. Cass stops in front of it and tries to get the woman’s attention to see if she is alright but decides not to get out of her own car in case it’s a trick as she is a woman alone and has always been told not to do so. Fearing for herself, Cass drives off, as most women alone would. I know that I probably would.

The next morning, Cass discovers that this woman was murdered that evening, on that dark wooded road. For fear of being judged, Cass told no one that she saw this young woman, not even her husband Matthew. This woman’s name was Jane, and it turns out that Cass knew her. And that triggers a chain of events, leading Cass to fear for her own life. She becomes scared, forgetful, paranoid and begins to show signs of early onset dementia, which what her mother passed away from.

After the murder, Cass is terrorized and spends every second looking over her shoulder. And we do too. My heart was in my throat throughout most of this book, petrified for Cass, wondering if she was in danger or if she was imagining everything. B.A. Paris did an incredible job keeping the readers on the edge of their seats. I wanted to tear through the book as fast as possible but didn’t want to miss a second of it.

This is the best emotional psychological thriller I have read in years. I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you want to read a book you can’t put down, that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the second you pick it up, till the moment you put it down, this is it.

I did not read B.A. Paris’s debut “Behind Closed Doors” - however, “The Breakdown” was so fantastic that I just ordered it on Amazon and am planning to read it next as this was amazing and I can’t wait to read her debut.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and B.A. Paris for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads and NetGalley on 2/12/17.

*Will be published on Amazon on 6/20/17. ...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, mystery-thrillers

Yikes!

When those ol' marbles start rollin' around inside your head and they seem to shift and move back and forth as if on cue........you know you're in trouble.......big trouble.

Cass Anderson feels that crazy rotation. Battling a torrential downpour late one night, she takes the shortcut home. Her headlights are cast upon a car parked to the side with what appears to be a blonde woman behind the wheel. Stalled? Cass pulls ahead of her and waits for a few brief seconds. The woman never indicates Yikes!

When those ol' marbles start rollin' around inside your head and they seem to shift and move back and forth as if on cue........you know you're in trouble.......big trouble.

Cass Anderson feels that crazy rotation. Battling a torrential downpour late one night, she takes the shortcut home. Her headlights are cast upon a car parked to the side with what appears to be a blonde woman behind the wheel. Stalled? Cass pulls ahead of her and waits for a few brief seconds. The woman never indicates that she needs help. Cass promised her husband earlier that she would stay only on the main highway. Instinct tells her to get home quickly.

The next morning Cass finds out that a woman had been murdered on that same road the night before. The marbles begin to collide from intense guilt and fear. Could she have prevented what happened on that dark, lonely road? Would going to the police now make any difference? And would the murderer recognize her car and pay her a little visit?

Consumed by terrifying thoughts, Cass is blanketed in paranoia. She begins to hear unaccustomed sounds within her house, misplacement of items, phantom phone calls, and the dreaded presence of someone watching her. Her greatest fear seems to be coming true. Her mother was diagnosed at the young age of forty-four with early on-set dementia. Is this what awaits Cass or something far more menacing?

B.A. Paris does it again with The Breakdown. If you read, Behind Closed Doors, you know that Paris has both hands tightly on the wheel taking you on some mighty slippery slopes. This one proves, in another go-round, that she has an uncanny knowledge of what makes those marbles roll and spin in staccato motion. As the character of Cass becomes unglued, you feel the trigger of instability happening a bit too close.

Many Sherlocks out there may fit the pieces together early on. But what eventually develops within this glass jar will cleverly put the lid on in the finale. This is a fast read and a satisfying one for all B.A. Paris fans, and certainly, those new to this talented author's game table. Looking forward to the next round, Ms. Paris.

I received a copy of The Breakdown through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to B.A. Paris for the opportunity. ...more

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Jan 09, 2017 Maureen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

Cass is about to make the worst decision of her life when she decides to take a shortcut home on a dark and stormy night. The drive home takes her on a rural road through the woods during a torrential rainstorm. She passes a car parked near the woods with a woman inside, and she stops the car momentarily, thinking the woman will approach her if she needs help. The woman doesn't get out so Cass drives off. The next morning she discovers that the woman was later found dead in the car - and had bee ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: from-publisher-or-author

well, that was fast…

i can't remember the last time i blitzed through a book as quickly as i did this one (*EDIT - yes, i can - it was Gemina). i had about fifty pages to go in the book i was reading (The Three Heretics) which i knew would not be enough to last me my whole day, and i didn't want to carry TWO books into the city like some donkey, so i grabbed this one on my way out the door, and by the time i went to bed that evening, i had finished it with time to spare, and with time to finish t well, that was fast…

i can't remember the last time i blitzed through a book as quickly as i did this one (*EDIT - yes, i can - it was Gemina). i had about fifty pages to go in the book i was reading (The Three Heretics) which i knew would not be enough to last me my whole day, and i didn't want to carry TWO books into the city like some donkey, so i grabbed this one on my way out the door, and by the time i went to bed that evening, i had finished it with time to spare, and with time to finish those final 50 pages. ordinarily, on my way to work in that sleepy time of the morning when the sun's not even up yet, i use my subway time to doze a little over my book, but with this one, i was too sucked in to nap, which is pretty remarkable.

quickplot - cass is a teacher living in a lovely, but isolated, house in a small english town with her devoted husband matthew. one violently rainy night, driving home to matthew after an end-of-year party, cass takes the shortcut home, despite matthew's insistence that the path through the woods, with no mobile signal, would be too dangerous in the storm. she is nearly home when she sees a car pulled over on the side of the road with a woman inside. the rain makes it too blurry to see much, but cass is concerned that the woman might need help, so she pulls over. she waits for the woman to take advantage of her good samaritinism, but as the minutes tick by with no action or signal from the woman, cass becomes increasingly paranoid, imagining all the urban legend scenarios of a hitchhiker in the backseat of the woman's car, and she bounces. the next day, it is all over the news: the woman she saw was found murdered in her car right where cass left her. even worse, it was a woman with whom she was acquainted, and she feels guilty for having left her the way she did. however, not wanting to admit to matthew that she took the shortcut he warned her against, she suffers her guilt in secret. she is also hiding another secret from her husband; her recently-deceased mother suffered from early onset dementia, and cass has herself been experiencing episodes of memory loss, which the stress of the murder intensifies. between the weight of her secrets and the fear that she will end up as helpless as her mother, cass' mental state worsens as the long empty days of summer stretch on; she's preoccupied, forgetful, paranoid, and she begins to suspect she was seen by the killer that night, and is his next target.

it's one of those books that, once it starts, just never lets up, and cass' unraveling is a wonderful trainwreck. apart from one necessarily exposition-heavy chapter at the beginning, the chapters are wicked short, which speeds up the pacing, and with threats both internal and external, killer and mental breakdown (because the book's title is doing two jobs, yeah?), it's my favorite combination: suspense and an unreliable narrator.

although only one star separates this from Behind Closed Doors in my gr ratings, i liked this one considerably more. it's much more plausible, although it does rely on a genre-standard that i've come to accept as par for the course in psychological suspense, even as it irritates my common sense. (view spoiler)

but, from a thriller standpoint, it definitely delivers.

i recently read Gone Without a Trace, which delivered a similarly claustrophobic reading experience, as you get immersed in the perspective of a character whose world seems to be disintegrating and can no longer trust their own mental faculties. which would be horrifying in real life, but delivers a chillingly pleasant intensity when you're safely reading.

more like this, please! ...more

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May 19, 2017 Larry H rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

As Kermit the Frog is fond of saying, it's not easy being green. It's also not easy being a voracious yet all-too-human of a reader, who tries desperately not to let the hype of all of my Goodreads' friends five-star reviews creep in and color my expectations of a book. Sometimes immovable Robot Larry wins, and sometimes the flawed mess more commonly known as Larry does. Apologies in advance.

Cass seems to have it all—a loving husband, a job she enjoys, a secure financial position, and good frien ...more

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Apr 07, 2017 Mary Beth rated it liked it

3.5 stars

Yep! I know, so many four and five star reviews and this one sort of disappointed me. I think I might of had to high expectations. I wanted so bad to love this book. I did enjoy it but found the ending to be very predictable.

Driving home in the rain, Cass decides to take a short cut through the woods against her husband wishes that she stick to the main roads. She sees the headlights of a car, stopped on the side of the road, and barely notices a woman sitting in it, she does not stop ...more

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Mar 26, 2017 Norma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-approved

4.5 stars rounded up! What an absolutely thrilling and emotional ride this book took me on!

This book totally consumed me and I couldn't think of anything else but this book. I was reading it everywhere and anywhere which was annoying the heck out of my husband.

THE BREAKDOWN by B.A. PARIS is an interesting, thrilling, suspenseful, and cleverly written psychological thriller that takes you on a very emotional and apprehensive tale here questioning the psyche of our main protagonist, Cass. Is sh ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, crime-mystery-thriller

What an intriguing psychological thriller! Cass Anderson is rushing to get home during a torrential downpour and promises her husband not to take the unsafe shortcut home and to drive careful. She decides to take the shortcut anyway because the sooner she gets home the better, right? Except she sees a car parked on the side of the road with a woman inside. She decides not to stop because she's rushing home. But the next day she learns that woman was killed. Was it luck of the draw and Cass is lu ...more

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Feb 14, 2017 Meredith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

3.5 Stars

The Breakdown is a suspense-filled psychological thriller about a woman who is slowly having a nervous breakdown brought on by a car that breaks down.

While driving home late one night in the midst of a storm, Cass decides to take a shortcut through isolated back roads. She passes a woman whose car appears to have broken down. Since it’s stormy and spooky out, Cass decides that rather than stop to see if she can help, she will call for help when she arrives home. However, she forgets ab ...more

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Dec 11, 2016 Gary rated it really liked it

I had previously read and enjoyed 'Behind Closed Doors' by the same author so was eagerly looking forward to reading this new novel due to be released in February 2017.
This is a psychological thriller that features Cass a young woman who fears she is suffering from early signs of dementia an illness that her mother had.The book starts with Cass taking a shortcut home by driving through the woods when she sees a car parked up. Through the heavy storm she glances into the car to see a woman who sh ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Debbie rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery, disappointments, netgalley, loathed, psychological-thrill

Did you ever have a main character that you just couldn’t stand? I’m leaning over my desk, raising my hand high and wiggling it madly—me me me! Cass, a young schoolteacher wife, sniveled her way through the whole book. She was beyond annoying, with her constant over-the-top worry about a murder, memory loss, and a fear of being stalked. Monotonous, boring, a stuck record. Her anxiety made her seem sickeningly weak, and the way she kowtowed to her husband made her seem unliberated and outdated. I ...more

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Feb 22, 2017 Zoeytron rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-fangled-e-reader, net-galley

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

As a fierce storm rages, Cass fights to maintain control of her car as she makes her way home on a dark and winding road. Straining to see through the pounding rain, she passes a car pulled over to the side, and catches sight of a woman's face. Desperate to get home and out of the storm, Cass drives on, vowing to call the police to alert them of a possible breakdown of a vehicle by the side of the road. Upon arriving home, Cass fails to make ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 Mary Kubica rated it it was amazing

Every bit as good as Behind Closed Doors, if not even better! I tore through this as breakneck speed. Wow!

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May 11, 2017 Carol added it

Shelves: fiction, e-galley

My sincere appreciation to Edelweiss, St. Martin’s Press, and Author, B.A. Paris for early access to The Breakdown for an honest review. To be published July 18, 2017.

Why not just title this Breakdown? Because this is the Breakdown. I watched as Cass Anderson’s world fell apart and was so glad it wasn’t happening to me but deep down I worried that it could. Cass is either suffering the mother of all mental breakdowns or she has early onset memory disease. Neither is good news for Cass who up unt ...more

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Mar 29, 2017 Carol rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, kindle, published-2017, netgalley, read-2017

...THE BREAKDOWN begins on a dark rainy night with an ill-advised shortcut home on a winding secluded road surrounded by woods, and the nightmare for Cass begins when she spots a lone woman in a car who on that same eerie night becomes a murder victim. (no spoiler here)

...From here, with a killer on the loose, the story becomes intense when forgetfulness begins to overwhelm Cass, and suspicious phone calls leave her feeling frightened, confused and unable to function normally....or knowing who t

...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: psychological-thrillers

Wow this book The Breakdown by B.A Paris had me on a huge roller coaster unable to get to get off.
My head was all over the place trying to take it all in I found it very manic everything was moving at 100 miles an hour, it was a well written Psychological thriller that I could not put down.

Cass decided to drive home on a dark stormy night through dark water lane through the woods what she discovers is a body in a car but doesn't go to help, her husband Matthew tells her she should not have gone ...more

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Apr 11, 2017 Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-books

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The Breakdown, the second book from by B.A. Paris, immediately had me questioning the meaning of her book title. I took it to mean a few things – namely in reference to the mental breakdown the main character in this novel experiences. Is it entirely the blame of the main character Cass, or is an outside force trying to break her down? It could also refer to the car breakdown of the murdered character in the book that kicks off the book’s proceedings. Title *https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The Breakdown, the second book from by B.A. Paris, immediately had me questioning the meaning of her book title. I took it to mean a few things – namely in reference to the mental breakdown the main character in this novel experiences. Is it entirely the blame of the main character Cass, or is an outside force trying to break her down? It could also refer to the car breakdown of the murdered character in the book that kicks off the book’s proceedings. Title queries aside, I completely enjoyed my second ride with B.A. Paris.

Cass is our central protagonist in The Breakdown. One night, after an evening socialising with friends, Cass decides to take an alternative route home through the woods. Knowing this isn’t the wisest choice as Cass knows the possible dangers of going doing this path, she travels with trepidation. When she sees a stationary car up ahead, with a woman at the wheel, she assumes she has broken down and the woman is calling for help. Cass doesn’t stop to check if this woman needs help and it is a split second decision that haunts her. The next day, Cass wakes to the news that the woman she saw the night before was murdered. Wracked with guilt, Cass spirals into despair, as simple everyday tasks become increasingly impossible. As Cass begins to question her mental state and her memory, the reader is left to decide if Cass is simply suffering a breakdown – or is something more sinister at work?

As with Behind Closed Doors, the debut novel released by B.A. Paris last year, The Breakdown is a suspense infused read. It is characterised by a flawed protagonist and features a deeply atmospheric setting. Paranoia is most certainly the name of the game in The Breakdown, as the reader is thrust into a quandary, questioning Cass’ integrity and her version of events. Although The Breakdown is the story of a murdered woman and solving the crime of who did it, it is also the story of a woman’s inability to handle bystander’s guilt.

Behind Closed Doors is a well plotted book that skilfully unravels in just the right way. The short and sharp chapter style adds to the pitch perfect pace of this novel, daring you to read just one more chapter. The tension bar is also set high, from the very beginning of the novel and it never really ceases until the closing pages. In general, I found The Breakdown less violent and chilling than Paris’ previous novel but it still got under my skin. I liked the exploration and use of Cass’ memory loss as a way to warp the events in the story. Her family history of early onset dementia had me questioning whether Cass’ take on the events that occurred in the novel was the complete truth. Paris’ use of the popular unreliable narrator device, which is characteristic of the popular domestic thriller genre, really worked in this novel.

The Breakdown will most likely leave you puzzled, it did with me but I gained a sense of enjoyment from this experience. The source of Cass’ fragile state of mind had me actively theorising for most of the novel. Paris does a good job of setting many of the characters in The Breakdown up for a fall, as well as leaving us to consider their integrity. Red herrings are filtered through this novel, as every character comes under scrutiny. The Breakdown is definitely a clever novel character wise and Paris builds a strong sense of menace, leading towards a big reveal ending. It was an ending that left me reeling for Cass, who comes out on the other side of this ordeal with a huge gap in her life.

B.A. Paris has carved out another very good addition to the domestic noir genre. The Breakdown is a novel full of paranoia, suspense and deceit. It also offers the reader a compulsive ride into one woman’s precarious state of mind. I definitely cannot get enough of the work of B.A. Paris and I eagerly anticipate her next release. ...more

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Jun 20, 2017 Liz rated it liked it

This book grabs you at the start. Is there anyone who hasn't been deathly afraid driving through a pounding rainstorm, hands gripping the wheel? And it's totally understandable that Cass doesn't stop when she comes across a car stopped along the side of the road, given the location, worries that it could be trap and the miserable weather. But the guilt compounds the next morning when she learns the woman in the car was later murdered. She keeps quiet, not telling either her husband or friends ab ...more

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Mar 14, 2017 Amy rated it really liked it

All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com

3/31/17 UPDATE: I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog for an ARC of this!

Last year, Behind Closed Doors was one of my favorite reads and is still one of my most recommended books, hands down. (By the way, everyone I’ve recommended it to has been just as pleased as I was, it’s really that good) It knocked me off of my feet and to say I’ve been eagerly awaiting Paris’ second book is an understatement. I was actually so impatient that I ordered a U All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com

3/31/17 UPDATE: I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog for an ARC of this!

Last year, Behind Closed Doors was one of my favorite reads and is still one of my most recommended books, hands down. (By the way, everyone I’ve recommended it to has been just as pleased as I was, it’s really that good) It knocked me off of my feet and to say I’ve been eagerly awaiting Paris’ second book is an understatement. I was actually so impatient that I ordered a U.K. copy because I didn’t want to wait until this summer for the U. S. version to be released. If you missed my review, you can find it here and if for some reason you haven’t it read it yet I urge you to ignore your growing TBR and get on it in a hurry.

The Breakdown had many of the same elements that BCD had that made me such a fan. It was another addictive page turner with the same breathless pacing that makes for such a compelling read. I read it in one frantic, do not disturb, me sitting making it totally absorbing. There was something missing for me though, maybe a huge shocking twist? Though there were still surprises nothing that kicked me in the teeth like BCD, and the ending wasn’t nearly as chilling either, but I was consumed by this one and feel that Paris is a force to be reckoned with as a psychological thriller writer.

The less you know the better here, but when Cass makes the decision to keep on driving after passing a woman on the side of the road she has no idea how much that minor choice will effect her entire life. The guilt consumes her and turns her into a paranoid, insecure person who’s entire life starts to crumble in the aftermath. Paris sure knows how to set an uneasy stage full of suspense, spine tingling dread and later, full blown hysteria. She is extremely talented at getting under the reader’s skin as you race through the pages trying to figure out who is trustworthy and who isn’t.

All in all, this was a really entertaining read and a solid follow up to a massive success. Maybe it’s unfair of me to compare this book so much to her debut, but it’s inevitable I think, and it was still a really gripping read and a powerful psychological thriller in the truest sense of the word. ...more

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Jan 25, 2017 Laura rated it it was amazing

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The Breakdown had me gripped pretty much from page one. I read a large portion of it in bed at night, and I have to say that made for tense and eerie reading! I don’t usually get unsettled whilst reading or watching things (I am a big horror film fan) but, perhaps due in part to the darkness and being alone, this did leave me feeling a bit creeped out – it plays on your mind, but not in any way that hampered my enjoyment! I raced through it and felt it ...more

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Mar 24, 2017 Pauline rated it it was amazing

I've just finished reading 'The Breakdown' by B A Paris, a psychological thriller by the author who wrote 'Behind Closed Doors'. I didn't want to put this book down because I loved it. Towards the end I had butterflies in my tummy it was so good.

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Mar 09, 2017 Kendall rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017

Ok.....had to ponder on this one for a little bit. I feel a little bit out of the norm since EVERY review I see it's 4's and 5's. Apparently I'm on a different wave length haha or just super picky as usual ;)

I would give this an overall 3. Like B.A's first novel... the characters just got on my DAMN nerves. I was super annoyed overall by Cass.... and it made me sometimes want to stop reading the novel.
Cass clearly presents with paranoia due to driving home one evening and seeing this woman on ...more

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Jan 29, 2017 Jules rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Having loved Behind Closed Doors (in fact, it made it into my Top Ten Reads in 2015), I was a little nervous that the author’s second novel might not be quite as impressive. However, fear not book lovers as The Breakdown is yet another cracker!

I love books that don’t have many characters, as I find it easier to keep track of a few characters, and it also gives the author the ability to focus on developing each of those characters. I really liked the mix of characters in this book. I felt myself ...more

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Mar 16, 2017 Linda Strong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-2017, read-in-2017

Cassandra is a woman afraid. Coming home late one night she sees a car parked halfway on the road. She pulls up in front thinking someone needs help. It is storming and the rain is coming down in sheets ... all she can vaguely see is a blond woman. But as the woman doesn't wave or get out of the car, Cass drives off. She tells herself it could have been a trap..maybe someone was waiting to attack her.

The next morning she hears on the news that the woman was murdered. She feels so much guilt thin Cassandra is a woman afraid. Coming home late one night she sees a car parked halfway on the road. She pulls up in front thinking someone needs help. It is storming and the rain is coming down in sheets ... all she can vaguely see is a blond woman. But as the woman doesn't wave or get out of the car, Cass drives off. She tells herself it could have been a trap..maybe someone was waiting to attack her.

The next morning she hears on the news that the woman was murdered. She feels so much guilt thinking that perhaps she could have stopped it. She doesn't tell anyone what she saw. But she does place an anonymous call to the police.

Cass thought she's feel better after calling the police, but the exact opposite is happening Police are going to the media asking that the woman who called to please call them back. And when Cass suddenly starts getting hang up calls, she's afraid that the killer thinks she knows more than she does.

This whole scenario sets the stage for a woman who is afraid she's losing her mind. The calls only come when she's alone. Is someone watching her ...watching her house? And now she's forgetting things like where she parked her car .... ordering jewelry from home shopping TV...she doesn't remember asking friends over for a BBQ. What was that alarm code again? Why did she order a pram when she isn't pregnant?

With a history of having a mother who died of dementia at a young age, Cass is so terribly afraid. She doesn't know who to trust .... especially if she can't trust herself.

I read this author's first book .. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS... and was extremely impressed by her writing. I was so hoping this one would create the same feeling ... and I was not disappointed. This is a well-written psychological thriller.

The first half of the book is setting the stage ... you can feel Cass's terror as she realizes that she is losing her mind. Her husband is trying to be compassionate but even he, after a while, begins to wonder. There are several characters that play a secondary part of the story, but they are all so important.

The ending is not what I had envisioned. There are some major twists and turns that took me by surprise. This is an author who is well-worth watching.

Many thanks to the author / Harlequin (UK) Limited / St. Martin's Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of THE BREAKDOWN. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
...more

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May 19, 2017 JanB rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

I literally could not put this book down! What a suspenseful, addictive read. I liked it far better than her first book. I thought I had it all figured out, and pretty quickly. But kudos to the author for surprising me!

On a dark and stormy night (yes, really), Cass, in a rush to get home, takes a short cut down a deserted road and sees a stranded car with a woman behind the wheel. She pulls over but wisely doesn't get out of her car. There's no signal of distress from the driver so Cass drives o ...more

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About B.A. Paris

B A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.

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“I think back to the last time I saw her. It had been about two weeks ago, the day before she’d left for New York. She’s a consultant in the UK division of a huge American consultancy firm, Finchlakers, and often goes to the US on business. That evening, we’d gone to the cinema together and then on for a drink. Maybe that was when she’d asked me to get something for Susie. I rack my brains, trying to remember, trying to guess what we might have decided to buy. It could be anything – perfume, jewellery, a book – but nothing rings a bell. Had I forgotten? Memories of Mum, uncomfortable ones, flood my mind and I push them away quickly. It isn’t the same, I tell myself fiercely, I am not the same. By tomorrow, I’ll have remembered.” — 0 likes

“By the time I get to the dual carriageway, the rain is coming down hard. Stuck behind a huge lorry, my wipers are no match for the spray thrown up by its wheels. As I move out to pass it, lightning streaks across the sky and, falling back into a childhood habit, I begin a slow count in my head. The answering rumble of thunder comes when I get to four. Maybe I should have gone back to Connie’s with the others, after all. I could have waited out the storm there, while John amused us with his jokes and stories. I feel a sudden stab of guilt at the look in his eyes when I’d said I wouldn’t be joining them. It had been clumsy of me to mention Matthew. What I should have said was that I was tired, like Mary, our Head, had. The” — 0 likes

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