by B. A. Paris
Paperback: 336 pages
Published by: St. Martin's Press on July 18, 2017
Available from: Amazon.ca Amazon.com Indigo/Chapters Barnes & Noble
Description: 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. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped. But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby. The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt. Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her… |
About The Author: B. A. Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors. She 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. The Breakdown is her second novel and it will be released on July 18, 2017. |
A person’s memory is their lifeline, and if they feel it is starting to fail them, panic sets in, most definitely. I know I’ve had times where I forget things, and I start to wonder if dementia is attacking my brain… causing too much stress, or possibly Alzheimer’s Disease is developing. This would be one of my biggest fears: Losing my memory.
B.A. Paris explores this fear in her latest release of ‘The Breakdown’ (clever title). Cass feels her memory is failing her after her new friend is murdered near her house. She starts worrying whether she could have prevented the horror from happening. She did see her that same night. She was right there and could’ve saved her, if only she would’ve talked to her. Pained by the choice she made, plus the heavy guilt and the fear that the murderer actually recognized her at the scene, she begins to panic when silent phone calls start, the feeling of someone always watching her and several mysterious objects keep showing up. She trusts no one, not even herself.
This book had a great beginning, a relatively slow middle (many repetitive moments of memory loss) and a big blast for an ending. I enjoyed the read, mainly because I love psychological thrillers, however, I solved the mystery long before I got to the middle of the book. This didn’t deter me from finishing it though. As I mentioned the ending was fast and furious. I was flying through those pages so quickly, that I’m surprised they didn’t combust into a ball of fire. Well done, B.A. Paris. I will definitely be reading your next one you write, as well. Keep writing!