Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of The Therapist in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available on July 13, 2021.
The Plot (from Goodreads):
When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive…
As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before.
Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem…
The Twist:
The PI was Nina’s therapist and also her murderer. He was actually Edward and Lorna’s crazy son, and was keeping them prisoner inside their house. He would visit Nina through the hole in the back fence. When Alice and Leo moved in, they didn’t change the lock on the garden door, so he was able to keep coming into their house.
The Ending:
Tamsin essentially saved Alice by telling her that Oliver didn’t have a sister. There was a struggle at Edward and Lorna’s house, Edward had a heart attack and died, and the PI/their son was arrested. Alice left London but stayed in touch with her friends from The Circle. She and Leo did not get back together but stayed friends as well.
The Review:
I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris, but I read all of her previous books before I started my blog and Bookstagram, so this is the first time I’m writing a review of one of her novels. I’m honored that I got the chance to review an advanced copy!
For fans of The Breakdown, this new novel certainly will not disappoint.
I enjoyed the characters living in The Circle. In such a close-knit community, everyone is bound to have secrets! I’m always jealous of people who are friends with their neighbors, instead of just friendly. There were a lot of couples to keep track of, but after a few chapters I got the hang of it. This book didn’t feel like it took place in London, though.
The plot was fast-paced and entertaining, as is often the case in Paris’s novels. Although avid thriller readers may be able to pinpoint the perpetrator early on, there are enough red herrings and side-twists to keep you on your toes. The setting was delightfully creepy; the feeling that someone else has been in your house. Books like this always make me especially grateful for Charlie!
The Therapist comes out this July. I’m sure everyone who has read B.A. Paris’s work before will be eager to get their hands on a copy. For those of you that haven’t yet read any of her novels, you’ll have an amazing backlog of books to add to your ever-growing TBR!
Are you close with your neighbors? I live in a big, anonymous apartment complex and barely ever talk to mine, unless someone stops to pet my dog.
