The Breakdown

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Cass should stop and see if the woman needs help, right? But the woman doesn't have her flashers on, and didn't honk her horn—wouldn't she do that if she needed help? Then Cass realizes this could be a scam of some sort, one which might leave her vulnerable in the middle of the woods on a rainy night, with no mobile service to call for help. Since the woman must already be waiting for help, Cass decides to drive home and alert the authorities afterward, but when she arrives home she forgets about it. Cass’s continual highs and lows will cause you whiplash, and you will FEEL her frustration as she grasps at straws (tongs, and cans of hairspray) to keep her crumbling life together!

I would give this a 2ish.... 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.

Customer reviews

Making her smash debut, Paris [keeps] the suspense level high. In the same vein as Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, this is a can’t-put-down psychological thriller.” — Library Journal (starred review) This is my second story written by Arianne Richmonde. Twenty-three-year-old Jayne Smith, from England is travelling to an island just off the coast of Maine. She will be the new au pair for the summer for the Wainwright family. Celeste Wainwright was involved in a car accident when she was pregnant. Her husband wants someone to take over looking after their children, Liam, Lizzie and baby Violet who was born by C-section. Celeste is under the care of her psychotherapist, Dr Stephen for her head injury. She also has a nurse to help with her other needs. But is Celeste being kept in the dark about her past and what happened? Is there anyone she can trust? First, I want to thank Arianne Richmonde, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Occasionally I find it really hard to get into a book that requires me to suspend disbelief, but I found with "Behind Closed Doors" and this book that I was able to do that easily. The authors writing style and the suspenseful plot allowed me to let go of reality and really enjoy what I was reading.

I find it impossible to believe that Cass wouldn’t have noticed that hubby must have switched out her appliances—washer, dryer, and microwave. New appliances would not look exactly like her old ones. No way! Even with my headlights full on, I can barely see where I’m going and I instantly regret the brightly lit road I left behind. Although this road is beautiful by day—it cuts through bluebell woods—its hidden dips and bends will make it treacherous on a night like this. A knot of anxiety balls in my stomach at the thought of the journey ahead. But the house is only fifteen minutes away. If I keep my nerve, and not do anything rash, I’ll soon be home. Still, I put my foot down a little. Jayne Smith is travelling to an island just off the coast of Maine to be an au pair for the summer for the Wainwright family. Celeste Wainwright is currently unwell following an accident, & her husband wants someone to take over looking after the children, Liam, Lizzie, & baby Violet for most of the time. Jayne will be staying in a cottage on the grounds of their house & she is happy she is not in the main house as there is a strange atmosphere. Max Wainwright is pleasant but distant, Celeste doesn't remember anything from one day to the next, & the nurse there to give Celeste 24/7 care is overbearing & unfriendly. Shortly after Jayne arrives, baby Violet dies suddenly & then a few days later, four-year-old Lizzie goes missing in the middle of the night. I was really excited to read this one. I had loved Paris’s first book, Behind Closed Doors. How does it work that I loved one of her books but basically hated the other? I hear of reviewers loving both or hating both, but I don’t seem to have many others in my one-love, one-hate club. Promise.” I turn the key in the ignition and shift the car into gear, the phone now hot between my shoulder and ear.

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It sounds interesting, but the story puts all its weight on the reveal... and it is too easy to guess. And I don't mean just guess who is responsible, but also guess the entire reasoning behind it. The pool of suspects is too small; there are so few characters in the book, and many readers will be immediately suspicious of the culprit (honestly, they seem shady as hell).

Now imagine seeing a stranded motorist, waffling on the decision to stop and offer assistance or pass on by, then ultimately deciding it was safer to drive on past, especially since the driver didn’t appear to be injured and did not indicate they wanted help.Stop the sniveling. And please say something interesting. No need to add much here; you already know what I think about the main character, Cass. I will say that the other few characters weren’t snivelers, but they weren’t interesting either. The dialogue was super boring, like: Hi, when did you get up? Oh, around 8. Okay. See you later. TW: mention of child death, kidnap, suicide attempt, alcoholism, brief mention of adult/minor relationship Is Cass crazy? Is she suffering from early onset dementia like her mother did before her? What is happening? Filled with some huge twists and a fast-paced plot, I can see why this book has been receiving so much hype. I wouldn't have been able to put it down had life not gotten in the way. It is a truly addictive read.

A frighteningly cool portrait of a serious sadist, Behind Closed Doors is a gripping, claustrophobia-inducing thriller... Read at the risk of running from every handsome British lawyer who crosses your path.” — Romantic Times I very much enjoyed the incorporation of text messages into this story as well. It helped to keep me engaged as the puzzle pieces began falling into place. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

She starts struggling to remember things. Knowing her mother had been diagnosed with early onset dementia made all of her forgetfulness convince her that she too had the disease. Mysterious parcels arrive, silent phone calls, she is doubting her own sanity. The Breakdown was a little bit slow at first, I'd say 20% in, but then after that, it was absolute craziness. I enjoyed how the chapters alternated between different characters POVs. My mind was reeling trying to figure out what was happening between all of the characters. Every character was hiding a secret. I was even questioning my own sanity while reading the chapters from Celeste's POV. I couldn't decipher if she really had a traumatic head injury or if she was just faking it. I thought I had everything figured out, but I was totally wrong. This book contained some crazy secrets, a ridiculous amount of lies, and so much suspense! I loved it all! The ending was mind-blowing...I was beyond surprised! One of the best twisted books I've read by Arianne Richmonde. Can't wait to read more from her! It’s far-fetched that Cass would get her hands on Rachel’s burner cell phone and it’s far-fetched the way it happens (though actually, I give the author credit here for ingenuity).