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Behind Closed Doors: A Novel
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Behind Closed Doors: A Novel
Unavailable
Behind Closed Doors: A Novel
Ebook332 pages5 hours

Behind Closed Doors: A Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

About this ebook

For twenty years, they had been closer than sisters, sharing girlhood secrets, their hopes and dreams for the future—and a soul-searing promise. Melissa was the only one who knew what had really happened to Jannie beyond the sacred walls of the Mormon Temple the night that changed her life forever….

UNTIL HER BEST FRIEND VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE.
Now Melissa has gone missing, just days after entrusting Jannie with a mysterious box that someone would kill to possess. And someone has—leaving in their murderous wake an innocent victim and a trail of blood that leads to the heart of Jannie's hidden burden. Desperate to protect her secret, and to find out what has happened to Melissa, Jannie trusts no one. Not the stranger whose piercing green eyes have already seen too much, nor the family and friends whose familiar fold may be shielding a cold-blooded killer who is lurking
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 2, 2007
ISBN9781429991711
Unavailable
Behind Closed Doors: A Novel
Author

Natalie R. Collins

Natalie R. Collins is an author and journalist with more than twenty-five years’ writing experience, including a long stint with the largest daily newspaper in Utah.  She has served as an editor for the Sundance Film Festival, worked in advertising and human resources, and is currently working full-time as a writer and graphic designer. A lifelong resident of Utah, and raised a member of the Mormon Church, Natalie still resides there with her husband Jeff and two daughters. Her books include Wives and Sisters, Behind Closed Doors, and Ties That Bind.

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Reviews for Behind Closed Doors

Rating: 3.8438144108247423 out of 5 stars
4/5

970 ratings139 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was a little disturbing. It tells the story of a "perfect" couple... but are they really? When I first started, I thought I had read this before because it tells a similar tale to The Last Mrs. Parrish/The Wife Between Us but it is different in that it doesn't have a twist. I appreciate that there was no crazy twist to shock the reader and the book just focused on the storyline.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A friend recommended this amazing suspense novel, and I absolutely loved it! I read it in less than 24 hours because you have to find out what’s going on. It was definitely suspenseful, and very unique. Grace had a wonderful job and was going to take in her younger sister, who has Down syndrome, when she meets Jack. He’s way too handsome and rich for her, but falls for her anyway. They court and marry quickly, and that’s when Grace finds out the truth about Jack. We find out along with her, in present day scenes and flashbacks.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was super unique and engaging. I read a lot of thrillers so it's refreshing when one has such different story line. I was hooked from the start!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Behind Closed Doors kept me turning pages until I was done. It's certainly got suspense and plot twists. A quick read without much depth in the characters, but a perfect summer read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow! This was a great book and it will be hard to review without spoilers. It's compared to "Gone Girl" and while similar in some aspects, I like this one wayyy better. The book goes back and forth between present day and back story so it takes time to learn how we got where the characters are today. "Jack" is a complete psychopath and seeing how he changes and shows Grace in bits and pieces exactly what she got her and Millie into is just terrifying. With having to care for Millie, Grace really is trapped. This is one ou just have to read. This is the poster story for check in to who you fall in love with! #staysingle

    I received an ARC from the publishing company in exchange for an honest review. No positive reviews were required.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a very difficult book to review as a result of the theme of the book. It is very strongly psychological and emitted very strong emotive reactions from me so in this sense it was a successful book. It was just a very uncomfortable read as a result of this and I wanted what could only be described as Grace's torture to come to an end and for Jack to get his just desserts! What an evil and calculating man Jack was and how successful was he at being seen as the exact opposite. That makes this book very frightening in the extreme and you do wonder how much of this really goes on in real life. The book was well written, in fact sometimes too well written and this made it uncomfortable to listen to, perhaps it might have been better as a physical book! I like the ending and there was a good twist at the very end, really enjoyed the character of Millie, Grace's sister, who has Down's Syndrome and saw through Jack. This could have well been a five star read given the reactions it caused in me but the very difficult subject matter of psychological abuse and imprisonment cannot allow me to rate it any higher than four stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I got pulled in to this book right away. I sat down in the library and started reading it before I had even checked it out. I loved it from page 1.

    But then I noticed that it seemed rather poorly written, and seemed to have some major flaws. The writing seemed to tell everything that happened, rather than showing it. Isn't that a big thing that's taught in writing classes? "Show, don't tell"?

    In terms of plot issues, when Grace tried to alert the doctor that Jack was holding her captive, I can't imagine that the doctor isn't legally required to follow up with that, or file a police report or something. Perhaps it's different in England than it is in the US. Maybe it was unclear to me, and Jack had simply paid off the doctor. I suppose I could have misunderstood it.

    Anyway, it didn't matter, because by the end, I loved it again. Despite the issues I may have had with it in the first quarter, I was hooked. I just could not fathom any way for Grace to get herself out of this situation, and I wanted her to so badly.

    Obviously I loved Millie from the start, but the moment she gave Grace the pills to use to kill Jack, I loved her even more. And Esther. Like Grace, I always felt like there was something different about Esther, and I was holding out hope until the last scene that she might step in and help Grace. I was so glad that the last scene happened the way it did. When I realized that Grace intended to tell no one what had happened, I was torn; it was obviously the safest way to go, but Grace was just heading from a physical prison straight to a mental one.

    So yeah. It lost a star for the issues I mentioned above, but this was an incredible story and I loved it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was confusing emotionally, I love thrillers and it kept me wondering just exactly how it would play out. At the same time, my sympathy waned for inexplicable reasons. I felt like I could relate more with Grace in the former part of the book than the latter, and that was difficult because I still agreed with it. In the end, I had a hard time walking away from the book and want more time with the characters
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It has been a while since I have found myself unable to put a book down because it kept me on the edge of my seat. This is one of those books. After the number of thrillers I've read, I'm a lot more skeptical to positive reviews, especially since I usually don't agree with those positive reviews. This ... was not one of them. That is all the introduction this novel needs so let me just jump into my review:

    Everyone admires a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, and she has charm and elegance. They seem to have the perfect marriage, and are inseparable. Many would consider this to be true love. But what appears on the surface may not be as it seems. For one thing, Grace never leaves home. She doesn't even have a phone. She defers in everything to her husband, who seems to have complete control over her. While this can be chalked up to personal choice, there are other things that can't be ignored. For instance, why are there bars on one of the bedroom windows? As the story shows you what happens behind the closed doors of marriage, you will begin to wonder ... is this the perfect marriage or the perfect lie?

    Holy smokes, this novel scared me! I knew that there was something twisted about the marriage based on the premise, but the extent of it was something I could never fathom. This story is not a psychological thriller, and I want to emphasize this because this is what this novel is being described as by most bookstores and by the publishers. The truth is revealed from the onset, so there is no guessing as to what is going on. However, the sheer brutality and twisted nature of the story is what gets to you. The sadism and depravity shocked me and kept me compulsively reading this story. I loved how messed up this story was, and I loved how pure evil the antagonist is; I don't think I have ever hated a character more (except for Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter). This novel moves at a break-neck pace and is emotionally charged throughout. I loved every minute of it. This novel isn't perfect, but it is damn near close and if you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, then don't miss out on this one!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It's the first book like this that I've read and I'm so happy that I got out of my comfort zone. I couldn't put it down and then kept thinking about it when I did. Great book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Solid 3.5!!
    This was just a good read. It is fast paced and toggles back and forth between the past and the present....giving you just enough details to barely see around the corner. You can almost see the ending coming----but you're without enough details that you furiously keep reading to find out.
    A page turner that winds down deliciously!!!!

    Greatly recommended!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Still waters run deep. Subtitle: My Life With a Psychopath.A page-turner - didn't see how she'd get out of the situation...thank goodness for her sister, Millie. But creepy and disturbing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I got pulled in to this book right away. I sat down in the library and started reading it before I had even checked it out. I loved it from page 1.

    But then I noticed that it seemed rather poorly written, and seemed to have some major flaws. The writing seemed to tell everything that happened, rather than showing it. Isn't that a big thing that's taught in writing classes? "Show, don't tell"?

    In terms of plot issues, when Grace tried to alert the doctor that Jack was holding her captive, I can't imagine that the doctor isn't legally required to follow up with that, or file a police report or something. Perhaps it's different in England than it is in the US. Maybe it was unclear to me, and Jack had simply paid off the doctor. I suppose I could have misunderstood it.

    Anyway, it didn't matter, because by the end, I loved it again. Despite the issues I may have had with it in the first quarter, I was hooked. I just could not fathom any way for Grace to get herself out of this situation, and I wanted her to so badly.

    Obviously I loved Millie from the start, but the moment she gave Grace the pills to use to kill Jack, I loved her even more. And Esther. Like Grace, I always felt like there was something different about Esther, and I was holding out hope until the last scene that she might step in and help Grace. I was so glad that the last scene happened the way it did. When I realized that Grace intended to tell no one what had happened, I was torn; it was obviously the safest way to go, but Grace was just heading from a physical prison straight to a mental one.

    So yeah. It lost a star for the issues I mentioned above, but this was an incredible story and I loved it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I got pulled in to this book right away. I sat down in the library and started reading it before I had even checked it out. I loved it from page 1.

    But then I noticed that it seemed rather poorly written, and seemed to have some major flaws. The writing seemed to tell everything that happened, rather than showing it. Isn't that a big thing that's taught in writing classes? "Show, don't tell"?

    In terms of plot issues, when Grace tried to alert the doctor that Jack was holding her captive, I can't imagine that the doctor isn't legally required to follow up with that, or file a police report or something. Perhaps it's different in England than it is in the US. Maybe it was unclear to me, and Jack had simply paid off the doctor. I suppose I could have misunderstood it.

    Anyway, it didn't matter, because by the end, I loved it again. Despite the issues I may have had with it in the first quarter, I was hooked. I just could not fathom any way for Grace to get herself out of this situation, and I wanted her to so badly.

    Obviously I loved Millie from the start, but the moment she gave Grace the pills to use to kill Jack, I loved her even more. And Esther. Like Grace, I always felt like there was something different about Esther, and I was holding out hope until the last scene that she might step in and help Grace. I was so glad that the last scene happened the way it did. When I realized that Grace intended to tell no one what had happened, I was torn; it was obviously the safest way to go, but Grace was just heading from a physical prison straight to a mental one.

    So yeah. It lost a star for the issues I mentioned above, but this was an incredible story and I loved it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    After reading the last of Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris, I still feel like I'm inside the book. I haven't read a book this intriguing in a very long time - and I read a ton of books! The characters were beautifully portrayed with captivating real personalities and real-life thoughts for the situations they were put in. Stunning performance by the reader of the audio version. Highly recommend to anyone. I would LOVE to read a sequel of this book! A movie would be fantastic as well. ;-)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Whoa this book was intense and creepy. Definitely a thriller that freaks you out. Never has there been a fictional character that I hate as much as I do Jack Angel. He's sadistic, controlling, evil, and downright scary. Throughout the story you find yourself rooting for Grace. A book that will keep you up late reading for sure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    All appearances lead people to believe this is a charming couple. He is a lawyer representing women who are abused by husbands. She was a successful buyer for Harrods. They met in a park one day when Graces' down syndrome sister was dancing by herself while the band played. A dashing man whisked her away as they danced and those in attendance clapped.Impressed, Grace is impressed by this good looks and kind action. Soon they are dining at the finest establishments. Soon he proposes stating that Graces' sister will live with them and be an integral part of their lives.Soon, at her honeymoon, Grace learns her BIG mistake. He leaves her alone and when he returns is abruptly rude and challenging her sanity for worrying.When they return home, they entertain as Grace prepares perfect, lavish meals. Everywhere they go, her husband has his hands on her, securely holding her lest she try to escape.The man who represents abused women is in fact an abuser of the highest level. Locked in a basement room, she is only allowed out for social engagements. As the emotional abuse continues in ever frightening speed, Grace plots a way to try to escape. Their lovely mansion is shut tight with controls that lock every window and door, and outside gate in place. And, the sister who was to live with them -- she is tucked away in an institution where she is used as bait if Grace doesn't behave.I read this in one sitting. I recommend it if you are not prone to nightmares.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story is now on my favourites list and one of my top 5 for 2017. A psychological thriller about abuse, this story was hard to listen to at points (I listen to audiobook editions, most often). I highly recommend this read and you'll find yourself cheering at the end!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Very disturbing book. Would not recommend because of this. However it is well written.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Holy crap.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Found it a slick, quick read. The protagonist spent too much time in useless speculation and her helplessness became frankly annoying.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What a book of true life. I sadly knew a woman like this, not quite to the extent of this.... but her every move was planned by the husband. This book through me back there. This is a view many people don't even think about. Great read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received this book in a giveaway and wasn't sure what to expect because I hadn't heard much about it. But once I started it, I could not put it down!

    At points the book made me sick, but that just shows how good the writing was. It's a super fast read, so I was sad when it ended, but I absolutely loved it. I definitely recommend it!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The plot was intriguing although I feel that if the writing had been more developed I'd have given the book a better rating. The ending seemed too rushed. I wanted to know what happened but not at the rate of losing the body of the story and losing the instensity. The end of the book was rather redundant.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Admittingly I only read a few pages. Not my type of story of interest.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    If I could give this less than one star, I would.Absolutely nothing about this book was in the slightest way believable. The mystery is where all the glowing reviews came from.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a great thriller. This husband is a horrible force to be reckoned with. OMG... I loved the wife. She endured so much and came out a winner in the end. I was troubled by the fact that no one would help her. I wanted someone to reach out to her. Then, at the end you find out she indeed does have an ally. This book is in the realm of Gone Girl and those who followed, but I must say, the depravity in this one was much more interesting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book. Very creepy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great psychological thriller!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Behind Closed Doors" is a creeping, insidious novel of nail-biting psychological suspense. It proves that not only is the perfect life sometimes a facade, but it can also be deadly. The characters are three-dimensional and easily evoke either empathy or horror, while the author thrills with circumstances that one would not think possible in the twenty-first century and that make readers truly think. Told in alternating chapters of the past and the present, the plot unfolds as the two gradually coalesce to close the story. There is no gore, but expect to feel disturbed on a skin-crawling level as the incredible tale transpires.