Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. As always, I will do my best to keep this review spoiler-free.
Upon receiving an advance copy of B.A. Paris’ new psychological thriller, “The Therapist” in the mail, I absolutely could not wait to dive right in. Paris is one of my favorite authors in this genre and her books always have this way of pulling me right in the story and keeping me wanting more.
This one was no different.
“The Therapist” centers around a character named Alice. Alice has recently moved into a new home in London with her boyfriend, Leo, for a fresh start after spending 18 months in a long-distance relationship.
Alice is apprehensive about moving to London, as she has lived in her little cottage in the country her whole life, and all her friends and ties to her family are there. However, when Leo finds what seems to be the perfect home for them in a gated community near a park, her anxiety subsides…. at least at first.
The house is surprisingly priced way lower than it should be, and the best part is Leo can afford to get it without Alice having to sell her cottage in Harlestone. It almost seems too good to be true….
They make renovations to the upstairs bedroom and move right in.
However Alice’s anxiety continues to linger as she studies the gated neighborhood they now live in called “the Circle.” All 12 of the houses are nearly identical with a little square in the middle. It’s a bit unnerving.
Longing to make friends with the neighbors — who seem to be very tight-knit — she invites them all over for a drink to get to know everyone. But as hard as she tries to be friendly, not everyone is as open to accepting her into the group — particularly a woman named Tamsin.
When a mystery guest shows up to the party pretending to be a neighbor, the real story begins.
Alice later discovers that he was actually not a neighbor, never invited, and learns some shocking news. A woman named Nina — who lived in the home before her and Leo — was brutally murdered in the bedroom 18 months prior.
Alice’s world is turned upside down as she learns that Leo knew of this and opted not to tell her before purchasing the home.
She is distraught, and to make matters worse, her sister — who tragically died in a car accident with her parents — was also named Nina.
Because of this, Alice feels drawn to the case and becomes obsessed with finding out who really killed Nina.
As you continue to learn more back stories and information, you spend the rest of the book on a quest to discover the truth. Almost like a game of Clue, crossing off your list with each of the neighbors as a potential suspect.
While some of the smaller twists in this book were a bit predictable, the ending made me gasp out loud. I did not see it coming. And that, my friend, is the key ingredient and my favorite part of a good thriller.
If you’re into mystery and books that keep you on the edge of your seat, “The Therapist” should be on your ‘to be read’ list. I could not put it down and could not wait to see what happened next.
“The Therapist” can be purchased now on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Therapist-Novel-B-Paris/dp/1250274125
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