In my (humble) opinion, every book written by B.A. Paris has been a five star read. This most recent offering is no exception! B.A. Paris is an absolute master at creating tense situations and sinister atmospheres that make for an unsettling, yet riveting read!
Alice and Leo make a move to a house in The Circle, a newly renovated house within a gated community of houses. Alice is keen to make friends with her neighbours and invites them around for drinks one evening. As she becomes acquainted with the people around her, Alice begins to sense that something is not quite right within The Circle's community, and is horrified to discover ultimately that Leo has been hiding a shocking secret about Nina, the therapist that lived there before them.
This is a tight plot with lots of maybes along the way to keep the reader guessing. A great read once again!

I have previously bought and loved the first three books by B A Paris, the last book though was a major disappointment so I read this new offering with some trepidation.

I’m pleased to say I loved it, it was dark and kept me guessing with each page what would happen next.
If you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you up at night to finish the last chapter then buy this book

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Huge fan of this author, another gripping book, fantastic characters, so many twists! And such an unexpected ending. Brilliant as usual.

I have been a big fan of B.A Paris since her first book Behind closed doors which I really enjoyed. The therapist seems different to her other books.
Alice and Leo decide to take their relationship a bit further and buy a house in The Circle a gated community in Finsbury park in London. It’s Alice’s first time living in London and a big city as she has previously lived in a sleepy town in the country. Leo has been working in Birmingham and has been commuting to see Alice but now decided that they want to live together.
When they have moved in, Alice decides to throw a dinner party to meet the new neighbours, but Leo hesitates. He is not sure he wants his neighbours to know his business. It goes ahead anyway. Everything goes swimmingly, when after the party and the result that she finds out that someone was murdered in the house she now lives in. She is annoyed at Leo for not telling her and paranoia sets in and she goes out of her way to find what happened and spooky things start going on in the house.
The Therapist is another professionally written gripping thriller from the author. But, for me I found the female protagonist really irritating and so gullible and didn’t like her one bit. 3 stars from me.

When Leo Curtis found the house in The Circle, a gated community, Alice Dawson was in Venice. Leo wanted to move quickly on the property as it was on the market at such a reasonable price that Alice wouldn't have to sell her cottage in Harlestone for them to be able to afford it. Alice agreed - she was tired of their long-distance relationship. Now they would be able to spend most of the week together instead of just the weekends. Leo had some work done on the house: he made two bedrooms into one and although Alice knew that the house was stunning she just didn't feel comfortable there.

Of course, that could be because London was so different from Harlestone. She and Leo are at number six The Circle, opposite the gate. Next door are Eve and Will Jackman. Will's an actor and just beginning to be quite well known. Eve's friendly and welcoming, but the same can't be said of her friend Tamsin who seems to have something against Alice. On the other side of Alice and Leo from Eve and Will, there's an elderly couple, Edward and Lorna Beaumont. Their son had been killed in Afghanistan and now they are virtually house-bound ( Edward had a heart attack) which is a shame as they'd moved to London in the hope of seeing more of the museums and art galleries.

It wasn't long before Alice discovered why Tamsin didn't like her. There had been a brutal murder in Alice and Leo's house and the victim, therapist Nina Maxwell, had been Tamsin's best friend. She thinks that Alice is insensitive for moving in and won't believe that Alice didn't know anything about the murder. Leo had known about it but hadn't told Alice because he so loved the house and thought that Alice wouldn't want to move there if she knew the property's history. So, Alice is living in a house where there's recently been a brutal murder and she can't completely trust the man she's living with. Nina Maxwell's husband, Oliver, committed suicide when he was accused as Nina's murder and most people in The Circle have come to accept that Oliver was guilty. It's the easy way and makes them feel safe, but Alice doesn't feel safe, particularly as she's sure that someone is coming into the house at night. Is it Nina Maxwell's spirit?

Oh, but this was a good book. I was grabbed before I got to the bottom of the first page. We hear about the therapist, who's meeting new clients. I was intrigued. Were we going to find out who killed Nina Maxwell and why? But we're quite a way away from that. Alice becomes obsessed with the murder of Nina Maxwell after she's approached by Thomas Grainger, a private investigator. Part of the reason goes back some twenty years when Alice's parents and her elder sister, another Nina, were killed in a car accident. She's always had an obsession with people of that name. There's also the feeling that Nina's spirit is about in the house and she'd like her to have justice.

Obsessives can be annoying but I never had that feeling with Alice. Yes, she's like a dog with a bone but she has cause. Leo's been less than honest with her and she's pretty certain that there are secrets and lies all over The Circle. Then there was the whispered warning from her next-door neighbour...

You need to indulge yourself with this book. Put the time aside to read for as long as you want to. Check the doors and windows before you start reading - and do try not to hold your breath!

When Alice and Leo move into a beautiful home in an exclusive gated community called The Circle, it seems they're moving up in the world. But it doesn't take long for Alice to discover that the reason they were able to afford their new home is that a murder was committed there. When strange things begin happening in the house, Alice begins to fixate on the woman who was murdered there. But someone doesn't want Alice to find out what really happened to Nina. And they'll do anything to keep her quiet...

While I enjoyed this fine, for me it didn't live up to the author's previous books. There were so many characters that added very little to the plot, and I found Alice an unsatisfying protagonist. There were too many questions posed by Alice wondering aloud - as a reader I want to be lead to asking those questions myself so I found the style a little grating - it was show-and-tell rather than letting the reader work things out for themselves.

I did enjoy reading the book - it wasn't one that will stay with me, but it was fine for whiling away a rainy afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who gave me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alice and newish partner Leo move into a house on a gated street called, rather ominously, The Circle. Not all the residents are friendly, though, and when Alice makes a shocking discovery about the previous occupants of their house, the reasons start to become apparent.

The story is narrated by Alice with *very* occasional segments from the point of view of an unnamed therapist. These are so occasional and give away so little that it was impossible for me to remember them the rest of the time.

There’s a sort of side plot about Leo which doesn’t really go anywhere.

There’s also a major lack of diversity, here as in many similar books - everyone is, at least as far as can be ascertained, white and straight. (I’ve always been led to believe London was pretty diverse, but you wouldn’t know it from this.)

(As a side note, I’ve noticed that the women in these type of books generally either don’t have jobs, or have jobs which need be done only when they feel like it, thus affording them plenty of spare time to engage in psychological drama. Lucky them. Alice is a translator, and, to be fair, it does get mentioned now and then.)

The story never really grabbed me, I’m afraid - I couldn’t picture any of the characters and I never felt a sense of impending danger – no, not even when reading lines like “the sense of impending danger is incredible”. I couldn’t bring myself to care about Alice or Nina or who the therapist was. (Though one character was clearly dodgy as heck.) Indeed, I felt the whole concept of the therapist was a bit underused and the eventual resolution very far-fetched.

An ok read which I’m sure will hit the spot for many, but didn’t really work for me.

Having read BA Paris’ earlier novel ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and found it both convincing and thought-provoking, I was delighted to have the opportunity to read ‘The Therapist’. This story begins very well. Leo and Alice agree to move in together and make their new home in an attractive gated community in North London. Alice wonders if she might be lonely as her partner works away for part of each week and so throws a party for their neighbours. All goes well until she learns that she inadvertently welcomed a gate crasher and showed him round her beautiful new home.
It appears that this is just a momentary blip in a privileged life until Alice learns that a murder was committed in their house before they moved in. Apparently, a therapist, Nina, was killed by her husband, Oliver, who subsequently took his own life.
As soon as Alice understands what has happened, all of her certainties collapse. She can no longer trust Leo and, bit by bit, begins to suspect that many of her neighbours are not telling the truth either. In return, they are wary of her often intrusive questions. (I’m not surprised – she talks about little else with them!)
I found the first half of the novel compelling. BA Paris writes well and her depiction of the rather claustrophobic gated North London ‘Circle’ and its residents is convincing. However, Alice’s investigation does become a little repetitive and there is one glaringly obvious path that she never thinks about going down! When we eventually find out the truth – for many, I imagine, confirmation of what seems fairly obvious – the perpetrator’s back story is rather far-fetched. A shame; to my mind the novel would have worked better without this particular embellishment.
My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Dark, tense and twisty I was gripped by this book from page one. When Alice moves to her new home, she’s all set for a new life only to discover a web of lies and deceit that will leave you ruling.

Finding out that a brutal murder was committed in her house is bad enough, but then Alice finds herself drawn in hunting for the killer and trusting no one. Everyone is hiding something and each neighbour falls under suspicion, as Alice starts to doubt.

A real page turner with a shocking twist and drama to the very last word. Adored it.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoy this authors books and this was no exception, fantastic storyline, great characters. Loved it. Will have you hooked right to the end.

I loved Behind Closed Doors (totally gripping and the twist was just immense, read it if you haven't already), and halfway through The Therapist I couldn't work out how it was going to end (the mark of a great book!). The suspense was slowly built through the novel, with so many suspects and red herrings to throw you off, and a protagonist with her own sorry secrets. I got a little frustrated as it was repetitive in places, and I didn't love Alice as a character, but I really enjoyed the flash backs to the therapy sessions (I wanted more of those!), as they were clever breaks in the story. I'd definitely recommend The Therapist if you enjoy a dark thriller and a good mystery - perfect for cosy winter days!

Gripped from the start!

A new start, a new area, a blossoming relationship - what could go wrong for Alice and Leo. Until she finds out about the death of the previous occupant - something Leo has tried to hide from her.

The settings so throughly described you feel like you are there with Alice living in the gates community of The Circle as she tries to figure out what happened to Nina as she untangles her own thoughts and emotions.

The residents seem to be hiding something, so does Leo, Alice is determined to get to the bottom of what and why. Can she trust Leo? Can she really stay in the house knowing what happened there?

Alice begins to sense a presence in the house at night, is there something there or is her mind playing tricks on her. Tense, clever writing had me itching to read on.

A few things aroused my suspicions as to who the killer was of Nina, even though the police had deemed it to be her husband and shut the case. I didn't guess the ending at all!

I'm a huge fan of this author, so was delighted to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a fantastic thriller, following the life of Alice as she tries to settle in to a small London community. It was exciting from the off, and then there were so many twists along the way. A great read, would recommend.

4 Stars from me

B A Paris totally knocks it out of the park with this enthralling psychological thriller.

Alice was an interesting character, some people really just do not get a good run of luck in life do they! 'The Circle' sounds as equally claustrophobic and dangerous as it does delightful and elite. From the very beginning when Alice and Leo move there things don't seem quite right - but then they rapidly accelerate downwards into really rather wrong!

Her neighbours - how can any of them afford to live there when they never seem to do any work? - also seem to be an equal mix of lovely and awful. There are a lot of contrasts in this book, layered with a lot of misguidance and huge dollop of mistrust!

I was utterly hooked as the story began to unravel, although Alice was a damn site braver than I would have been as I don't think I could have stayed in the house as long as she did.

The Therapist is a cleverly constructed, multi-layered, psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and make you trust no-one...

I don't think I have ever read a book by this author that I haven't liked. This is an author who knows how to write and this book didn't let me down.

THE PLOT:
I really liked the concept of this house, in a gated community (very, Safe from Netflix vibes) and finding out a brutal murder had taken place in the house she has just moved into. I also liked the fact Alice felt a connection to Nina in a way that most wouldn't. It was unique. I think the pacing was well done and I didn't feel bored at any point during the book and this author has a way of really making the reader feel gripped without bogging down the book with filler chapters.
THE CHARACTERS:
I liked Alice and I could understand her decisions and motivations. She didn't let things go and questioned everything.
I thought our side characters could have done with some work, especially Leo. I knew from the very first chapter he was a bit sketch but I think it was forced too much that it was 'him' and it was kind of over-done. We only got a glimpse of who he really was at the end of the book.
THE REVEAL:
Although I saw it coming, the execution was done well and I felt gripped enough that I wasn't a hundred per cent sure how it was going to play out. I think she did a good job of playing the reveal out.
OVERALL:
This was another enjoyable read from this author and is definitely a gripping, quick read!
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great story with so much mystery involved making you second guess everyone and everything. Yet still a nice shock at the end when it all comes out!

I was so excited when I saw this book come up on Netgalley, I am a huge fan of BA Paris! The therapist was amazing, absolutely well deserving of its 5 stars, I was totally gripped from page one. A book full of twists and turns, mind games, friendship, love, loss, hate.. every emotion you can imagine, this book covers the lot! Brilliant!

This is excellently written and would be great for a reader who doesn’t devour as many thrillers as I do. There has been a slew of ‘domestic disharmony with dodgy neighbours’ books in the last few years and I’m beginning to tire of them. I’m afraid I had it all worked out early on in the book. I’m sure many will disagree, but I found it formulaic with no depth to the characters. I usually enjoy books by this author too. Sorry!

I wasn't sure that the style of writing would appeal to me, but soon found myself engrossed in what is a twisty dark story. Many twists and turns, suspense and red herrings throughout leading to an unexpected conclusion that I didn't see coming, so well done to the author who keeps us guessing throughout. A well deserved 4 stars.

Another fantastic B.A Paris thriller! Definitely one to give a read.

This book was so easy to read, really engaging and I flew through it in a couple of days.

I loved the writing style. There was so many twists and turns, I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Although I didn't love all the characters some of them were really annoying, I did enjoy the whole concept of this book.

I definitely didn't see the ending coming. There was lots of twists right at the end that really threw me, I loved it!

If you like psychological domestic thrillers set in gated communities with lots of couples then you'll love this book. There were so many secrets and twists, it was brilliant.

Highly recommend!

TW: suicide, murder and violence