I found "Behind Closed Doors" a bit of a departure from Catherine Alliott's normal books. This one had a lot more depth and connected with me emotionally. I thought Lucy our heroine was really engaging and I so wanted her to find her happy ending.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This was a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys a contemporary thriller.

A great cast of characters and a plot that flowed seamlessly. To me, the book seemed to get better and better as I read on, which made it hard to put down.

I am keen to read more books by this author.

The book was very well written and flowed well. The plot was great. Everything I thought it would be from the description

A novel about marriage, the secrets it hides from the outside world. The story was quite dark and a slight departure for the author. Thanks to netgalley.and the publisher for the arc.

A book to make you take stock of life, I love these types of books, as sometimes they seem to have more feeling involved in them.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Great story of family drama and choices made that then have to be lived with. Lucy makes a good main character and you can sympathise with her for all that has happened but can she get past it and move on? Compelling reading with plenty of humour to lighten the storyline

A poignant book about how little we actually know or understand about the lives of others. We only know or see what they want us to see. Cleverly written and enjoyable to read

I loved this book and related to it in so many ways! It was a great read and one that I would highly recommend. I loved the characters and the story line and the way the main character evolves through the book is quite engaging. Great read!

An enjoyable read. Great descriptions of the setting and characters who you could identify with. Would recommend

I was given a copy of Behind Closed Doors by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Lucy looks like she has it all, a lovely house a husband. But when her marriage breaks down Lucy returns home to her parents. There she must decide what direction her life will take.
Some lovely characters and a good read.

A fantastic compelling story, a tapestry of sadness, joy and wit. I loved this book and found I just had to read to the end to see what happened. The feelings on the page throughout are tangible. The ultimate sparkles in this story are the parents - fabulous!

Thank you Netgalley

It‘s never too late in life to make changes for the better
A heartwarming, lighthearted example of the positive effects those curve balls life throws at us can bring about. A pleasant few hours‘ reading guaranteed. Thank you Netgalley and publisher Penguin for letting me read an ARC in return for my honest opinion

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, wonderfully written, gripping and captivating. Would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this story very much. It has a dark side. To outsiders Lucy has it all, a successful career as a writer of cosy mysteries, a wealthy and successful theatre critic husband, a beautiful house in a fairly upmarket area of London. But for Lucy and her children life is not quite as rosy as it seems. Michael, her husband is domineering and cruel: he never actually lays a finger on them but his punishments for perceived wrongdoing are harsh - locked in cupboards for hours, adding something to the delicious meal he has cooked them that makes them ill all night, threats that they are all sure would get carried out if they disobey. His career is sliding too, as his cruelty shows up in his writing, the theatres don’t want him.

Life plods on, the children have grown up and left home so Lucy has to put up with his cruelty and his philandering by herself. One evening he gets in a towering rage with her, then goes off to meet up with his drinking friends. Lucy goes to bed, expecting him to continue the yelling and threats when he gets home, but when he does arrive he stomps around downstairs, so she thinks he will probably fall asleep on the sofa in the study. A while later she is woken by loud shouting and the sound of breaking glass, and she goes downstairs to investigate. She interrupts a burglar, who runs off when she shouts. Michael is lying on the floor, bleeding profusely from a head wound, and he only has a faint pulse. She goes to fetch her phone, but waits a while then tries again for his pulse, and cannot feel it, so she calls the police, and ambulance. But Michael is dead by the time they arrive.

Lucy’s conscience pricks her, and she needs to escape for a while from this house that she loves but has so many bad memories. She lets it out to a university professor and goes to stay with her parents in Buckinghamshire. They both have health problems and are finding it hard to manage, although they wouldn’t dream of admitting it. The plan is for her to stay in a cottage in the grounds of their house, but it needs a lot of work first, so she moves in with them. They all pretend it is only temporary.

The characters in this story are well- written, you can visualise them all, and the story is very real. The parents are very social people, they have regular lunch guests, invited so that they can spend the afternoon playing cards. They sometimes produce some very weird meals, all washed down with extravagant amounts of booze. There is quite an element of farce, but with a serious edge to it of old people trying to cope because they don’t want to ask for help. Lucy’s life is still rather chaotic, but in a much more pleasant way. She is sorting herself out, looking to the future. Then she hears a news flash, the police have arrested someone for Michael’s murder, and her guilt rises to the surface once more.

The story gets resolved in a thoughtful way,and it makes you think about right and wrong and how close the line is between the two. It is quite an emotional story, some of it is very funny, some is sad, and everything in between. Well worth reading.

This was the first book I've read by this author and I didn't love it. I thought the whole character of Lucy was very confusing. After what she went through with Michael for years, you'd think she would behave differently when she finds out about his affair. Or want to take some time to herself after his death. Her behavior threw me off and was hard to wrap my head around.

Behind Closed Doors
Catherine Alliott
This book is about families and the secrets that exist, as the title suggests, once the front door closes. Lucy lives in London with her husband, after their children have left home. We discover that he is controlling and belittling, and has indulged in a series of affairs. When he disturbs a burglar and bangs his head, Lucy waits until his pulse stops before summoning help.
In the aftermath Lucy is guilt-ridden, feeling that she assisted his death. She takes the opportunity to leave London and carve a new life in the country, finally confessing her guilt to her family.
I enjoyed this book, with a glimpse into the world behind closed doors. However, I was frustrated with Lucy, with her thought processes and her inability to start afresh with a new life. I did empathise with her but felt she was a bit wet. I suppose this was what the author was trying to convey, that she had been so adversely affected by the cruelty shown by her husband.
A book well worth reading.

You never know what’s going on behind closed doors.
Are Jack and Grace the perfect couple ?
Or is there something sinister going on.
Good read
Thanks NetGalley

Wonderful story of real life issues, the main character really looks like she has everything in order in her life but it shows how things can seem great on the outside but not so great on the inside. Really made the point that we don't know what is really going on in someones lives so should be kind. I felt the story was great, unpredictable at times and flowed really well. Great story!

Behind Closed Doors is another triumph from Catherine Alliott. I always think that the covers of her books do not give much away about the hard hitting subjects she deals with within. Lucy Palmer is a novelist living in London, her children have flown the nest and her marriage comes to an abrupt end. Whilst she is shocked, she is not sad and neither of her children. Her husband Michael had reigned over his family with terror and threats for many years. Whilst never physically abusive, the mental abuse that he subjected the three of them too had been extraordinary. So whilst many, including Michael’s sister are grieving, Lucy and her children are actually looking forward to a fresh start without having to look over their shoulders. Lucy decides she can’t stay in the London house so she moves back to her childhood home in the country to look after her parents. They have become a little wayward in their old age and cocktail hour seems to begin before 3pm on most days.

I felt that Catherine Alliott had the balance spot on in this book, there is a huge amount of humour (Lucy’s parents are hilarious) but this is counterbalanced with the grim reality of being in an abusive marriage and caring for ailing parents. I loved the difference between the countryside setting and bustling London and how Lucy moved between the two. Alliott really conveyed the fear that Lucy had felt during her time with Michael and the effect it is still having on her now he has gone.

Behind Closed Doors is a great read, the characters settings and storylines were spot on.