The Breakdown

By: B. A. Paris

Narrated by: Georgia Maguire

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

Named One of the Most Anticipated Thriller Novels of 2017 by Bustle!

The newest propulsive audiobook from the author of New York Times and USA Today instant best seller Behind Closed Doors.

If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside - the woman who was killed. She's been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It's a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she'd broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she'd stopped.

But since then, she's been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn't have a baby.

The only thing she can't forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she's receiving, or the feeling that someone's watching her...

You won't be able to hit pause on B. A. Paris' The Breakdown, the next chilling audiobook from the best-selling author of Behind Closed Doors.

©2017 B. A. Paris (P)2017 W F Howes Ltd

I tore through it within a few days

The Breakdown is quite the book! I’ll be honest in that the first 2/3 of the book I was wondering when we were going to get down to the action. That last 1/3 of the book makes up for a bit of a slower pace in the beginning of the book. BA Paris really lays a nice foundation for the story and the readers, or listeners in my case, are left wondering if Cass is really losing it!

If you’ve read BA Paris’s first book, Behind Closed Doors, and you liked it, this setup is extremely similar. She seems to spend most of the book setting up that gripping ending. The question is can you make it through nearly 2/3 of a book that is ok, and has somewhat of a slow pace when you’re reading a thriller… that’s question you should ask yourself. For me, I’m really happy I stuck with this book. Let me tell you what I enjoyed…

Since I was listening to an audiobook, one of the most significant things for me is the narrator. The narrator, Georgia Maguire did an outstanding job. I adored her British accent. Besides just have a pleasing voice she delivered the different characters very well. Maguire added the perfect amount of tension and fear to her voice needed. She was able to convey Cass’s confusion throughout the book perfectly. One of the best narrations I’ve listened to!

One of my main problems with the story though was Cass herself. I wanted her to be stronger instead of this sniveling and quivering mess that she was. I think it’s why I really enjoyed the last third of the book… it was filled with tension and Cass seemed to remember who she was. However, this story was so extremely relatable and it wasn’t really far-fetched. Cass’s fears and life concerns were softly unraveled like the thread in clothing.

Just like in Behind Closed Doors, there was a twist, just like that! I was left reeling and I wasn’t able to consume this book quickly enough. I was entranced and it was utterly addictive! I loved the ending! There were parts of the conclusion that really left me flabbergasted… I didn’t see it coming! Although it wasn’t exactly surprising, you could feel the buildup, but it was the acts themselves that were surprising.

Even when the book was a bit slower, than I would have preferred with a thriller, I found I tore through it within a few days. I found myself listening quicker and quicker so I could get to the ending. That buildup was seriously intense and once BA Paris hit her pace, she didn’t let up until it was over. Once the last word was read to me, I found I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened afterward to all the people. I was hoping for good things for Cass and possibly John. What happens to Matthew, or Alex? I see that as a good sign… I enjoyed the book!

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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20 of 20 people found this review helpful

BUY BUY BUY! Read review NO SPOILERS

This is the second book by B.A. Paris whose debut was "Behind Closed Doors". I have to say that book was good but it lost my attention at points. But the ending was well worth it.
This new book will have you from the first page. Imagine you have the perfect life and one night driving past a broken down vehicle causes you to start to lose your memory. Like how to work a microwave or dishwasher, items arriving you never ordered but you did.
This book will keep you till the end and the ending won't let you down.
I have been on such a dry spell, must have started 10 books that had high ratings but were not that good. THIS IS THE BEST BOOK OF 2017 HANDS DOWN.

165 of 178 people found this review helpful

soooo good

this book is awesome. I seriously sat in the costco parking lot for over an hour.

87 of 94 people found this review helpful

Boring

I hate to give a book a poor review but this book is really boring. I finished it only because I didn't want to completely waste my money. The story is so repetitive. I had the whole thing figured out within the first chapter. I'm going to try the author's other book because it sounds much more interesting but I would not recommend this book.

29 of 31 people found this review helpful

Wanted to love it

I absolutely loved "Behind Closed Doors," and while the narration for this one was equally good, the story was not. Similar build-up, just much less believable or exciting. The build-up was slow and boring. The motives, which were revealed after several painful hours at 1.5x, were cliché and boring. I felt no connection whatsoever to the main character/narrator and was disappointed overall.

34 of 38 people found this review helpful

Extremely predictable

This audiobook was such a disappointment. It was so incredibly predictable and I kept listening in hopes of being wrong but it was transparent from the very beginning. I'm sorry I wasted my credit on this book.

29 of 33 people found this review helpful

Another Girl on the Train it isn't!

Trite, contrived and boring. Just finished and I'm still waiting for it to warm up. Awful jut awful. Save your credits.

28 of 32 people found this review helpful

Average, but Cozy

I quit this a few minutes in, then went back and stayed. It's a *beach read;* what I call an airport pick-up book: not spectacular but it becomes easy on the ears and comfortable. It has that settle in and go along quality that is easy to drift with. The story itself is transparent, easily solved far before the author reveals the facts, but lends itself to pleasantly picturing the events without effort as long as you leave logic in your pocket. Sometimes the perfect book is the one you can pick up, set down, pick up again all without worrying about a book mark.

41 of 49 people found this review helpful

Boring

I tried for several hours since it started off very promising and the narration is impeccable. But the protagonist is pathetic with too much self loathing over and over again. Parts of this story are frustrating as opposed to suspenseful. Just couldn't go on.

41 of 50 people found this review helpful

Solid Thriller- But Something Is Missing

The Break Down is a well written story with a well thought-out plot. It held my attention and kept me asking 'What will happen next?' I thought the story came together quite well- and all of it made sense. It was a bit too neat for a psychological thriller and no ends were left untied.

What's missing is general character development. The story could have been more engrossing if I cared more for the main characters.

It's a good story, and very much worth the read. It's narrated perfectly. There is just something missing here and I can't quite pin point it. Paris leaves me less than satiated when it comes to her novels and I wish she'd put a little more effort into personifying her characters- but there is no doubt she tells a very good story with plenty of twists and turns.

-Wendi

3 of 3 people found this review helpful