Every now and then I like to immerse myself in a good thriller. Sometimes I’m just in the mood a book that’s a little bit scary. I especially like domestic thrillers. You know the ones that can give off Lifetime movie vibes. Sometimes they’re about married couples or family life. Think The Girl on The Train or Gone Girl. That’s the type of story I was expecting with Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. But it was quite different from what I expected it to be. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t live up to how much hype I gave it in my mind.

Behind Closed Doors is about seemingly perfect newlyweds, Jack and Grace.  Jack is a high-powered attorney and Grace is a homemaker.  From the outside they seem to be in love and really close to each other. But the big secret is that Grace is literally trapped in her marriage. While they were dating, Jack was the perfect gentleman. However, after they said their I-do’s, he turned on her and showed his true colors. He revealed himself as a sadistic, twisted man looking for someone to keep hostage and torture.

I know Jack is supposed to be the villain in this story. But there was something about him that felt cartoonish to me. I know there are evil people in this world, but I was struggling to believe that there would be a person that would be so open about seeing others in pain and that he was so open about his plans with Grace.

I also thought it was weird that no one noticed anything was wrong with them as a couple. I mean Grace never left her house without Jack and she didn’t even have a cellphone. I find this aspect particularly strange considering this book takes place in modern times. And most people (who don’t have something against technology) have cell phones.  Only one of their friends is suspicious.

But there is one part of the book that I think picked up the pace and raised the stakes. That is Grace’s teenage sister, Millie. Millie has Down’s syndrome and is away at boarding school for most of the book. She is supposed to come live with Grace and Jack later on, but obviously Grace doesn’t want that. So it becomes even more important for her to escape.

(*Hold your horses! I get super spoilery in this next paragraph!*)

Grace has tried to escape Jack several times, and I was curious about how she would actually pull it off.  It feels deceptively simple and I’m still surprised that it worked. For the most part, this book kept my attention. I wouldn’t say it kept me up all night reading, but there was enough happening that I wanted to know what happens next. This story is perfect for readers who enjoy thrillers about married couples and don’t mind a slow burn.