*spoiler-free*
The Therapist is a tense and captivating thriller around the murder of Nina Maxwell, a young therapist who was deemed to be killed by her husband, Oliver. We are introduced to Alice and Leo who are now moving into The Circle, a new and exclusive development of houses located in Finsbury Park, London. Upon discovering the murder happened at the very house they have just bought; Alice is compelled to find out what really happened.
The Therapist is the first book I have read by B A Paris and I enjoyed her style of writing. The majority of the book is told in the first person, with some snippets going back to the past, disclosing some of the therapist visits. Whilst I would have enjoyed reading more about this, Alice’s journey in finding out the truth is gripping, especially as we learn more about her neighbours. The Circle reminded me a lot of the Netflix show YOU where in season three, Joe and Love move into a new neighbourhood where everyone appears lovely but beneath the surface, there’s deceit and suspicion. The close neighbourhood setting also reminded me of Desperate Housewives and so I was excited to continue reading.
From the offset, there are lies and deception from a variety of characters, which kept the book running at a solid, fast pace. Alice herself is traumatised by her past before entering The Circle and is determined to make amends, drawing herself deeper into the mystery of the murder. Sometimes the telling of previous events was quite repetitive, for example, Alice repeatedly tells the same story to different people in terms of her relationship issues with Leo and her sister’s past. I did however like that when Alice is discovering more of the secrets around Nina’s murder, she vocalised a lot of my own thought processes in terms of the different suspects of Nina’s murder.
Thomas by far was the most interesting character for me, even before any of the major plot twists were revealed and so I was glad to see that a lot of the story revolved around his character. I was also happy that I did not guess the main plot twist (despite having many different theories) and so I was captivated until the last page. The end of the book was also satisfying to read as it gave closure to many of the characters and their backstories.
The Therapist was not the most intense thriller I’ve ever read but it was an enjoyable read, nonetheless. I was pleased that all the small details came together at the end and overall, this was an easy-to-read thriller. I also own Behind Closed Doors and so I am looking forward to reading that and other books by B A Paris.
4/5 stars
Soph's Library 