The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

With Behind Closed Doors, New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris took the psychological thriller to shocking new heights. Now she’ll hold you captive with THE PRISONER—a stunning new thriller about one woman wed into a family with deadly intentions. A USA Today Bestseller! Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a life for herself, she is swept up into a glamorous lifestyle where she married the handsome billionaire Ned Hawthorne. But then, Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Ned? In the vein of Behind Closed Doors and The Therapist, multimillion-copy bestseller B. A. Paris is back with a gripping new suspense novel.

The story only picked up at 50%. 50 fucking percent.

And it's so messed up. The characters are so... plain and unlikable. No dynamics whatsoever. I was so ready to give up at 30%, but I pulled through. God, it was horrendous. It was torture.

Never again. One book from this author will last me for a lifetime.

Got me out of a reading slump for sure. Was so fast paced, loved the short alternating time line chapters. About the last hundred pages in part two I dropped my rating from a 4 to a 3.5. The plot just became too convoluted and the “big bad” and their reasoning was confusing.

When this book was initially released, I received an eARC, but life's demands overwhelmed me, leaving no time to indulge in it. To make amends, I decided to purchase the audiobook as a gesture of support. I can honestly say, I thoroughly relished the experience, managing to immerse myself in most of it while at work today.

With her latest work, BA Paris takes storytelling to new heights, enthralling readers with a double-layered, claustrophobic thriller experience that will have them engrossed from start to finish. Despite my initial reservations upon reading the summary, I decided to give this book a chance. Little did I anticipate the rollercoaster of emotions awaiting me as I joined Amalie in her chilling predicament, trapped in the darkness, haunted by unanswered questions about her unknown assailant. Venturing into the Past: Unraveling the Path to the Present. The narrative swiftly captured my attention within a few chapters. Amalie's journey begins with the loss of her mother and a hasty escape to London following her father's demise. Amidst hostel stays and homelessness, fate leads her to Carolyn, a remarkable woman who offers her a live-in assistant role. As their bond deepens, Carolyn, along with her friends Justine and Lina, becomes Amalie's cherished chosen family. In the present, we are aware of her marriage to Ned Walthorpe, the affluent owner of a magazine connected to her friends. However, the reasons behind their union remain shrouded in mystery, and it's evident that their relationship is far from amicable. As we delve deeper into the story, the burning questions arise: What led them to marry, and where could they be? Is she a mere victim caught in the crossfire, or is there a sinister plot to harm the influential Walthorpe family? Among countless overused phrases, “unputdownable” truly applies to this gem. The journey it takes you on is a delightful experience, making you yearn for more while being equally desperate for answers. Fear not, as the author adeptly wraps it all up in a beautiful package, leaving no room for doubt about their talent.