Just when I think that Carol Wyer has created the ultimate mystery/thriller novel, she outdoes herself. As much as I love her other series, I think Behind Closed Doors may be my new favorite.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s a stand-alone or just because she’s that good. At any rate, I’ll put it out right here that this should 100% be on your TBR list.
You can read the blurb for the basics. Stacey survived a horrific experience when she was younger and has long since buried the memories of that time. However, when her ex shows up and says his daughter Lyra (Stacey’s ex-stepdaughter) is missing, events are too similar for Stacey to ignore.
Is the person responsible for Stacey’s horror the same person who took Lyra? Is it a copycat? Or is the truth more nefarious?
Yeah, right, like I’m going to give ANY of that away!
One area where this author really excels is in making the reader feel like they’re a part of the action. She really grabs you, reels you in, and keeps you on the hook as she keeps you running along with the characters.
She also treats her secondary characters with as much respect as her lead characters. Every one of them has their part to play. Nobody is superfluous. It just adds to the realism of her stories.
In this case, I loved the secondary characters almost more than the leads. Stacey knows a lot of people, some legit and some seriously shady, and I was thoroughly entertained seeing how each of them helped her along the way.
My challenge with these reviews is that I want to talk about the plot, but I don’t want to give away any of the several excellent moments in the story. I’ve said it in my reviews of her books before, but they’re just so smooth.
There are no last-minute revelations that come out of nowhere. Anything that happens has had ample groundwork laid for it. It’s totally on the reader if they don’t follow that path to the conclusion.
And hang on to your seat because there are revelations right up to the very last page.
I know this is supposed to be a stand-alone, but I’d love to see Stacey again.
Anyway, I can’t say enough good things about Behind Closed Doors. From the cover to the opening to the very last pages, Carol Wyer has created one humdinger of a mystery thriller.
