The Therapist-B A Paris

Book: The Therapist
Author: B A Paris
Publisher: HarperCollins India

What is the house you are living in hides a terrible secret?

The Therapist by B A Paris is a psychological thriller that tells the story of what happens when Alice and Leo decide to move into a gated neighborhood in London, The Circle. It is everything that ticks all the boxes on their lists, but as it happens, appearances can be deceptive. As Alice starts to interact with the neighbors, she discovers a devastating secret about the home, and starts developing a strange connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before. As she tries to piece together the information she is gathering as to what happened two years ago, she realizes that things are not as perfect as they seem.

A good psychological thriller is only as good as the reveal, and this the author nails it in this book. The plot of the book is simply told, with a single-person narrative, with flashbacks in the middle. The element of mystery and the tension in the air is sustained till the very end and I loved the rush of adrenaline that comes in the end. The storytelling is powerful in the sense that I could connect with Alice as well as Nina in the story and to a certain extent understood Leo as a person as well. The author takes her time to establish the premise and though that is a bit stretched out, it makes sense towards the end as things are closed with a bow. The language is simple and easy to comprehend, making it a breezy read. The thing that stands out for me was the level of detail and small things that make sense in hindsight. The climax is unexpected, well-planned, and precisely executed.

Coming to the characters, Alice as a character impressed me with her persistence and dedication to a cause, though it did come across as a bit obsessive of her. Her ability to connect with people was something I could relate to easily. Debbie as a friend was someone I would love in my corner and I think she was the one that kept Alice from toppling over the edge. The community of The Circle was a character in itself and it is my opinion that the neighborhood itself acted as a character with its exclusivity and poshness. Thomas Grainger was a character I loved, especially in the manner he acts and works throughout the story.

Overall, a wonderful read that scores a 4.19/5 for me.

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