Review: Bring Me Back by P.A. Paris

Title: Bring Me Back

Author:  B.A. Paris
Publisher: June 19th, 2018

Publishing Date:  

Pages: 291
Genre:  Adult Psychological Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.
Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.
Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?
A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax

This is my first book by this author. I have seen her name around many times, and I just haven't really felt interested. Lately, though these types of books have been my reads. I really loved this book. It was so great. The story, the writing, the characters, the ending, the twists and turns, the suspense. It was all so well done. I really didn't find any fault with this read. 

Ten years ago, Finn and Layla go on a vacation together. They are in love, they are the cutest couple. Everything is great until it's not. Layla ends up disappearing. Finn tries everything to find her with no luck. He doesn't know what happened that night and he lives with it every day. 

Ellen is Layla's older sister. She comes into town sometime later and hooks up with Finn. They are now the happy couple and are engaged to get married. Everything again seems to be going great, until it doesn't. 

There have been sightings of Layla around town. Messages from someone who knows she is alive. Maybe this is true. Maybe she is here to be a part of Finn's life again. Or maybe someone is really messing with him. Either way, he needs to find out and without Ellen finding out what he is up too. He needs the truth before he marries Ellen. 

This book was really really good. I will try to express my feelings without giving anything away. This book is full of shock moments and I want to keep it that way for all those that want to read it. The suspense is crazy good, the mystery is crazy good. The storytelling is crazy good. It is just crazy good. 

The best parts and the most anticipating parts for me were the mysteries; first... what really happened the night Layla disappeared. I feel like this is the mystery of the first half of the book. Second... the other half of the book is filled with the mystery if Layla is really alive and if so what does she want. The mysteries of this story is done really well and I just needed to know it all. 

The story was told in dual timelines and from a couple of points of view. So the story was pieced together little by little letting the entire truth in. Of course, the last bit of the truth doesn't come out until the very end. It is done slowly but not too slowly. The pacing is really excellent and there was a lot of things happening that kept my interest in the story. 

The characters were developed well. They were intriguing and interesting even though I didn't particularly like them. I didn't need to like them, I needed to understand them. They were flawed, very flawed. Some of the decisions made were just so wrong... but I understood them and like I said, they were interesting. 

The ending was wowzers. I was just in awe. I loved how it ended and how it all came together. The story was told just amazingly well and the end was just perfect. Flawless really from beginning to end for me. 

I was blown away and will be reading much more of this author!

B A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.