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Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris: Book Review for A Gripping Psychological Thriller

Posted on October 17, 2016 Written by Pinar Tarhan

On the surface, Grace and Jack are the perfect married couple. They adore each other, and they are always together. Jack is an accomplished lawyer who has never lost a case, and Grace is the perfect housekeeper. They are rich, beautiful and in love.

Grace wishes.

In reality, they are always together because Jack doesn’t allow Grace out of his sight. She doesn’t have her own cell phone. She doesn’t have her own e-mail address. She almost has no opportunity to send anyone a message, to tell the truth about Jack. Almost…

Luckily for her, her sister with Down Syndrome is a lot smarter than people give her credit for. And one of the couple’s new friends, Esther, is very skeptical about perfection…

Behind Closed Doors is a first person narrative told mostly in present tense. It constantly goes between back and forth between the present and the past (one present chapter followed by a chapter about the recent past), so that we find about what Grace is doing now to survive and escape, and why and *how she got herself in this situation in the first place. (*More on this in a bit, but there will be spoilers.)

Jack might be a smart psychopath with the perfect image, but Grace is resilient, smart and she has one very important thing to lose.

Jack is a formidable villain that is not to be underestimated. But he has gotten cocky with how much he has gotten away with, and Grace is too determined to let him win.

Spouses make the best villains. They have access to everything, and this leads to breath-taking claustrophobia.

Of course, we are on Grace’s side, impatient for her to hopefully give Jack what he deserves. But at the same time, we just don’t want the book to finish.

I finished the book the day I bought it and regretted it immediately. So I’m reading it again. It is that good.

*How Grace Got Here (Spoilers, you might want to skip this bit):

I won’t spoil the ending, but it should be noted that Jack didn’t just overpower and kidnap Grace. He seduced her, used her one big weakness against her and he showed his true colors only after they got married.

Now, I said “how Grace got herself in this mess.” I’m not victim-blaming, but she definitely made things too easy for Jack: She depended on him financially by taking his word. She married him after only three months. She quit her job because he wanted it that way. She had sex with him only once. I can go on, but Grace and Jack’s relationship will also be featured in one or two other posts.

Stay tuned.

If you love your thrillers, and don’t mind the spouse being the evil villain, Behind Closed Doors is your book. You can follow author B A Paris on Twitter here.

Do you like thrillers? Check out my review for The Girl on The Train.

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The Girl on the Train: Book Review for Paula Hawkins’ Brilliant Debut Novel (Thriller)

Posted on August 20, 2016 Written by Pinar Tarhan

The Gir on the Train book cover/movie poster featuring Emily Blunt, who plays the lead character Rachel. Image via overdrive.com.

Plot

Rachel is an unemployed, divorced alcoholic lodging with an old friend. She gets on the train every day and pretends to go to work. On her way, she always watches two houses: the one she shared with her ex Tom, and one in which a beautiful couple lives.

Her ex has married the woman, Anna, that he has cheated on Rachel with. They now have a baby and from the looks of it, their only problem is Rachel who harasses them with visits and calls, and doesn’t really remember what she did or said afterwards.

The beautiful couple seems to be happy and in-love, at least in Rachel’s head. They live the blissful, loyal and content life she couldn’t have with Tom, and she envies them.

But as it soon turns out, the perfection she imagined for the couple is just an illusion. After a horrific crime occurs, Rachel realizes she might be a key witness to…..well, something. If only she could remember….

Review

The Girl on the Train is one of those gems that actually live to the hype. I heard about the book a while back, but things got in the way. Then I watched the trailer starring Emily Blunt, Luke Evans and Justin Theraux, and I couldn’t resist it.

The book has three narrators (Rachel, Anna, and the “wife” from the perfect couple: Megan) who are all questionable for different reasons. You don’t know who to trust, and it is often hard, if not impossible, to sympathize with any of them.

After all, you have a woman who seems hell-bent on destroying what little is left of her life and dignity, a proud ex mistress who loves putting the blame on the “deranged,” alcoholic ex-wife, and a young married woman who loves getting away from her own troubles by using her sexuality – despite (and sometimes because of) being married to a caring yet obsessive man. And then there is Rachel’s ex husband Tom who seems to feel enough guilt to still want to help Rachel, but he did put all the problems of their marriage on a susceptible alcoholic.

Of course not having any character to root for (I did often root for Rachel but she disappointed me a lot) could have been a problem in any genre other than a gripping mystery/thriller. Luckily, the flaws of these characters (and I’m understating majorly by just calling them flaws) make for great conflict and intrigue.

Who committed the murder? Why? Who can Rachel trust? Who can we trust?

And how the hell will things turn out after we do find out?

I recommend The Girl on the Train to any thriller lover, but especially writers who want to write (better) thrillers. After all, it pulls off a tricky three-narrator story with a lot of detail.

The Girl on the Train was written by Paula Hawkins, and is her debut novel.

The movie will be in theatres in October 7 (USA). Emily Watson plays Rachel, Haley Bennett Megan, Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation) Anna, Justin Theroux Tom and Luke Evans Scott. Adapted by Erin Cressida Wilson and directed by Tate Taylor.

What latest thrillers have you enjoyed reading?

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Review: Alexis Grant’s How to Take a Career Break to Travel

Posted on August 28, 2014 Written by Pinar Tarhan

how to take a career break to travel e-book — Image via alexisgrant.com.

Alexis Grant, in her own words, is an entrepreneurial writer and digital strategist with a focus on careers. She is also a writer who has practiced what she preaches – she took her travel break in 2008.

Alexis Grant’s guide is perfect for anyone who’s planning s career break to travel, but it just makes sense for those of us that are rational romantics and risk-takers. What do I mean by rational romantic?

You know who you are. You’d consider sleeping with a stranger, but you wouldn’t do it without birth control (preferably on both sides). You’d quit your job if you hate it, but after you have some savings and a sanctuary plan (like living with parents if need be) beforehand.

I’m one of those people. I take some risks with my heart, and peace of mind, every day; I’m a freelance writer who also writes fiction and is trying to get into Hollywood. There are enough uncertainties in my life to spin anyone’s head.

But I wouldn’t be the friend to offer going skydiving just because or try the foreign cuisine if I don’t know what it is in the dish that I’m eating. And I wouldn’t take a career break without having a plan.

That said, in several ways, it is easier for a freelance writer, especially an established one, to just go ahead and do it. We are our own bosses, our clients can be reached via email from most parts of the world, and we are a bit more used to the unknown.

Yet, even for a freelancer, it’s much easier to go about our free-spirited ways in our own country where we’re used to the customs, body language, health care system (despite how unsatisfactory it might be) and so on. It’s however a whole other escapade to take a career break to travel or to move to an entirely different place.

This is why I jumped at Alexis e-book: it seemed to offer exactly what I needed, and it didn’t disappoint. Here’s a breakdown of contents:

– Part 1 starts by reminding you why you absolutely need to do this, and the differences between “scheming and planning,”

– Part 2 destroys your 4 biggest, albeit most logical, excuses like your family obligations, not having a fat enough bank account, your job and your house.

– Part 3 is called Planning Mode and helps you discover your options like traveling while blogging, earning from your blogging efforts, as well as other ways to make money during your traveling. It also guides you through your trip planning (like picking destinations according to your budget).

– Part 4 deals with logistics: your potential expenses and a comprehensive to-do list including visas, luggage, footwear, your financial plan and a lot more. Just print out the whole book while you are at it. You’ll want to make notes.

– Part 5 preps you for when you get back.

All in all, How to Take a Career Break to Travel (aff. link) is a 94-page comprehensive and practical guide that starts with smart encouragement, and guides you through all stages of preparation for before, during and after. I recommend reading the book and keeping it as a reference even if you are planning to move to a certain location. The price is $29.

Want to read more about travel breaks? You can check out her posts here.

– Do you own this book? Let me know in the comments how it has helped you.

– Are you planning a career break? Have you already taken yours? Please share your experiences in the comments as well.

Click here to view more details

Review for Tom Ewer’s Blog Leaving Work Behind

Posted on December 17, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Tom Ewer is enjoying his well-deserved popularity as he runs the popular and authoritative blog Leaving Work Behind where he writes about quitting your job and building a career that’s right for you.

While his posts aim to help you realize your goals of quitting your job and running a successful online business, he focuses a lot on freelance writing/blogging which makes it very relevant for writers.

But another thing that makes Tom’s posts relatable is that he is not so far gone in his freelance income that he’s doing $500/hour copywriting gigs or $1/word magazine writing jobs.

Yes, he could accomplish that if he wanted to but with his current schedule he has the time to work on other projects. And flexibility is one of the best things about working for yourself.

He encourages you to take well-paying, respectable jobs but he knows that if you’re just starting out, you might not want to pass up on $30/piece blogging gigs, especially if it is from a growing, respectable company.

He started taking gigs on the side before he left his full-time job.

He’s all for passive income, but he suggests you improve your writing, and start making money through it because passive income streams take a lot of time and effort to develop.

Tom also offers useful additions to topics when you think you’ve heard it all before.

Below are 3 of my favorite posts:

1) How to Spot Viable Freelance Writing Opportunities on Job Boards

This is primarily a video post, and I’m usually more into reading than watching or listening. But he makes great points on how to pick the best jobs on job boards by actually following all the links, looking at and analyzing the employer’s site and giving you the pros and cons, including educated guesses on what the pay might be.

This is by far the most comprehensive and useful post I’ve encountered about job boards.

2) Paid Blogging: Why it Should Be Your First Option

This post isn’t just for freelance writers. It points out how internet marketers/online business owners shouldn’t disregard the power and potential of blogging. Even if they don’t get paid for it, writing good web copy plays a crucial part in making money online.

But if you could, why not get paid for it?

3) Freelance Writing: How To Find Your First Job

This is a great guide that covers how/where you should go about looking, how you should apply (including the template of his application) and how to handle the project once you land it.

Tom Ewer’s Leaving Work Behind is informative, easy to relate to and fun. Established writers are following him too, so I suggest you take a look if you haven’t already.