This is the third B. A. Paris book that I read, the third book she ever wrote, and I loved it!

Finn and Layla are on their way back to England, from a ski trip in France. They stop at a picnic and rest area, so he can use the facilities. When he returns, she is not in the car, she is not in the rest area, she is nowhere to be found. Only a Russian doll is left to remind him that she was with him on this trip. At least, that is what Finn has told the police about Layla.

Twelve years later, Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen. Their shared grief is what brought them together, even though they don’t ever discuss about Layla. They believe her to be dead. When their eminent marriage comes closer, Finn receives a phone call. Someone from the past has seen Layla. Secret messages and warnings are there to disturb their peaceful life. Is Layla still alive, or someone playing a very nasty game?

The hero is living a nightmare. This time it is not the man in the story that is the bad guy, as we are used to in most books. The guy has loved a woman so much, he can hardly believe what  is happening to him. He could do anything for her, but not what she asks him to do. To start with, Finn, the hero, had some troubled past, which is why he cannot exactly recall what happened in the rest area and just how it was that Layla went missing. However, he did loved her with all his heart and soul, so he didn’t stop looking for her for a long time. He believed he was being punished for something.

Once he found peace with himself and a woman or two to calm him, he left the past behind and tried to move on. But the past never really leaves you. So when he first got the secret messages, he was desperate to either believe someone was mocking him or that the love of his life was alive and ready to see him again.

And what is the role of Ellen, his now partner and sister to the missing woman? She is so different than Layla, yet again Finn has found himself attracted to her and loved her in a whole different way.

While reading this psychological thriller, your mind tries to find solutions for the different problems. A number of versions of the story have come across my mind and the author has managed to prove them all wrong, one by one. Three and a half quarters of the book I had the clear picture of what the story was all about, however, I did have to pay attention to the details and it did pay off!

“Bring Me Back” is different to Paris’s previous books in terms of plot. The writing is again captivating and is what had kept the reader going in the previous books, especially the “Behind Closed Doors” which was all about the writing, as the story was out in the open pretty early. In this one, Paris has moved to a whole new level, as there are secrets, and mysteries and twists to keep the story covered, until the very end! It shows how well the author has evolved and I like her for that! I am looking forward to her next book, to see what more she has to offer!

“Bring Me Back” will be released in U.S in June 2018 by St. Martin’s Press.

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About the 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.

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