The Prisoner: The bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club pick for 2023

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Then the narrative alternates between the present, which includes Amelie being held hostage reflecting on her situation, what could have lead her here and how she can get out of it, and the past, which fills the Reader in on Amelie's life from the time her father died, up to the present. A] thrill-stuffed novel about a posh London gated community that’s a hotbed of secrets and lies."— The Washington Post Thank you to NetGalley, B.A. Paris, and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced reader’s copy of The Prisoner, publishing November 1, 2022! She finds out that Ned also killed her best friend Carolyn. On the plus side, she finds out that her father did own her beloved childhood home and left it to her. Loved the first half of the book! But the ending just came apart at the seams. Endless explanation as to why and how the kidnapping happened. To the point I just wanted to scream “enough already”! Just too much!

The beginning portion of the book (with Amelie's imprisonment) was supposedly the more fast-paced and interesting part of the story... but I found it mind-numbing and once some reveals occurred, beyond silly. It reminded me of the sort of over-the-top dramatics you see in a bad action movie revolving around a hostage situation, and those are certainly not my cup of tea. The second part of the book was EVEN LONGER and didn't lead me to any sort of interesting takeaway. Amelie is a bit of a naive MC on top of everything else, so not only was it hard to feel sorry for her, but frankly they probably should have just left her in the room from part one. I'm sure she would have figured out what was going on....eventually. 🙃 In true B.A. Paris style, The Prisoner is a gripping survival story, a twisted tale of love and at its dark heart a thriller to keep you up all night.I would say that if you’ve already read some of Paris’s books, I don’t think your opinion of those will necessarily be indicative of whether or not you like this one. It opens with vicious men snatching Amelie and her wealthy husband in the middle of the night. She tries and fails to identify her captors. B.A. Paris has always been a favorite. I'm a card-carrying fan from the beginning. But The Prisoner just didn't rise to the occasion for me. Let me explain:

In fact, the story then devolves into more of a formulaic, soapy drama that really struggles to keep up momentum. A wave of sadness flows through me. If we were another couple, I might have put my mouth against the hole [in the floor] and called quietly to him, let him know I was nearby, tell him we could find a way to escape together. But we are not that couple, and when I escape, it will be to get away from him, not just our abductors. Psychological thrillers don’t get any better than B.A. Paris’ scorching The Therapist, one of those books that make you want to draw the blinds to make sure nobody’s peeking inside."— Providence JournalThat’s when I realize: from the moment the man came into my bedroom, our abductors haven’t said a word. However, this was forced drama and way over-the-top. I usually love over-the-top, that's sort of my brand. Even things that are fairly unbelievable, but for some reason the tone of this, the feel of some of the circumstances, just did not work for me. The other criticism is that Lina, Justine, and Carolyn are really important people in Amelie’s life. But because of the nature of the book and the first person POV we don’t really get to know them at all. Their absences in the story feels abrupt. Which considering the reason for their absence makes sense, but as a reader we don’t get much closure and are left unsure if we need it.

T]his web of fear and lies is much more complex, satisfyingly so, than Room, involving many more characters, intricate plotting, and layers of subterfuge. Paris’s fans won’t be disappointed and readers new to the author will be hooked’ FIRST CLUEThe explosive start of this book sets up a compelling plot [...] written in well-executed super-edgy, short, sharp chapters and the description of her confinement is full of claustrophobic detail and menace' DAILY MAIL Pacy, gripping from the get-go, and with so many twists! I felt so strongly for Amelie and was rooting for her the entire book. The Prisoner is a brilliant addition to BA Paris’s stella stable of thrillers’ L.V. MATTHEWS

When Amelie was a teenager, her father passed away after struggling with an illness. She had already lost her mother, so suddenly found herself alone. Plot line is unique: a young woman married with a billionaire is kidnapped with her husband but being prisoner in a dark room is far better than her imprisonment of marriage!All the male characters were practically indistinguishable from one another. I was almost at the end and one of them was mentioned and I thought, who the hell is that? It took me completely out of the story. I'm still confused about who he was and he played a pivotal role in the plot. B.A. Paris is an author of suspense novels. She grew up in England but has moved to and spent most of her grown life in France. In the past, she was worked in finance and also as a teacher. She has five daughters. She has written two books, Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown, both of which have been published by St. Martin’s Press. She is a New York Times and USA Today best selling author for her novel Behind Closed Doors.