Book Review : Bring me back by B.A. Paris

Bring me back by B.A. Paris

4/5 Stars.

I could not put this book down. The way it was written, Wow!! I stayed up to finish this book.

Personally, I liked Bring me back better than the author’s previous books.

Like I quoted in my review of Behind Closed doors:

I have read “The Breakdown” before this one and it looks like the author has used a very similar template for both the novels. Now I have the ARC copy of “Bring me Back” and I hope it’s something different.

This book has a very similar template. It focusses on dynamics of a married couple once again but I guess it’s the treatment that made it better than the other books.

Blurb:

On their way home from France, Finn and his girlfriend Layla stop at a dimly lit service station to use the restroom. When he returns back to his car, Layla goes missing and she was never found.

12 years later, Finn has moved on with his life. He is in relationship with Layla’s sister Ellen and they are about to get married. Everything seems perfect until one day a small Russian doll was found at their doorstep. Ellen states that the Russian doll must be from her sister Layla because it’s the exact one that Ellen lost during her childhood. Finn dismisses it as someone playing prank but more Russian dolls keep showing up at their doorstep. Also, Finn gets an email from someone claiming to be Layla.

Is Layla alive? If she is, why is she turning up after 12 years? With his relationship with Ellen strained, Finn tries to find out who is behind all this.

When you think about it the author presents a fairly simple plot but it’s the narrative that shines. The book is separated into three main parts with each chapter alternating between “Before” and “Now”. The narration is toned in the first person of each of the main characters. This helps you to get into their head. Finn, Ellen, Layla each of them has different personalities and are messed up in their own way. When you are placed inside the heads of the messed up main characters, it does “Creep you out” and I guess that’s what made this book “unputdownable”.

Half way through the book, I was able to guess the climax but the author was clever because she had opened up a lot of questions through the course of the novel and I was wondering how she was going to tie up all the loose ends. I must say she did a very good job.

So, why the 4 stars? I felt the book was little unrealistic (I felt the same way with her other books too). And the climax, it was too dramatic & cliched for me (but that didn’t spoil the overall experience of the book).

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Verdict: With Bring me back, B.A. Paris has weaved a compelling psychological thriller with complex characters and a gripping story line.