Lucy Palmer lives in a lovely house in London with her husband Michael and appears on the outside to live a charmed life. She is a cosy mystery writer of moderate success with two adult children who have since flown the nest. Looks can be deceiving though…

I loved that Behind Closed doors really is thought provoking, it made me as a reader think of what I would do in Lucy's position, and I completely changed my opinion of her as a character the more I read her story. i am absolutely fine with calling this a marriage thriller or a psychological thriller, but the word "suspense" and the wrong readalikes set up certain expectations that will be unmet by this book. Although Lucy and her parents are not your average family next door, being more upper class in their activities, I was still able to relate to a lot of the story involving her parents, Henry and Cecily. Having elderly parents myself of the same age, I recognised the out of date fridge and cupboard contents, their reluctance to have help, the ignoring of small health issues and the denial of their fast approaching old age. It gave me a huge amount of encouragement knowing other daughters/sons have similar issues and I found myself agreeing and nodding my head at a lot of went on between them.There's a great cast of characters in Behind Closed Doors. Lucy's parents and their antics with their friends bring light relief to some of the more intense parts of the story. The basic core of the book was marital abuse which was sensitively dealt with. Some things horrified my senses, and a part of me wondered how Lucy managed to remain sane after going through so much.

This author’s writing is so simple and straightforward, but her storytelling is potent, as is her ability to construct a tension-filled plot. Behind Closed Doors" was a thrilling read with many twists and turns that left me reeling. A thoroughly engrossing novel that I won't soon forget. All we know --- is Grace is later going to have to find a way to cancel. She just won't be 'allowed' it seems to enjoy a lunch date with a girlfriend. Why? We don't know yet. Point is ....WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE BEGINNING.....Lucy narrating in the first person drew me in from the beginning. It was so easy to identify with her and when I had finished the story, I really did miss her! She is a strong, loving and funny woman. Someone you want to be good mates with. I loved that after spending so many years in silence, she loses the filter. Liberating to say what you’re thinking 🙂 While I can’t say I loved this one, I liked it enough to consider reading another book from this author. Upbeat and truly happy in her life now, it's difficult to believe that she was sexually abused by her father, unprotected by her slovenly mother and then married a violent man who battered her senseless even when she was pregnant with Martine. The authorities, such as they were at the time and place when all this happened, seem either powerless or uninterested in intervening in domestic affairs. Fear,’ he whispered. ‘There is nothing quite like it. I love how it looks, I love how it feels, I love how it smells. And I especially love the sound of it.’ I felt his tongue on my cheek. ‘I even love the taste of it.’"

The story was narrated in the first person by Lucy. She also reveals events in her marriage and earlier life which blended in seamlessly with the story, allowing you to build a full picture of why she is the woman she is now. I particularly liked how after twenty eight years of married life and two successful grown up children she managed to return to the person she was before and I was with her every emotional step as she shed her skin from the last few years. psychological suspense novels like Gone Girl are characterized by the destabilizing effect they have on their reader; where tension is built and maintained through misdirection and the manipulation of narrative twists, keeping the reader guessing, uncertain about what's actually going on, where the story is headed, if the narrator can be trusted. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how Grace was going to get herself out of the situation she was trapped in. While I thought there were a few opportunities that presented themselves, I could understand her trepidation and the need to protect her younger sister. Millie turned out to be one of my favorite things about the story. Was it just me or did she have way more guts than Grace? It’s Livia’s 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won’t be there.

and that would be a terribly boring book without some conflict lurking underneath. the synopsis up there pretty much tells you all you need to know about what's really going on, but i'll repost it here in spoiler tags just in case: