What a thrilling and slightly disturbing book this was! I don’t know that I would have ever come across Behind Closed Doors had it not been for my friend and her sister giving it high accolades. Then I went a step further and read high level what it was about, and it had thriller just screaming at me. I was sold!
Told in alternating chapters from Grace’s perspective both past and present, she outlines the current state of distress she is in, along with how she got duped into being there. Back at the start, Grace sees a strikingly handsome Jack in a park. Thinking she’ll never have a chance with him or see him again, she’s surprised the next weekend when he gets up in at the park to dance with her sister, Millie, who has Down syndrome. From there, the two seem to fall head over heels in love with each other. Aside from Jack’s good looks, he’s also a complete gentleman and is beyond kind to her sister, which is the real selling point. It almost seems like a no-brainer when he asks Grace to marry him after three months of dating (uh, hello, red flag!).
On the way to their honeymoon is when Grace’s world falls apart. Jack turns out to be a very sadistic human being, whose sole purpose in marrying Grace was to get to Millie. He recounts a horrifying story about his past to Grace and then informs her that he plans on torturing Millie as soon as she comes to live with them. He feeds off of fear, and Millie would be the perfect candidate. From then on, Grace is held like a prisoner with no access to a phone, pen and paper, or anything at all really. Jack is always around watching her every move, and if she steps out of line or tries to escape he inflicts some pretty severe punishments on her. One of the most painful punishments is not being able to see Millie. Even though Grace knows what lies ahead, seeing Millie at school gives her some relief.
As Millie’s graduation draws near, Grace is running out of time and ideas, but she eventually finds a glimmer of hope that Jack isn’t privy to yet. She capitalizes on her opportunity and lucks out in the end, but I won’t spoil all the details for you. All in all, this was an excellent thriller, especially for a first time novelist! There was only one part that made me a little upset, and it involved a dog, so all you animal lovers out there, beware. Otherwise, if you were a fan of the recent remake of The Invisible Man, then this book is totally for you!