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The Secretary
This book was previously published as Behind Closed Doors.
Today a new secretary started at work and I don’t trust her.
Something is off with Megan Pearson, I can’t put my finger on it.
Megan’s gaze is unwavering and blatant, her dark brown eyes follow my every move. I feel a chill whenever she's near.
My husband and I are lawyers who work together. Even he thinks Megan is lovely. But I know she wants something from me.
A week later we have a barbeque for our neighbours. And guess who’s there. Megan. She’s moved in next door to us.
She’s crawling under my skin like a parasite.
She wants to take everything that’s mine. But maybe I’m tougher than she thinks.
Today a new secretary started at work and I don’t trust her.
Something is off with Megan Pearson, I can’t put my finger on it.
Megan’s gaze is unwavering and blatant, her dark brown eyes follow my every move. I feel a chill whenever she's near.
My husband and I are lawyers who work together. Even he thinks Megan is lovely. But I know she wants something from me.
A week later we have a barbeque for our neighbours. And guess who’s there. Megan. She’s moved in next door to us.
She’s crawling under my skin like a parasite.
She wants to take everything that’s mine. But maybe I’m tougher than she thinks.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2019
1169 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
November 15, 2019
5☆ Suspensful, Gripping, Fast Paced, Psychological Thriller I can't recommend Enough!
Behind Closed Doors is a psychological thriller that could quiet easily become a reality, which makes this all the more chilling.
Tina has the perfect life, a great family, a loving and supportive hubby, a fab job and a beautiful home. Well that is until she meets Megan.
At first Megan comes across as all smiles, but she has a hidden agenda.... she wants what Tina has..... and she will stop at nothing to get it.
Even if that means making Tina go crazy.... or is she? Can she really convince everyone around her that Tina is slipping away?
Or will Tina fight back and realise what Megan is doing before she loses everything?
Tina is a great character, she is strong, a tad vulnerable and I was rooting for her the whole time.
Unlike her hubby Glyn who grated on me so much I wanted to give him a slap and a shake and tell him to open his bloomin eyes!
Megan is the perfect character, she's manipulative, deceitful, clever, secretive, likeable, flirtatious and a whole lot of crazy.
Behind Closed Doors is an Enthralling, Gipping, fast paced, Thought Provoking, Twisty Psychological Thriller that kept me guessing till the end, it's full of intrigue, drama, uncertainty, Manipulation, lies, tension and suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the cleverly plotted twists and turns it kept me on my toes and ramped up the pace perfectly, which is exactly what I want in my thrillers.
The Characters are Intriguing, Complex and perfect for this genre.
One last thing to say.... and that's......
Wow what a read, it's hard to believe this is Ryan's Deut Book. I have read so many Psychological Thrillers and if this book alone is anything to go by.... Ryan is definitely an Author to Watch Out For!!
I'm excited!
Thank you to Ruby Fiction and Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/1...
Behind Closed Doors is a psychological thriller that could quiet easily become a reality, which makes this all the more chilling.
Tina has the perfect life, a great family, a loving and supportive hubby, a fab job and a beautiful home. Well that is until she meets Megan.
At first Megan comes across as all smiles, but she has a hidden agenda.... she wants what Tina has..... and she will stop at nothing to get it.
Even if that means making Tina go crazy.... or is she? Can she really convince everyone around her that Tina is slipping away?
Or will Tina fight back and realise what Megan is doing before she loses everything?
Tina is a great character, she is strong, a tad vulnerable and I was rooting for her the whole time.
Unlike her hubby Glyn who grated on me so much I wanted to give him a slap and a shake and tell him to open his bloomin eyes!
Megan is the perfect character, she's manipulative, deceitful, clever, secretive, likeable, flirtatious and a whole lot of crazy.
Behind Closed Doors is an Enthralling, Gipping, fast paced, Thought Provoking, Twisty Psychological Thriller that kept me guessing till the end, it's full of intrigue, drama, uncertainty, Manipulation, lies, tension and suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the cleverly plotted twists and turns it kept me on my toes and ramped up the pace perfectly, which is exactly what I want in my thrillers.
The Characters are Intriguing, Complex and perfect for this genre.
One last thing to say.... and that's......
Wow what a read, it's hard to believe this is Ryan's Deut Book. I have read so many Psychological Thrillers and if this book alone is anything to go by.... Ryan is definitely an Author to Watch Out For!!
I'm excited!
Thank you to Ruby Fiction and Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/1...
May 22, 2019
Tina has everything she wants ... a loving husband, 2 great kids, a career as a divorce attorney. Her home is beautiful, she has good friends. But that's all about to change.
Megan Pearson starts work as a secretary in Tina's law firm. There's something not quite right. Megan seems intent to taking over Tina's life. All of a sudden, important papers for a case that Tina is on seem to disappear. Megan flirts outrageously not only with the senior partner, but Tina's husband, as well.
Emails are sent to people that Tina swears she never sent. Phone calls are made and taken that Tina has no memory of. Drugs are found in her desk drawer.
Nobody but Tina sees what's going on. Her husband, best friend, even her own children think she's going crazy and won't believe her when she tries to tell them.
Is Tina going crazy? Is Megan exactly who she purports to be ... or is there something sinister happening?
This is the author's debut novel and it's a wowser! Well-written, it's full of twists and turns and surprises around every corner. The characters are finely drawn and are quite credible. The ending is explosive .... I had several ideas of where this was headed ... I wasn't even close.
Many thanks to the author / Ruby Fiction -Choc Lit / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 3, 2019
I really enjoyed the ending of this but I can't tell you about it as it will spoil the twist! I really loved this thriller. Tina has it all then Megan Pearson starts at her law firm and everything starts to unravel. It reminded me in some parts of Single, White Female. You know by the synposis what the story is going to be about and the reading reasons become about trying to work out the why. Why is she doing this? Is it SWF? Or something deeper. What's the connection and how will our heroine resolve it?
And it's a great journey to get to that point. The hysteria builds nicely and you can really feel Tina's life slipping out of control. Quite amazing that this is actually a debut. I thought Tina was ok until closer to the end when I really loved her. I wasn't so keen on husband Glyn - he seemed so quick to believe everyone except Tina. It was almost instant. I would've liked him to have trusted her a little bit to start with but it did add to the tense plot line. Overall an excellent debut and I'm looking forward to reading the next one
And it's a great journey to get to that point. The hysteria builds nicely and you can really feel Tina's life slipping out of control. Quite amazing that this is actually a debut. I thought Tina was ok until closer to the end when I really loved her. I wasn't so keen on husband Glyn - he seemed so quick to believe everyone except Tina. It was almost instant. I would've liked him to have trusted her a little bit to start with but it did add to the tense plot line. Overall an excellent debut and I'm looking forward to reading the next one
November 16, 2019
I found the whole- I am not crazy! Am I crazy? I am not crazy! - very frustrating. Began to lose interest about 70% in and just wanted the whole thing to be done. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 14, 2019
Well, this was a debut met a huge capital d! If this is what the next books by this author are going to be like, then we, readers, are in for major treats!
I just loved everything about this story. It was wicked and fierce and I felt Tina's desperation so strongly I wanted to shout 'I believe you'!
On the other hand I wished I could jump into the book and give Glyn a good shake and Megan ...
It was a game of cat and mouse, but was the cat chasing the mouse or the mouse chasing the cat ...
In my opinion a brilliant book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I certainly want more!
5 big, fat, shiny stars without any doubt.
Thank you, Sadie Ryan and Ruby Fiction.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
I just loved everything about this story. It was wicked and fierce and I felt Tina's desperation so strongly I wanted to shout 'I believe you'!
On the other hand I wished I could jump into the book and give Glyn a good shake and Megan ...
It was a game of cat and mouse, but was the cat chasing the mouse or the mouse chasing the cat ...
In my opinion a brilliant book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I certainly want more!
5 big, fat, shiny stars without any doubt.
Thank you, Sadie Ryan and Ruby Fiction.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
April 10, 2021
I enjoyed this book up until the ending.
Judging by the others reviews alot of people seem to enjoy the twist but to me if just doesn't add up to alot of things that happened in the book..
I would've given it a 4.5 if it weren't for the weird ending
Judging by the others reviews alot of people seem to enjoy the twist but to me if just doesn't add up to alot of things that happened in the book..
I would've given it a 4.5 if it weren't for the weird ending
November 20, 2024
I had to wait a while to make this review and had to do it over twice but now that i’m really ready let’s get into it.
FUCK TINA, she was genuinely one of the most annoying characters. Normally there’s some build up to accusing someone of something but nope it was immediate with her. I had to stop reading because I couldn’t stand her, it got to the point where I was ROOTING FOR MEGAN to destroy her marriage and that says a lot because I don’t condone cheating in the slightest but this is the ONE case where it would be understandable. Tina had the AUDACITY to accuse someone else of being crazy like she wasn’t a murderer??? like what. That’s another thing, Tina played SOOO dumb and confused on why this woman was after her knowing damn well she had killed the poor woman’s grandmother although at the end it was apparently a trap and she knew what she was doing all along (spoiler for the end, it felt SO rushed) which made ZERO sense. She set Megan up and sure Megan was crazy but it was for good reason. Tina was MAD at Megan because Megan was upset about HER killing her family member like I genuinely don’t understand that. Yup she gets away with it too which is confusing because another person was aware of it but we didn’t get to know what happened with that.
While I hate Tina, I will say I feel bad for her because everyone EVEN HER HUSBAND didn’t believe her which was like GIRL STAND UP AND LEAVE THAT MAN. Imagine being with someone who doesn’t believe you over some woman they JUST met. Her husband didn’t even tell her about a situation where Megan kissed him and put her hands down his pants and STILL CONTINUED TO INVITE HER OVER and talk to her, YEAH that was also a thing that was immediately forgiven and forgotten about but then again Tina continues to lie to her husband so oh well. Tina accused Megan from the beginning but it didn’t seem like she was doing it for an actual valid reason but instead because she was jealous. Tina and her best friend, whatever her name was seemed to HATE that Megan was beautiful and confident so they gave off major MEAN GIRLS vibes and it was unnecessary like she’s hot, get over it.
The husband was unbearable, Megan wasn’t the bad guy even though we’re supposed to believe that she is, Tina deserved to have her life ruined and the happy ending she got? disappointing. I wish I liked this more because it had so much potential.. NOT EVERY BOOK NEEDS A HAPPY ENDING.
FUCK TINA, she was genuinely one of the most annoying characters. Normally there’s some build up to accusing someone of something but nope it was immediate with her. I had to stop reading because I couldn’t stand her, it got to the point where I was ROOTING FOR MEGAN to destroy her marriage and that says a lot because I don’t condone cheating in the slightest but this is the ONE case where it would be understandable. Tina had the AUDACITY to accuse someone else of being crazy like she wasn’t a murderer??? like what. That’s another thing, Tina played SOOO dumb and confused on why this woman was after her knowing damn well she had killed the poor woman’s grandmother although at the end it was apparently a trap and she knew what she was doing all along (spoiler for the end, it felt SO rushed) which made ZERO sense. She set Megan up and sure Megan was crazy but it was for good reason. Tina was MAD at Megan because Megan was upset about HER killing her family member like I genuinely don’t understand that. Yup she gets away with it too which is confusing because another person was aware of it but we didn’t get to know what happened with that.
While I hate Tina, I will say I feel bad for her because everyone EVEN HER HUSBAND didn’t believe her which was like GIRL STAND UP AND LEAVE THAT MAN. Imagine being with someone who doesn’t believe you over some woman they JUST met. Her husband didn’t even tell her about a situation where Megan kissed him and put her hands down his pants and STILL CONTINUED TO INVITE HER OVER and talk to her, YEAH that was also a thing that was immediately forgiven and forgotten about but then again Tina continues to lie to her husband so oh well. Tina accused Megan from the beginning but it didn’t seem like she was doing it for an actual valid reason but instead because she was jealous. Tina and her best friend, whatever her name was seemed to HATE that Megan was beautiful and confident so they gave off major MEAN GIRLS vibes and it was unnecessary like she’s hot, get over it.
The husband was unbearable, Megan wasn’t the bad guy even though we’re supposed to believe that she is, Tina deserved to have her life ruined and the happy ending she got? disappointing. I wish I liked this more because it had so much potential.. NOT EVERY BOOK NEEDS A HAPPY ENDING.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2019
Tina had everything, job at a law firm and family and children with a living husband. Megan joined the firm and soon wanted Tina's family. Things started happening. Important documents disappeared, phone calls made, emails sent, and Tina's loving life vanished in a split second, including her husband who didn't believe her AT ALL.
My first book by Sadie Ryan saw me gripped in emotions. Tina struggled hard beseeching people to believe her. Even the louse of a husband didn't. I was firmly in Tina's corner. At one point when Tina's life was getting affected, I wanted to tap her shoulder and turn her toward Megan. The characters were quite contrary and made me believe their words.
Suspense and twists occurred every few chapters and kept me reading to the end. Who wouldn't want to know if Megan was really a witch with a B responsible for it all. Trope might feel familiar but it still worked and kept me engrossed.
The writing had me feeling all the emotions, helplessness and anger primarily coursed through my veins. A fast read with the characters playing on me, making me think about the reasons. I desperately wanted to know the end. I might have sneaked a peek or two. Nothing I am admitting, of course.
Quite an invigorating read it was, I would say.
My first book by Sadie Ryan saw me gripped in emotions. Tina struggled hard beseeching people to believe her. Even the louse of a husband didn't. I was firmly in Tina's corner. At one point when Tina's life was getting affected, I wanted to tap her shoulder and turn her toward Megan. The characters were quite contrary and made me believe their words.
Suspense and twists occurred every few chapters and kept me reading to the end. Who wouldn't want to know if Megan was really a witch with a B responsible for it all. Trope might feel familiar but it still worked and kept me engrossed.
The writing had me feeling all the emotions, helplessness and anger primarily coursed through my veins. A fast read with the characters playing on me, making me think about the reasons. I desperately wanted to know the end. I might have sneaked a peek or two. Nothing I am admitting, of course.
Quite an invigorating read it was, I would say.
July 8, 2019
The ending made this for me.
I need to stop requesting the “she wants to take over your life, crazy and jealous female stories”. They are starting to make me crazy. With that being said please don’t decide to read or skip this based on my review alone.
This has all the goods - there’s the tension, second guessing and lack of support all in good measure here. The characters are decently layered. Though Glyn was a completely frustrating character for me as he never had his wife’s back!?!?
The reveal of why this was happening was decent and appropriate though a tad dramatic. The last chapter wrapping it all up was the best part of the story. Like I said, I need a break from the genre but overall it was a good and entertaining read so give it a shot if it peaks your interest.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Choc Lit for a copy in exchange for a review.
I need to stop requesting the “she wants to take over your life, crazy and jealous female stories”. They are starting to make me crazy. With that being said please don’t decide to read or skip this based on my review alone.
This has all the goods - there’s the tension, second guessing and lack of support all in good measure here. The characters are decently layered. Though Glyn was a completely frustrating character for me as he never had his wife’s back!?!?
The reveal of why this was happening was decent and appropriate though a tad dramatic. The last chapter wrapping it all up was the best part of the story. Like I said, I need a break from the genre but overall it was a good and entertaining read so give it a shot if it peaks your interest.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Choc Lit for a copy in exchange for a review.
April 17, 2024
I have got to stop reading books like this. As soon as the powerful businesswoman/mom mentions her chignon, I know how I'm going to feel about a book.
Tina has it all. A sexy husband and a great sex life. A career. Two wonderful kids. Until Megan shows up. Dun dun DUNNNNNN. Then it's like her husband never loved or supported her at all! This knockout Megan moves to the house across the street, becomes the secretary at Tina and Glyn's law firm, and poof* Glyn is an arse. "See how wrong you are?"
Tina should have used her divorce lawyer skills, divorced Glyn, and taken him to the cleaners. Let him have Megan. But no folks. There is a happy ending with that couple. Spoiler.
Thank you to Kindle Unlimited for encouraging me to read this.
Tina has it all. A sexy husband and a great sex life. A career. Two wonderful kids. Until Megan shows up. Dun dun DUNNNNNN. Then it's like her husband never loved or supported her at all! This knockout Megan moves to the house across the street, becomes the secretary at Tina and Glyn's law firm, and poof* Glyn is an arse. "See how wrong you are?"
Tina should have used her divorce lawyer skills, divorced Glyn, and taken him to the cleaners. Let him have Megan. But no folks. There is a happy ending with that couple. Spoiler.
Thank you to Kindle Unlimited for encouraging me to read this.
April 30, 2021
3.5 ⭐
a bit over the top but fine ending
a bit over the top but fine ending
November 11, 2019
Wow! Behind Closed Doors is a debut thriller by author Sadie Ryan and I must say it is going to be a huge hit for fans of the thriller genre. Ryan took off running right from the first page and when I say this book is full of dread, I really mean it!
Tina Valentine lives the perfect life with her husband and two small children. She has a job she loves and is close to even making partner in the law firm she works in with her husband, Glyn. But Tina is hiding a secret and new secretary for the law firm, Megan Pearson, is about to make Tina’s perfect life fall apart at the seams. Why is Tina the only one who can see through Megan and her manipulative ways and what does it mean for the future of Megan’s perfectly ordered life and family?
So, let’s talk a little bit about the dreadfulness that is just etched into the pages of this fantastic story. I can just feel the urgency right away and although it starts off small, that urgency just builds and builds until you are in a frenzy half hating Megan, wanting to smack Tina’s husband, Glyn and trying to figure out what the hell is going on throughout the course of the story. Who could be trusted and who is just plain bat sh*t crazy kinda drove ME crazy! I do have to say I am glad I was alone reading this book as many times I have gasped, said “what? Whoa, What the hell.” I probably would have gotten plenty of weird stares from people.
I found all of the characters in this story to be well rounded and etched out quite thoroughly. Although some you may want to smack upside the head and scream out “What is wrong with you?!?!” I have had plenty of those moments myself.
The story itself is pretty fast paced and I didn’t find any luls throughout and it held my attention all the way through to the end. The ending is quite surprising and definitely a curve ball I did not see coming at all. I was completely shocked and shook like “Sadie Ryan you really got me on that one!”
If you are a fan of books like Cuckoo by Sophie Draper or even The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, you know the kind of books that give you quite a minf*ck right when you least expect it, then you will definitely love Behind Closed Doors. I highly, highly recommend! This is definitely a five star read for me!
Tina Valentine lives the perfect life with her husband and two small children. She has a job she loves and is close to even making partner in the law firm she works in with her husband, Glyn. But Tina is hiding a secret and new secretary for the law firm, Megan Pearson, is about to make Tina’s perfect life fall apart at the seams. Why is Tina the only one who can see through Megan and her manipulative ways and what does it mean for the future of Megan’s perfectly ordered life and family?
So, let’s talk a little bit about the dreadfulness that is just etched into the pages of this fantastic story. I can just feel the urgency right away and although it starts off small, that urgency just builds and builds until you are in a frenzy half hating Megan, wanting to smack Tina’s husband, Glyn and trying to figure out what the hell is going on throughout the course of the story. Who could be trusted and who is just plain bat sh*t crazy kinda drove ME crazy! I do have to say I am glad I was alone reading this book as many times I have gasped, said “what? Whoa, What the hell.” I probably would have gotten plenty of weird stares from people.
I found all of the characters in this story to be well rounded and etched out quite thoroughly. Although some you may want to smack upside the head and scream out “What is wrong with you?!?!” I have had plenty of those moments myself.
The story itself is pretty fast paced and I didn’t find any luls throughout and it held my attention all the way through to the end. The ending is quite surprising and definitely a curve ball I did not see coming at all. I was completely shocked and shook like “Sadie Ryan you really got me on that one!”
If you are a fan of books like Cuckoo by Sophie Draper or even The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, you know the kind of books that give you quite a minf*ck right when you least expect it, then you will definitely love Behind Closed Doors. I highly, highly recommend! This is definitely a five star read for me!
April 8, 2024
Tip to the author: get a better editor. “Hearsay” is far different from “heresy,” and the sentence fragments, comma misuse, and run-on sentences are distracting. The story wasn’t bad until the ending, when all of a sudden the rules changed and information that was never part of the story was abruptly introduced. I understand wanting a twist, but doing it that way is a cheap trick.
November 13, 2019
Tina Valentine has a wonderful family, a beautiful home and a successful career at a law firm. But when Megan Pearson starts working at the same firm, things start to go very wrong. Everyone loves Megan, but there is something about her which Tina can’t quite put her finger on. Is she behind everything that is going wrong? Does Megan want to jeopardise Tina’s career and marriage?...
This is my first book by this author and I was instantly drawn into this storyline. I loved Tina and Megan’s characters, but both in very different ways!! Tina had such a nice life, has perfect everything and I immediately felt for her when Megan arrived on the scene. Megan was a character that you obviously weren’t supposed to trust and whilst I could see there was something wrong about her and Tina definitely could see it, no one else could!! Stories like this amaze me with the gullibility of some of the characters, but I suppose it wouldn’t be a very interesting story if everyone was a great judge of character!! Poor Tina obviously felt like she was losing her mind and as the story moved on it became more of a nightmare for her. There was however, little things about Tina which also made you wonder if she was everything you thought she was as well!!
This is the first book I’ve read in a long time where there are several characters that I just want to give a good slap and tell them to wake up and smell the coffee – one of them being Tina’s husband, Glyn!! I mean, honestly what was wrong with that man!! I also felt the same about Megan and wondered what on earth she was doing and for what purpose! This is definitely a story which makes you think seriously about who you can trust and who is telling the truth, and it takes you right until the very end before you work it all out.
The story has lots of twists and turns and, along with its fast-paced storyline, it keeps you on your toes whilst trying to work out where the author is taking you! Full of lies, mistrust, secrets and good old-fashioned dislike, this book takes you on a range of emotions and makes you realise how quickly things can spiral out of your control! The ending is fabulous and ties up all the loose ends perfectly! If you love a thriller with lots of tension and suspense, then this is the book for you!
This is my first book by this author and I was instantly drawn into this storyline. I loved Tina and Megan’s characters, but both in very different ways!! Tina had such a nice life, has perfect everything and I immediately felt for her when Megan arrived on the scene. Megan was a character that you obviously weren’t supposed to trust and whilst I could see there was something wrong about her and Tina definitely could see it, no one else could!! Stories like this amaze me with the gullibility of some of the characters, but I suppose it wouldn’t be a very interesting story if everyone was a great judge of character!! Poor Tina obviously felt like she was losing her mind and as the story moved on it became more of a nightmare for her. There was however, little things about Tina which also made you wonder if she was everything you thought she was as well!!
This is the first book I’ve read in a long time where there are several characters that I just want to give a good slap and tell them to wake up and smell the coffee – one of them being Tina’s husband, Glyn!! I mean, honestly what was wrong with that man!! I also felt the same about Megan and wondered what on earth she was doing and for what purpose! This is definitely a story which makes you think seriously about who you can trust and who is telling the truth, and it takes you right until the very end before you work it all out.
The story has lots of twists and turns and, along with its fast-paced storyline, it keeps you on your toes whilst trying to work out where the author is taking you! Full of lies, mistrust, secrets and good old-fashioned dislike, this book takes you on a range of emotions and makes you realise how quickly things can spiral out of your control! The ending is fabulous and ties up all the loose ends perfectly! If you love a thriller with lots of tension and suspense, then this is the book for you!
May 14, 2019
Yay for twisty thrillers!! And this is another fabulously gripping read that I haven't been able to put down since starting it, as I was just eager to find out what would happen next and how it would all end! And the twists didn't let me down!!
Tina has the perfect life - great job, wonderful husband, lovely children - BUT that's all about to change at the same time as Megan Pearson starts working at the law firm where Tina is hoping for promotion. Her professional manner starts to slip - she forgets things, misplaces important files - but is it her or is someone else setting her up for a big fall?
Tina is an intriguing character - beneath the glossy, successful exterior she alludes to secrets that she's been keeping from her husband. Does he need to know? I know I wanted to find out, but it's all cleverly played out that you're kept waiting for things to fall into place and those secrets to be revealed.
The arrival of Megan at the firm immediately gets Tina on the back foot and she's suspicious from the offset. But everyone else at the firm, including Tina's husband Glyn, adores the new recruit and Tina begins to wonder if maybe she's overthinking things or maybe she's just going mad! She's driven to extreme measures at times to try and prove her theories but Megan always seems to come out smelling of roses so maybe it is all in Tina's head?!
I loved the pace of this story - they way it plays out you're constantly wondering just who is to blame, what went on in the past, and why would this woman have it in for Tina in the first place if she was manipulating the situation she found herself in. A cracking thriller!!
Tina has the perfect life - great job, wonderful husband, lovely children - BUT that's all about to change at the same time as Megan Pearson starts working at the law firm where Tina is hoping for promotion. Her professional manner starts to slip - she forgets things, misplaces important files - but is it her or is someone else setting her up for a big fall?
Tina is an intriguing character - beneath the glossy, successful exterior she alludes to secrets that she's been keeping from her husband. Does he need to know? I know I wanted to find out, but it's all cleverly played out that you're kept waiting for things to fall into place and those secrets to be revealed.
The arrival of Megan at the firm immediately gets Tina on the back foot and she's suspicious from the offset. But everyone else at the firm, including Tina's husband Glyn, adores the new recruit and Tina begins to wonder if maybe she's overthinking things or maybe she's just going mad! She's driven to extreme measures at times to try and prove her theories but Megan always seems to come out smelling of roses so maybe it is all in Tina's head?!
I loved the pace of this story - they way it plays out you're constantly wondering just who is to blame, what went on in the past, and why would this woman have it in for Tina in the first place if she was manipulating the situation she found herself in. A cracking thriller!!
April 3, 2020
An exceptionally well written psychological thriller that ticks every box: plausibility, realistic police procedure, authentic characters, a true to life plot, topical themes, an entertaining story, a good sense of place, and readability (though it's clearly set in the UK it could just as easily be based in the US or anywhere as it includes just the right amount of Americanisms worldwide readers will understand. This is a pacy read and will grip you from the first page to the last. And to top it off the ending absolutely floored me and the twist was completely unexpected. I'm not as easy to please a reader these days and can be very critical if I find a procedural error in a crime novel as it's not difficult to research things these days but this book hit every button which is why it's deserving of five stars. One of my absolute favourite reads is the historical crime thriller The Shadow Year, also published by ChocLit and so I'm glad they've now developed their own crime imprint Ruby Fiction to show off the works of their incredibly talented authors. I can't wait to read Ryan's next title When He Finds You in paperback (out now on Kindle).
November 18, 2019
This is a twisty game of cat and mouse between two women who both appear to be keeping secrets. Tina has it all-the adoring husband, successful career and two gorgeous children-but when Glyn employs Megan at their firm of solicitors, she seems to have a real problem with Tina pretty much from the moment she gets there! Why does Megan seem to hate Tina so much and why can’t everyone else see how she is trying to undermine Tina? Tina is determined to find out even if it means having to face her past-a past she has tried very hard to forget…
I often found it hard to feel empathy for Tina because she really didn’t help herself when it came to protecting herself and her family from golden girl Megan. Megan not only seems determined to bring down Tina but also take over her life as well! Neither women were particularly likeable but that added an extra frisson to their psychological battle that kept me glued to the pages, desperate to uncover what lay at the root of the hatred between them!
This is an assured debut novel from Sadie Ryan. It’s fast paced and twisty storyline guarantee that you won’t know what’s around the next corner and the ending really delivered for me. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
I often found it hard to feel empathy for Tina because she really didn’t help herself when it came to protecting herself and her family from golden girl Megan. Megan not only seems determined to bring down Tina but also take over her life as well! Neither women were particularly likeable but that added an extra frisson to their psychological battle that kept me glued to the pages, desperate to uncover what lay at the root of the hatred between them!
This is an assured debut novel from Sadie Ryan. It’s fast paced and twisty storyline guarantee that you won’t know what’s around the next corner and the ending really delivered for me. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
December 21, 2023
I enjoyed this, it made me feel on edge and mistrusting of everyone in it. However I wasn’t quite convinced by the way the Tina continued to seemingly be so easily manipulated and tricked. I felt most people in this situation would have been more aware of how quickly they were over reacting and how often they put themself in situations that could be misconstrued or items tampered with. The ending, of course, made it clear why these situations seemed to happen so conveniently. I didn't really like the ending, Tina frustrated me with her over reactions but then this was all part of the plan. I don’t know how I would have liked it to end but I was left feeling slightly unsatisfied and cheated out of a just conclusion.
November 18, 2019
Totally gripping, pitch-perfect debut!
I was glued from the start and read it in one sitting... the characters are brilliantly written though far from loveable! What kind of husband doesn't believe his wife at all?
Brilliantly written, the tension is wracked up throughout the novel and just when you think you know whats going on Ryan drops a twist in the final chapter that will have you reaching to pick your jaw up from the floor, I certainly did!
I cannot wait to see what Sadie Ryan brings out next!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was glued from the start and read it in one sitting... the characters are brilliantly written though far from loveable! What kind of husband doesn't believe his wife at all?
Brilliantly written, the tension is wracked up throughout the novel and just when you think you know whats going on Ryan drops a twist in the final chapter that will have you reaching to pick your jaw up from the floor, I certainly did!
I cannot wait to see what Sadie Ryan brings out next!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 28, 2024
*Narrows eyes*
I don't know how to review this. On one hand, I thought the language was a bit rigid. (That might just be British phrasing??) Along with that, I thought the plot was a bit too repetitive. We kept going in CIRCLES. On the other, I enjoyed reading it.... but I also wanted to finish it. I also did not see the final twist coming, but that's not too surprising. I think it is a 2.5 stars. I will give it three.
**SPOILER**
My MAIN beef was how Glyn reacted to this entire scenario. Even if Tina was a terrible person and is lowkey insane, IF I ACTED THE WAY SHE DID AND MY HUSBAND DIDN'T BELIEVE ME I WOULD GET A DIVORCE. I know she was actually putting on a performance for most of the novel, but that doesn't change the fact that Megan was stalking and harrassing her, and Glyn STILL did not believe his wife. I just hated how quickly he turned on her!
I don't know how to review this. On one hand, I thought the language was a bit rigid. (That might just be British phrasing??) Along with that, I thought the plot was a bit too repetitive. We kept going in CIRCLES. On the other, I enjoyed reading it.... but I also wanted to finish it. I also did not see the final twist coming, but that's not too surprising. I think it is a 2.5 stars. I will give it three.
**SPOILER**
My MAIN beef was how Glyn reacted to this entire scenario. Even if Tina was a terrible person and is lowkey insane, IF I ACTED THE WAY SHE DID AND MY HUSBAND DIDN'T BELIEVE ME I WOULD GET A DIVORCE. I know she was actually putting on a performance for most of the novel, but that doesn't change the fact that Megan was stalking and harrassing her, and Glyn STILL did not believe his wife. I just hated how quickly he turned on her!
May 16, 2019
I’m not usually a fan of psychological thrillers, but WOW! This was a page turner that kept me engaged until the very end. Tina has a great life until Megan comes along – it’s scary how quickly things change and spin out of control. Great read, highly recommend!
January 25, 2021
I loved reading this thriller. It was so suspenseful and gripping, I couldn’t put it down, even if it was making me angry that no one believed Tina. The twist at the end was so good, I had no idea! This is definitely one to read!
March 1, 2025
This has almost an identical plot to a Freida McFadden book 🥱
September 17, 2025
Started off well but became repetitive and unbelievable.
September 27, 2024
Started off brilliantly but then...meh and the final chapter I just thought was odd and felt tacked on.
October 2, 2019
Tina is a successful lawyer and hoping to be made a partner in the firm where she and her husband work. We know she has some sort of secret from her past that not even her husband is aware of. She has been off ill and during that time a new secretary has been appointed, something she isn’t happy about as she usually oversees recruitment. The new woman is rather attractive and Tina’s boss being divorced she thinks has put this above everything else. There is just something about Megan that isn’t quite right as Tina sees it but no-one else feels the same. Things start going missing and then magically appearing as if to make Tina out to be both forgetful and careless, when she is incredibly organised and ocd at times. I took to this book very quickly, the tension is built up brilliantly and time flew away whilst I was reading it- always a good sign. A book to make you slightly anxious and to perch on the edge of your seat. One clever, brilliantly written gripping read.
December 23, 2022
Audiobook: The narrator has a very shrill annoying voice. Made it hard to listen to at times. I’m the beginning it was good but dragging. I was ready for this to wrap up and tell me wtf is going on with Megan for real. It took entirely too long for Tina and the BIG REVEAL.
90% of this book had me thinking Tina was supposed be an attorney with access and resources and brains to have hired and utilize a private detective. I couldn’t believe she had never hired one before and she’s a divorce lawyer? I was thinking she was dumb and I couldn't believe she’s an actual attorney trying to make partner. The private detective and the background check on this woman should’ve been done by chapter 12. But this was part of her plan and it's clever but it took too damn long. Instead of building suspense it was making me frustrated.
This story dragged on and on and the entire book was her being gaslit.
Also, you cannot suspend reality long enough to believe that all of these people who are supposed to be her family and friends believed Megan. She was to weird and crazy acting. Unless Megan had some weird supernatural power over those people, none of that made any sense at all. And the big reveal fell flat and wasn’t that twisty at all. Like it was an afterthought.
90% of this book had me thinking Tina was supposed be an attorney with access and resources and brains to have hired and utilize a private detective. I couldn’t believe she had never hired one before and she’s a divorce lawyer? I was thinking she was dumb and I couldn't believe she’s an actual attorney trying to make partner. The private detective and the background check on this woman should’ve been done by chapter 12. But this was part of her plan and it's clever but it took too damn long. Instead of building suspense it was making me frustrated.
This story dragged on and on and the entire book was her being gaslit.
Also, you cannot suspend reality long enough to believe that all of these people who are supposed to be her family and friends believed Megan. She was to weird and crazy acting. Unless Megan had some weird supernatural power over those people, none of that made any sense at all. And the big reveal fell flat and wasn’t that twisty at all. Like it was an afterthought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2024
Long drawn out drama
Very boring book. Took forever to get to the point. Very disappointing that the husband didn’t support or believe his wife right at the beginning.
Very boring book. Took forever to get to the point. Very disappointing that the husband didn’t support or believe his wife right at the beginning.
November 17, 2019
I read the synopsis for 'Behind Closed Doors' and it certainly sounded like the sort of psychological thriller that I would thoroughly enjoy. I wasn't wrong either. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Behind Closed Doors' but more about that in a bit.
I can't say that I took to the main character of Tina Valentine at all. There was something about her that just set off little alarm bells for me. She is the sort of woman that many would be jealous of. She has a happyish marriage, she has two adorable children, she has a successful career in a law firm and she has a beautiful house. I got the impression that Tina is extremely paranoid but then I suppose she has reason to. From the beginning of the story it's pretty obvious that something has happened in her past but she has done her best to forget about it or put it completely out of her head. The appearance of Megan triggers something in Tina and every so often Tina tries to mentally sort out the muddle that is her past. At the beginning I found Tina not particularly very likeable, very paranoid, very abrupt to the point of rudeness, very self centred and basically a pain in the backside with an overinflated sense of her own importance. That said as the book went on and the story developed I felt that I gained a better understanding of why she is the way she is but it didn't make any difference as to what I thought about her.
It didn't take me long at all for me to get into this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that it wouldn't be very easy to prise the book out of my hands. I wasn't wrong either. The way in which the story started certainly grabbed my attention and I was interested to discover how the story was going to pan out. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages were turning. The book is quite fast paced anyway but I seemed to race through the latterly half of the book. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and then all of a sudden I reached the end of the book, which I was disappointed about. I don't mean that as a negative but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wanted the book to continue.
'Behind Closed Doors' is really well written. As I mentioned above, my interest was immediately snagged by the fact that the story started with such an intriguing e-mail. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and then keep that attention throughout the course of the book. As I mention in previous reviews often my attention will wander if I am not enjoying a book, but my mind stayed right where it was whilst I was reading 'Behind Closed Doors'. My sole focus was on the book and on the book alone. Sadie has written a book that certainly kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat throughout. The author uses such powerful and vivid descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
Reading 'Behind Closed Door's was like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board.
'Behind Closed Doors' is a gripping, page turner of a book, which I would definitely recommend to other readers. I can't wait to read more of Sadie's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I can't say that I took to the main character of Tina Valentine at all. There was something about her that just set off little alarm bells for me. She is the sort of woman that many would be jealous of. She has a happyish marriage, she has two adorable children, she has a successful career in a law firm and she has a beautiful house. I got the impression that Tina is extremely paranoid but then I suppose she has reason to. From the beginning of the story it's pretty obvious that something has happened in her past but she has done her best to forget about it or put it completely out of her head. The appearance of Megan triggers something in Tina and every so often Tina tries to mentally sort out the muddle that is her past. At the beginning I found Tina not particularly very likeable, very paranoid, very abrupt to the point of rudeness, very self centred and basically a pain in the backside with an overinflated sense of her own importance. That said as the book went on and the story developed I felt that I gained a better understanding of why she is the way she is but it didn't make any difference as to what I thought about her.
It didn't take me long at all for me to get into this book. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that it wouldn't be very easy to prise the book out of my hands. I wasn't wrong either. The way in which the story started certainly grabbed my attention and I was interested to discover how the story was going to pan out. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages were turning. The book is quite fast paced anyway but I seemed to race through the latterly half of the book. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and then all of a sudden I reached the end of the book, which I was disappointed about. I don't mean that as a negative but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wanted the book to continue.
'Behind Closed Doors' is really well written. As I mentioned above, my interest was immediately snagged by the fact that the story started with such an intriguing e-mail. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and then keep that attention throughout the course of the book. As I mention in previous reviews often my attention will wander if I am not enjoying a book, but my mind stayed right where it was whilst I was reading 'Behind Closed Doors'. My sole focus was on the book and on the book alone. Sadie has written a book that certainly kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat throughout. The author uses such powerful and vivid descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
Reading 'Behind Closed Door's was like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board.
'Behind Closed Doors' is a gripping, page turner of a book, which I would definitely recommend to other readers. I can't wait to read more of Sadie's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
April 29, 2024
This is is a good one my friends!
Review to follow.
So this was a whole heck of a lot of crazy!
I have been reading a lot of corporate thrillers lately. This one had both positives and negatives, which is why I chose to give it a rating of three stars which actually means 3.5 stars, and seven on a scale of one to 10.
Things I liked:
It moves at a very brisk pace, and I loved that. I was finished with this before I knew it.
The mystery is very noirish — Who is the mysterious new office girl and what dark and evil games does she have in mind for Tina?
For much of the book, I did like Tina. Tina, who is an attorney, and very happily married, finds her equilibrium is thrown off when a mysterious bombshell of a secretary, gets hired at her office.
In no time Tina’s feeling like a fish out of water,
Somehow, someway, whenever Maggie speaks, she somehow manages to humiliate Tina.
You know this type of girl I’m sure. Actually they don’t have to be female.
They can be pretty much any sex but somehow someway I’m sure anybody reading this review has come across a couple of people in their lifetimes who have a unique gift of trying to make everybody around them as miserable as they are.
Maggie is one such person. But it does not help Tina than everybody fucking loves Maggie, and nobody believes anything Tina says about her.
Oh, and did I tell you the Tina must deal with Maggie after hours as well? I will not tell you why.
This is a cat and mouse game between two women and it really had a shadowy element that I loved. I would definitely recommend it for psychological thriller fans. The only reason I’m not giving it a four is because.
SPOILERS
Let me preface this by saying I’ve been away from the psychological thriller genre for about 18 months and I came back and it seems like every domestic thriller that I read now has the same ending.
Something changed majorly in the time I stopped reading these kind of books, they all seem to have unreliable narrators, who are revealed to be scheming and insane at the end of the book.
I may just have to resign myself to this, as I can’t seem to find very many with any kind of different ending though if you’re still reading and you want a damn good psychological thriller, a damn good one, a great one check out the pretty ones which I read a few weeks ago, and which temporally satiated my need for an outstanding mystery.
So I mildly enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it and I have read this type of storyline time and time again. It’s best qualities were that it is extremely well written, and deeply and compellingly atmospheric which I really enjoyed.
Review to follow.
So this was a whole heck of a lot of crazy!
I have been reading a lot of corporate thrillers lately. This one had both positives and negatives, which is why I chose to give it a rating of three stars which actually means 3.5 stars, and seven on a scale of one to 10.
Things I liked:
It moves at a very brisk pace, and I loved that. I was finished with this before I knew it.
The mystery is very noirish — Who is the mysterious new office girl and what dark and evil games does she have in mind for Tina?
For much of the book, I did like Tina. Tina, who is an attorney, and very happily married, finds her equilibrium is thrown off when a mysterious bombshell of a secretary, gets hired at her office.
In no time Tina’s feeling like a fish out of water,
Somehow, someway, whenever Maggie speaks, she somehow manages to humiliate Tina.
You know this type of girl I’m sure. Actually they don’t have to be female.
They can be pretty much any sex but somehow someway I’m sure anybody reading this review has come across a couple of people in their lifetimes who have a unique gift of trying to make everybody around them as miserable as they are.
Maggie is one such person. But it does not help Tina than everybody fucking loves Maggie, and nobody believes anything Tina says about her.
Oh, and did I tell you the Tina must deal with Maggie after hours as well? I will not tell you why.
This is a cat and mouse game between two women and it really had a shadowy element that I loved. I would definitely recommend it for psychological thriller fans. The only reason I’m not giving it a four is because.
SPOILERS
Let me preface this by saying I’ve been away from the psychological thriller genre for about 18 months and I came back and it seems like every domestic thriller that I read now has the same ending.
Something changed majorly in the time I stopped reading these kind of books, they all seem to have unreliable narrators, who are revealed to be scheming and insane at the end of the book.
I may just have to resign myself to this, as I can’t seem to find very many with any kind of different ending though if you’re still reading and you want a damn good psychological thriller, a damn good one, a great one check out the pretty ones which I read a few weeks ago, and which temporally satiated my need for an outstanding mystery.
So I mildly enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it and I have read this type of storyline time and time again. It’s best qualities were that it is extremely well written, and deeply and compellingly atmospheric which I really enjoyed.
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