The Prisoner Review

Author: B.A. Paris

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2022

Order Link: Amazon

Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book.

With Behind Closed Doors, New York Times best-selling author B.A. Paris took the psychological thriller to shocking new heights. Now she'll hold you captive with The Prisoner—a stunning new thriller about one woman wed into a family with deadly intentions.

Review:

Amelie's desolate life changes for the better when she marries billionaire Jed Hawthorne.  She quickly goes from lonely orphan to living the high life she once only dreamed of . . . until she wakes up to find herself held prisoner in a pitch black room.  She hasn't a clue as to who's taken her or why.  As events unfold, questions are raised and it becomes clear to readers that there's more going on here than meets the eye.  Who's holding Amelie captive? 

The Prisoner develops slowly, piece by meticulous piece, as the author alternates between past and present to build tension and introduce readers to both present and background information.  I enjoyed the utilization of short, almost choppy chapters to build suspense and lead readers toward the climax.  Amelia is a well-developed character that deserves empathy, and I wrote off her questionable choices to her youth.  However, I found the other characters lacking in needed development as there is little to distinguish them from each other.  I would have liked to have felt more of a connection to them.  While the author does a great job of laying the groundwork for this mystery early on, there comes a point where the plot becomes a bit too over the top which caused a loss of belief for this reader.

Paris manipulates her characters through a dark, twisty plot in The Prisoner.  Her typical twists and turns are evident, serving to drive the pace and set a dire tone.  I figured things out fairly early in this one, but read on to see how it would all wrap up.  While this isn't my favorite from this author, fans of mystery and suspense thrillers should give it a shot.  I look forward to seeing what's coming next from this talented author.

Synopsis:

Amelie has always been a survivor, from losing her parents as a child in Paris to making it on her own in London. As she builds a life for herself, she is swept up into a glamorous lifestyle where she married the handsome billionaire Jed Hawthorne.

But then, Amelie wakes up in a pitch-black room, not knowing where she is. Why has she been taken? Who are her mysterious captors? And why does she soon feel safer here, imprisoned, than she had begun to feel with her husband Jed?