When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

 

When I Kill You by B.A. Paris - 304 pages

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

This was just "okay", I found the main character, Nell, annoying.  She does a LOT of assuming, causing a lot of issues/inconveniences.  I guess I'm not a fan of a weak, cowering main character.  I know it's the basis of the book but dang, she really is something. But, I will say that despite this, I did want to keep reading b/c I wanted to find out who was stalking Nell.  Overall I'd give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Guest by B.A. Paris

 

The Guest by B.A. Paris - 320 pages

Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, who they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?

At first I found this book frustrating because a couple of the characters just needed to be honest.  I think the secret Gabriel was keeping was just silly, but hey, it adds drama to the book.  Once I got into the meat of this book I didn't want to put it down.  It was a pretty good read and the ending was quite a surprise.