- Barbara Copperthwaite
Review: BRING ME BACK, B.A. Paris
‘B.A. Paris has what it takes to have real longevity as a writer.’
THEY SAY
The Disappearance:
Twelve years ago Finn’s girlfriend disappeared.
The Suspicion: He told the police the truth about that night. Just not quite the whole truth.
The Fear: Now Finn has moved on. But his past won’t stay buried…
I SAY
Clever, twisted and quite different from her previous novels, with Bring Me Back B.A. Paris goes darker. This is an author who goes from strength to strength, and by slightly moving away from the more straightforward domestic noir, she is cleverly repositioning herself, proving she is not a one-trick author. B.A. Paris has what it takes to have real longevity as a writer.
The novel itself alternates chapters told from two points of view, one past and one present, one from Finn (unusual to have a man’s perspective in the psychological thriller genre, although not unheard of, it brings a freshness that’s welcome) and his former girlfriend, Layla, who is now missing. From the beginning, with its brilliant hook, I was intrigued to know what had happened to Finn’s girlfriend. I questioned all the way, racing through the story, shouting at the characters. Just how much could either narrator be trusted? There are clever subtleties to this tale that I really enjoyed, too.
I think it will win over a whole new legion of fans, and I honestly can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.