First off, I love all the author’s previous thrillers. I also love a good genre mashup. Behind a Closed Door is marketed as a romantic thriller. But is it really? I would say it’s closer to a male erotica thriller. It reminds me of the uncomfortable sexism of a Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer book from the 1960s combined with some truly dark male fantasies. I understand that the pandemic was a challenging time for everyone, particularly for authors, but perhaps this book should have just stayed in the author’s desk drawer.
Beyond the disturbing erotica, the characters within this book have the shallowness of a typical superhero movie. They are almost caricatures rather than real human beings. The plot has a good premise but then goes down some formulaic roads of derring-do and impossible escapes. The ending has a twist to supposedly explain that issue. However, by then, it was too little, too late for me.
Do yourself a favor and skip Behind a Closed Door. Read any of the author’s other books and I guarantee you will be happier. This one was bad on so many levels. It earns a disappointed 2 stars.
Thanks to Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.