Misc. Rambling | The Breakdown by B A Paris

Hello! So I'd had a wonderful vacation with my family last week. In case you're wondering, we went to South Korea for the vacation (my Instagram followers should've seen some of my pictures there). It was our third trip to Korea and I can tell you we never got tired of it because each trip is special and there are so many places to explore and so many things to eat. I've to say our tour guide played an important role too since he is witty and had shared many medical knowledge with us since he used to be a doctor (it's a long story why he changed his profession) and anyway it was a fun, fun trip. I might share those fun experiences if I've the time to write them and sort out the pictures (well it might be a challenge considering this month is school holidays so we shall see). And of course, I want to thank you again for helping me in selecting two books to read during my trip. I'd only managed to read the top choice (The Breakdown by B A Paris) and what a thrilling read! And I promise to read Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (second choice) once I'm done with my two library books which I just realised are due soon. Meanwhile I also have three book reviews scheduled for posting so they will be up in the following days. 

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HQ | February 2017 | 384 pgs

Source: Purchased

It was the storm that started everything. Cass Anderson knew she shouldn't have taken the deserted road in the woods back home but there was a jam at the dual carriageway and she wanted to get home fast under that dreadful weather. But she had and she saw a car was parked awkwardly in a small lay-by. As she drove past she saw a woman in it but her features were blurred by the teeming rain. With the bad weather and the thoughts that the woman might have an accomplice nearby waiting to rob or attack her, she decided it was wise to just drive off quickly instead of checking her out. The next morning, there was news that a woman was found dead at Blackwater Lane; it was the short cut which Cass had taken the previous night. 

Consumed by guilt for not checking out the woman, Cass's emotional state took a plunge further after she realised she has been forgetting little things. And then there were the frequent silent calls she had been receiving after that woman's passing. Did the killer see her on that fateful night and was threatened by her existence? Or was her mind playing tricks on her? After all, her late mother had dementia in her forties; did that mean she had early onset dementia as well? 

The Breakdown had an intriguing opening and the suspense never let go until the end. The author has done a great job in developing her characters and building the suspense and right from the start I could already sense the heavy foreboding and whether or not if I should trust Cass, given her forgetfulness condition and her unreliable narrator account as well. Here, we also understand how dementia is a devastating brain disease and Cass's fear and doubts are palpable as the story progresses and the suspense began to intensify. While the motives might seem a bit overboard to me, overall it was a well crafted story and a compelling read. 

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