4 out of 4 stars
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Have you ever wanted to tip your toes into the forbidden, just for a taste of something outside your normal boundaries? Ever wanted to challenge yourself to try new and dangerous things? Simone understands the feeling, though she doesn’t exactly sympathize. Simone is a psychiatrist specializing in sexual behavior, and is recruited by criminal lawyer Carl to give her opinion on one of his cases. The case involves Lara, a sexual addict with seemingly no boundaries, and Mark, the man she strings along until he ends her life in a moment of passion. Simone is given Mark’s written account of the couple’s relationship to read and remark upon, but her relationship with her new client may be more dangerous than the steamy thoughts filling her head…
Behind the Door wonderfully combines the steam of an erotic novel with the suspense of a murder mystery. It keeps the reader’s heart racing from page to page, a result of both the highly detailed sex scenes and the dead bodies that keep popping up in Simone’s vicinity. Simone is intelligent and likeable, a complete foil to Lara’s over-the-top drama and flightiness. Both women were written so well, I had to wonder how much of the novel was written by Gavazzoni’s personal experience!
The novel’s pacing was great overall, and the ending had me gasping in surprise. I’m not too bad when it comes to murder mysteries, but Behind the Door was delightfully tricky! I will also say that I was afraid to read this book on the train in case some old man happened to look over my shoulder and have a heart attack, but once I started reading nothing could really stop me. I was completely enthralled by the story line.
I have one, and only one, complaint about the novel. Simone is being paid to read Mark’s account and her opinion may be what frees or sentences him. It is only natural that she reads it with a critical and clinical eye. However, due to the layout of the chapters in the novel, the reader often exits what was a steamy and enjoyable scene for Mark and Lara, only to have their feelings dampened by Simone’s analysis of the text. At times I looked forward to the continuation of Mark and Lara’s story more than I did Simone’s side of the text, and even had a few moments when I was irritated by the switch in perspectives. Although, looking back, perhaps the author was giving the reader a chance to cool themselves off a bit?
Overall, I would give Behind the Door 4 out of 4 stars. It is a wonderful debut novel by Gavazzoni, and has been followed by what seems to be an equally popular and well-written sequel. Although it is not for the faint of heart – trust me on this – I think it’s the perfect novel for someone who wishes to liven up their imagination, if not their actual lifestyle.
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Behind The Door
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