Happy Friday! Today I have a review of The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl, a new psychological suspense set in Norway and publishing on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.
My Thoughts:
The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 “appearances can be deceiving” stars to The Boy at the Door! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Cecilia Willborg is a lucky lady. She lives in a wealthy neighborhood in Norway and has the ideal husband and two children. Cecilia is a consummate perfectionist, which means she has to work diligently to keep up appearances and an over-scheduled calendar.
One day Cecilia is at the pool and notices a little boy named Tobias whose parents have not picked him up. She delivers him to his address, but she is exasperated to find his house completely empty. Cecilia then takes him to her own home, for safety, and somehow this child’s existence sets off a chain of events and an airing of secrets that shreds apart Cecilia’s perfect world.
Even though Cecilia presents as having a flawless life, she is rough and abrasive, with her own priorities, and yet, somehow when she interacts with Tobias, she becomes softer around the edges.
The Boy at the Door is a gripping, dark, and original thriller. The last chunk sent me hurtling toward the end. I had to know the finish and all the details of what happened and why. Well-done debut for Alex Dahl!
Thank you to Berkley for the finished copy to review. All opinions are my own. The Boy at the Door will be published on July 24, 2018.
Synopsis:
This riveting psychological suspense debut by Alex Dahl asks the question, “how far would you go to hold on to what you have?”
Cecilia Wilborg has it all–a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a gorgeous home in an affluent Norwegian suburb. And she works hard to keep it all together. Too hard…
There is no room for mistakes in her life. Even taking home a little boy whose parents forgot to pick him up at the pool can put a crimp in Cecilia’s carefully planned schedule. Especially when she arrives at the address she was given
and finds an empty, abandoned house…There’s nothing for Cecilia to do but to take the boy home with her, never realizing that soon his quiet presence and knowing eyes will trigger unwelcome memories from her past–and unravel her meticulously crafted life…
Another great review, Jennifer! This book sounds really thrilling. Adding it on my TBR. (I’m a sucker for thrillers. Haha!) Happy Friday! BTW, I love the flowers in the background. Those are tulips, right?
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Thank you, Rachel! I don’t think you’ll regret adding this one. I am a sucker for thrillers too! Hey, you got me to add a book today, too! 😊 Yes, those are tulips, my favorite flower! 🌷 Happy Friday to you, too!
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I guess we’re even then. Haha! 🙂 I’m excited for this. I need a good thriller to read in between my existing scheduled reads. 😀
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lol True! We are!
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Sounds like a great book! Love your pic. 😉💗 Happy Friday to you too, friend! 😁
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Thank you, favorite M! This was such a wonderfully thrilling read! I just received notification there is a Flower Friday post waiting for me, so guess where I’ll be soon! 💗 xo
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Excellent review, Jennifer! What an interesting set up for this story.
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Thanks, Jonetta! It is definitely an original premise.
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Lovely review and a book I am hoping my library purchases.
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Thanks, Marialyce! I really hope you can get your hands on it to read it! It is one not to miss!
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I really love the way you write! The story sounds interesting and unique! 🙂
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Aw, thank you! I always feel like my reviews are pretty basic, so thank you for the compliment. I absolutely loved this book!
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Lovely review! I’m liking the sounds of this one as well. Perfection is all that it’s cracked up to be! 😉
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😂 It sure is, Nina! Thank you! This one was a crazy good ride of a read.
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🙂
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Great review Jen!😊 This one sounds really interesting!😊💖 Have an awesome weekend!!😎🏖☀
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Thanks, Sus! I loved it! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too! A little cooler? A tiny bit? 💗 🌞
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Not yet but today should be the last 90! Then it’s back to normal in the 70s and low 80s!😀💖
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I am so jealous of any 70s! I will have to wait until late September for that at least! 😊 💕
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Lovely review Jennifer! I’m going to have to add this one to my library list since I must have been hiding under a rock when it was up for review. LOL
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Thanks, Carrie! Yes, this will be one you definitely want to work in to your reads if you can.
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I love your review for this one! I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately and now I must get myself a copy, haha!
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Thanks, Janel! Yes, this is totally your type of read based on your thriller reviews lately.
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I typically don’t read thrillers unless it’s a book club selection. We read Sometimes I Lie and that book delivered one of the most discussed, yet unresolved book club meetings ever. It was a good night
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I read Sometimes I Lie with a group, too! I can definitely see how the ending would lend itself to lots of discussion. I was hoping there would be a sequel, but it sounds like her next book will be another standalone. Thanks for your comment! I hope you have a great weekend!
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There is a sequel but I suspect that we will be just as baffled with the sequel since we don’t know who is lying and when they are lying
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Wonderful review Jennifer! This is a book I kind of regret never requesting, but I can always pick it up on audio, it looks intense!💜
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Thanks, Berit! I can say without a doubt that you would enjoy this one. Definitely pick up the audio when you can. 💗
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Wooh… this one looks like an exciting thriller!
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It’s such a good one, Lana! So different!
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Great review! This is one I’d definitely enjoy; I love thrillers set in Norway. I’ll have to look for this one!! Have a great weekend! 💜
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Thanks, Stephanie! Speaking of Norway, another nice thing about this particular book is that it’s not a police procedural, and some fo the books I’ve read set in Norway are. I like procedurals okay, but it was nice to have a more direct angle. I hope you have a great weekend, too! 💗
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You’re welcome! Interesting. Yes, I love Nesbo’s Harry Hole series set in Norway, so it would be different to read one from a different perspective! Thank you!! 💗
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For some reason I read the author’s name as ROALD Dahl and was like, “Dahl wrote adult books???” 😅 Haha, it sounds like an awesome thriller!
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😂 Kathy, every time I have gotten a notification about this blog post, I think, “I wrote a Roald Dahl review? What?” This was super good!
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Lovely picture. Great review. A must read. 🍋🍎🍏🌷
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Thanks so much, Virginia! ♥️
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Excellent review Jen as always. I love thrillers, especially set in Norway so this is definitely one I’ll be looking out for! 🤗
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Thanks so much, Beth! The setting was nice because it was a different perspective than the police procedurals I have read set in Norway. I hope you are having a great weekend! 💕
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This sounds good Jennifer!! Thanks for reviewing it. 😊
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Thanks so much for reading my review, Laurie! ♥️
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I?m reading this one really soon so I’m really happy you enjoyed it ;D
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Thanks, Annie! I look forward to what you think and hope you enjoy it, too! 💕
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