Drinks with Reads: Behind Closed Doors and a Jack the Ripper

Mystery Playground Bloggers Kerry Hammond and Sharon Long got together for this Drinks with Reads post. After reading the book, they met up at Baker St. Pub & Grill to discuss it and found the perfect drink on the menu to pair with it.

Behind Closed Doors is the debut novel by B.A. Paris.

Jack and Grace Angel appear to be the ideal couple. Jack is handsome, wealthy and works as a lawyer, defending victims of domestic violence. Grace is his charming wife who is always by his side.  Grace cannot believe she has found such a loving partner, one who is even willing to let her sister, Millie who has Downs Syndrome, live with them after she finishes school. She agrees to marry him and they plan a small wedding with just their closest friends and family.

After the wedding, Jack and Grace move into the perfect house, one that Jack bought for her as a wedding gift. They also have the perfect marriage, or so it seems to the outside world. The reader of this book is the only other person who sees what really happens behind closed doors. And we can both attest that nothing in this marriage is perfect.

To say this book is suspenseful, chilling and a psychological thriller is an understatement. It is a gripping, heart-stopping read that was extremely hard to put down. This story stays with the reader long after the last page. Critics have said that the novel is 2016’s answer to Gone Girl, but it is so much more. B.A. Paris is definitely an author that will stay on our radar.

Now on to the drink. We chose the Jack the Ripper for a few reasons. The most obvious is that our main character is named Jack. Also, the drink contains whiskey, and our Jack loved his whiskey.  Lastly, no one ever knew who Jack the Ripper was, he could have been an upstanding man in society who went about his daily business and fooled all his friends, only to go on killing sprees at night. We will let you wonder how this compares to the book’s Jack.

Jack the Ripper

1/2 oz Jack Daniels

1/4 oz Peach Schnapps

1/4 Oz (splash) Sangria Mix

1 oz Cranberry Red Bull

Shake together Jack Daniels, Peach Schnapps and Sangria Mix. Pour in a glass and top with Red Bull.

This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the publisher. The review is fair and independent.