BEHIND CLOSED DOORS--Brilliant concept

Behind Closed Doors 

B.A.Paris

ISBN: 9781250121994

A 2016 release from

St. Martin’s Press

Some have labeled this novel noir domestic fiction. I found it darker and more dangerous than that. The novel is also brilliant, in its structure, its characteristics, descriptions and stunning in its conclusion.

Grace falls in love with a slick, handsome well-educated lawyer. Jack is highly trained careful in his preparations and courtroom tactics and had never lost a case. He is also arrogant, cunning, manipulative and a human personification of consummate evil.

The structure of the novel carries readers from present to past and back again several time. The story explores the marriage of Grace and Jack and details their relationship and its change over time, in a London suburb and in their travels to Thailand.

Grace has a younger sister, Millie, who is developmentally damaged and Jack cleverly manipulates the girl to maintain his control over his new wife. The relationship between the married couple forms the core of the story, but as the tale unwinds, it is an acquaintance named Esther who ultimately becomes the rock on whom Grace is able to secure a real future.

Well-written, intense, and elaborate, author Paris is destined for wide readership and many discussions.

POLITICAL ADVERTISING

I will not engage here in long rants back and forth about the politics of the day. This will be a one-time commentary, although I am interested in your responses.

 In Minnesota we are beginning to see, sadly, ads with no or obscure attributions designed to make  it difficult or impossible to determine who paid for the ad. Reasons are obvious. Out-of-staters want certain individuals to be elected because they believe those individuals will support their goals, regardless of the needs or goals of local voters.

I do  not care what reader's of this blog entry political positions may happen to be. In my view, nobody who runs for political office ought to be subject to the kind of scurrilous, misleading and  downright lying that is the norm in campaigns today. Indeed, No one who is  elected to public office should ever be subjected to the kind of nastiness which seems to be part of government today. Nor should elected officials families be subject to the kind of abuse that is fast becoming normal.

If  you and I want a government that is operated by people like the late John McCain or Hubert Humphrey, you will join me in protesting the kind of nastiness which is becoming more and more prevalent. Fewer talented people interested in serving will be atttracted to being elected. More and more venal, self-serving types will replace them. Is that what we want?

Candidates and campaign workers need to protest and work to make campaigns clean  and positive in nature. I care what your attitudes and views are, not who you will work against. Casual insulting campaign literature and ads ought to become grounds for dismissal from any current campaign. Seems harsh? The rules, at least in the state of Minnesota seem to me to be too lenient.
I want people to serve who want to serve, not primarily make a fortune for themselves. We the People, deserve no less.

see my post on political advertising