Behind Closed Doors

31st July 2025

Behind Closed Doors
"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis." The book begins with this quote by Dante Alighieri, and it effectively sets the pace and mood for the reader.
"Behind Closed Doors" is a crime thriller read by Jemimah Jonah in the Maya Alexander Series.
The story starts with the New Year's Celebrations turning into a triple homicide. The hungover neighbour is reached out to by the eldest child in the house, where three adults are slaughtered. Private detective Maya Alexander is called to the crime scene, and the investigation starts.
A woman being a private detective is highly objectionable to most of the police department, but not to Allen. Maya reiterates the fact that she has worked on 2 cases previously and is the best fit. On the personal front, Maya is constantly reminded to meet the prospective groom, Abraham, and spend time with him to decide about the future. As the investigation progresses, Maya shifts to Allen's place to stay focused and close the case as early as possible. While working on the case, Allen and Maya start falling for each other, but before they express it, Abraham arrives to surprise Maya, all the way from Paris.
While their personal lives continue, the investigation becomes increasingly darker and more complex than they could have anticipated. Maya and Allen find the roots of their ongoing case in an old case, for which they meet different people in another locality. This bit of their investigation helps them understand the reason behind all the related crimes and the culprit.
The writing style is noteworthy for the fact that locations and facts are checked correctly. There is a post-mortem report of the old case (as mentioned already), which is part of the book and the case. Even the old cases that come into the limelight through a diary are written with so much sensitivity and care. The chapter breaks are positioned aptly. There comes a moment when romance/ Maya's personal life overpowers the investigation. However, it does not obstruct the reading process.
A few statements that stayed with me even after I finished reading the book:
I prefer working by my own rules and without having to go through several hoops to get the most minor things approved.
If a man had been in her position, prioritised a job at which he was actually good and held certain ambitions above marriage, he would have been praised by virtually everyone and perhaps even be called visionary, even by those who disliked her or held a grudge against him.
People of society speak of progression and the new ways of the world, but somehow, if it's a woman who dared to dream, to be ambitious, perhaps even surpass her male peers, she was a no-good, selfish wretch who cared for no one but herself.
Some people bend heaven and hell to save their family, no matter how dire it gets.



I love how subtly, naturally, the feminist point of view lingers throughout the story, minus the unnecessary drama.
The character of Maya evolves through the story. So does Abrahm's; you keep hating him exponentially. Allen, who initially seems to be a shy and workaholic chap, transforms into a true gentleman supporting the right no matter what.
The mystery is woven in suspicious layers, the doubt keeps shifting from one character to the other, at one point, I even doubted Bindu, one of the three children.
There are some loose ends, not blaming the author, as we already have the assurance from both the author and editor that they are not loose ends, but the foundation for further parts in the series.
One unique thing about the book is DELETED SNIPPETS FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK. You may not have expected that, right? Like, they are a part of the book but not a part of the story.
Overall, the book is gripping, and if you are a fan of crime thrillers, you should read it once.