The Therapist

“I angle my body toward her and, in full therapist mode, ask the standard questions.”

The novel’s Interludes provide direct insight into the first-person viewpoint of the titular therapist. Throughout these sections, Paris ensures that their meaning is ambiguous, allowing the reader to interpret them in more ways than one. The reference to launching into “full therapist mode” and asking “the standard questions” could indicate an impostor or simply a professional who has become jaded at the repetitive nature of their job.

“It’s very pretty here, like a movie set depicting an enviable life in the capital city. I didn’t really believe places like this existed until Leo showed me the photos and even then, it had felt too good to be true.”

Throughout the novel, the setting of the Circle serves as a motif, representing the theme of Trust and Betrayal. Alice’s comparison of the gated community to “a movie set” is insightful, as she quickly discovers nothing there is quite what it seems. Dark secrets and danger lie beneath its veneer of perfection and safety.

“This move to London is a new start for me in more ways than one.”

Unreliable narrators are a popular trope of psychological thrillers. Here, Alice hints at an event from her past that she hopes to leave behind her. Only at the end of the novel do readers discover that Alice was the driver responsible for the deaths of her sister and parents. The revelation highlights the theme of The Repercussions of the Past.

“As I glance out of the window, I realise that I can see every single house in The Circle from where I’m standing. Their windows look back at me like eyes, and I give an involuntary shiver. Is that why they built the houses in a circle, so that everyone can watch each other?”

The layout of the Circle adds to the atmosphere of unease typical of the psychological thriller genre. Here, Alice’s simile, comparing the houses’ windows to eyes, conveys a sinister sense of perpetual surveillance.

“Her hair is tied back, as usual, but if the last few sessions are anything to go by, it will soon be loose around her shoulders.”

The symbolism of hair is introduced through the first-person perspective of the therapist. His anticipation of the client letting down her hair signals a warped interpretation of the gesture as a signal of sexual desire.

“His handshake is strong, dependable. It makes me feel that I can trust him.”

Throughout the novel, Alice’s increasing distrust of Leo and her neighbors contrasts with her naive faith in the murderer, who is posing as Thomas Grainger. Exploring the theme of Trust and Betrayal, Paris highlights how Alice bases her impression of him on superficial details, such as the strength of his handshake.

“Living with Nina’s ghost isn’t easy.”

Alice’s statement has a dual meaning, emphasizing the connection between the two Ninas in the novel. The protagonist refers to her belief that Nina Maxwell’s spirit is in her house and also the way her sister’s death continues to haunt her. The declaration highlights the theme The Repercussions of the Past.

“I hadn’t sensed my sister’s presence since the day her case was brought to court, and although I hadn’t been satisfied with the outcome, maybe my sister had been, which was why she had left.”

Here, Paris provides a clue to Alice’s role in her sister’s death. The protagonist’s belief that her sister’s spirit was finally at peace after the trial suggests that she would not have wanted Alice to go to prison for her actions. Alice’s admission that she was not happy with the trial’s result conveys her continued guilt and her desire to atone for her mistake.

“I sigh, uncomfortable with the position I’ve put myself in. Having a foot in each camp—wanting to help Helen get to the truth behind her sister-in-law’s murder, and wanting to make friends here—is becoming increasingly difficult.”

Alice expresses her inner conflict over her desire to be accepted in the Circle and her determination to find Nina Maxwell’s murderer. By interrogating the other residents and spying on them, Alice gradually alienates herself from the other residents. The protagonist’s dilemma underlines the theme of The Complications of Community Dynamics.

“It’s beautifully minimalist, all neat lines and no clutter anywhere. Compared to my kitchen, with its stacks of cookery books lying on the worktop and a fridge-door full of photographs, it’s pristine.”

Tamsin’s immaculate yet characterless kitchen encapsulates the facade of the Circle as a whole. Although luxurious, the identical houses lack the stamp of individuality. By contrast, Alice attempts to personalize her blank kitchen with photographs and cookbooks. Exploring the theme of The Complications of Community Dynamics, the author illustrates how conformity often takes precedence over individual identity in suburban environments.

“Everything that I thought was true, wasn’t. The house wasn’t what I thought it was, Leo wasn’t who I thought he was. I could see the future that I’d built up in my head crumbling before my eyes.”

Alice describes her sense of disorientation as her new life is shown to be built on deception and lies. Throughout the narrative, the protagonist constantly must shift her perspective to adjust to unwelcome surprises. Her situation echoes that of her namesake, Alice in Wonderland, who finds herself in an alternative reality with completely different rules.

“I guess we all try to fit the ideal of the person we want to impress.”

Here, Alice responds to Tamsin’s complaint that Connor deceived her when they first met by pretending to share her interests. Ironically, Alice defends Connor despite being unable to forgive Leo for concealing his true identity from her. By exploring the different levels of deception that relationships may involve, Paris elaborates on her theme of Trust and Betrayal.

“It doesn’t take me long to accept that I am the sort of person who will snoop through her partner’s affairs.”

The author illustrates how deceit breeds counter-deceit as Leo’s suspicious behavior prompts Alice to steal his filing cabinet key and search his study. Previously perceiving herself as a trustworthy person, the protagonist realizes that she is also capable of duplicity.

“I told him everything about me, everything. I didn’t hide anything, I was a hundred per cent honest. That’s what makes it so hard.”

Alice presents herself as an honest, transparent character in her narrative. Here, she argues that she cannot forgive Leo’s concealment of his criminal past because she told him everything about her own history. Despite her claims, the protagonist is shown to be less than transparent at several points in the novel. She conceals her relationship with Thomas Grainger from both Leo and her neighbors. She also fails to disclose her role in her family’s death to her readers.

“I didn’t know Nina, I shouldn’t be this involved. But sometimes, when I think about my sister, or about Nina, they become intertwined. It’s like they’re the same person.”

Paris emphasizes The Repercussions of the Past as Alice finds it impossible to separate the death of her sister from that of Nina Maxwell. Viewing the present through the lens of the past, the protagonist is unable to perceive events objectively. Alice’s guilt over her sister’s death fuels her obsession with catching Nina Maxwell’s killer.

“I can’t be with a man who thinks it’s all right to psychologically manipulate someone.”

Here, Alice’s remark to Thomas is loaded with unintentional irony. The protagonist complains of Leo’s deceitful behavior to a character who has psychologically manipulated her from the moment they met. The comment illustrates Alice’s gullibility and distorted perception of reality.

“She is a woman at peace with herself.”

The therapist’s assessment of Nina Maxwell distinguishes her from his other victims. Unlike his previous clients, Nina possesses a strong sense of integrity and is not seeking a solution to unhappiness. Less psychologically vulnerable than Justine Bartley and Marion Cartaux, Nina quickly realizes that the therapist is an impostor.

“Sometimes I wonder if I haven’t gone a bit mad.”

Alice’s statement suggests that readers should doubt her logic and perception of reality. Questioning the narrator’s sanity is a popular trope of psychological thrillers, creating an atmosphere of unease.

“The thought that I might have been manipulated left, right and centre by the people I thought were my friends is overwhelming. Lorna tried to warn me, she had told me not to trust anyone. But I ploughed ahead, unwilling to believe that people would lie to me.”

Alice expresses her sense of betrayal as she concludes her neighbors have conspired to deceive her over Nina Maxwell’s murder. The protagonist believes she has finally uncovered the truth and become wise to the dishonesty of those around her. However, she remains unaware that the man she knows as Thomas Grainger is continuing to exploit her gullibility. This excerpt illustrates the complex web of illusion and deceit created by Paris in the narrative.

“I raise my eyes to his face, a face I’ve come to know well, the green specks in his eyes, the way his hair falls onto his forehead […] He can’t have murdered Nina.”

Here, Alice finally works out that Thomas is the killer. However, even as she does so, she struggles to believe the truth, dwelling on the sense of intimacy she felt in his presence. Highlighting the theme of Trust and Betrayal, Paris emphasizes that familiarity with another person does not necessarily equate to knowing who they really are.

“One way or another, Thoreau always works.”

The therapist reveals the chain of events leading to Nina Maxwell’s murder. Having failed to impress her with his Henry David Thoreau quotation, he uses a copy of the author’s celebrated work Walden as an excuse to return to Nina’s house and kill her. The therapist’s exploitation of Thoreau’s great philosophical work as a murder weapon highlights his moral bankruptcy.

“The trick is to be who people want me to be. A therapist worked well for the others. For you, I had to think of something else. You needed a saviour, a redeemer. Someone you could help, so that you could atone for your sins.”

Here, the therapist reveals his modus operandi to Alice. His success as a murderer involves his ability to anticipate and become whatever his victims are seeking. As a fake therapist, he exploited women searching for happiness. Meanwhile, by posing as a private investigator with Alice, he fulfilled her desire both to save and be saved.

“It was ironic, really. My parents chose London, thinking it would reduce them to needles in a haystack, plus a gated community, thinking they’d be able to keep me out. But it proved the perfect hiding place for me.”

The dual nature of the Circle is illustrated as the therapist describes his parents’ attempts to escape him. Lorna and Edward moved to the gated community, attracted by the safety and security it seemed to offer them. However, once their son traced them, the insularity of the Circle provided an ideal environment for him to commit murder without detection.