House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Title: House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney that represents children involved in custody cases. She takes on 9 year old Rose Barclay as a client as a favor to her mentor, Charlie. Rose witnessed her nanny's fall from a window and possible murder and immediately stopped speaking. Charlie believes that since Stella went through a traumatic childhood herself that she is the only one who can reach Rose. Stella is reluctant but still vows to do all she can to help Rose.

As Stella starts her investigation at the Barclays home, she learns that everyone is a suspect, even little Rose. The father had affair and impregnated the nanny. The mother is uptight and has a sudden fear of anything glass so there is nothing glass in the house. The paternal grandmother seems to carry a hatred for her son. Rose has a collection of sharp objects. Stella has a feeling of dread every time she visits the home but she can't quite put her finger on the cause of it.

The more Stella investigates, the more memories of her own past trauma start to resurface. She decides to start looking into the circumstances surrounding her mother's death. Will she finally learn the truth? Will she be able to save Rose? Or is Rose the murderer?

This book was a real page turner and I finished it in a day. Stella's flaws make her a very believable and likeable character. The contrasts and conflicts between the mother and father were relatable as well. The ending was good.

The only complaint I have is regarding Stella's association with a police detective. I wish it had been fleshed out more. It felt a bit rushed and almost like an afterthought.

All in all this book was a great read. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy. 

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

 Title: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam

Release Date: July 9, 2024

Gia and Abby are so close they are almost sisters, despite the one major difference between them - money. Gia is an heiress and Abby is a hard working lawyer. Gia marries a man she barely knows and this causes a rift in their friendship. To make amends, Gia invites Abby and her brother Benny to a resort to celebrate her birthday. Abby reluctantly agrees and once she and Benny arrive at the resort they realize that there is a problem. Gia doesn't show up.

They travel to Greece and discover an explosive manuscript that Gia has left behind. It reads like part diary, part trashy romance novel and Benny and Abby don't know what to believe.

The book alternates between Abby's point of view, and Gia's manuscript. Abby also receives threatening text messages in reference to a secret that she and Gia share. That's just the tip of the iceberg as more and more secrets are revealed. Who is behind the texts? What are the circumstances behind Gia's disappearance? Who can she trust?

The story is well placed and keeps you guessing until the end. The ending, however, is a tad disappointing as it is very open ended and doesn't offer much closure. The setting descriptions are beautiful, however, and makes this book a great read for pool or beachside.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random Publishing Group for giving me an ARC in exchange for my review.

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

 Title: Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Date: January 30, 2024

Twenty-Seven minutes is the well-written debut novel by Ashley Tate. Grippng your attention from the first page, you'll be treated to a story told over multiple POVs and multiple time periods. The chapters are short but efficient. There are bread crumbs of clues scattered throughout, sometimes containing confirmation of what you think is the truth and sometimes conflicting with it. This makes for a slow build but also keeps you turning the page.

The novel tells the tale of the death of young Phoebe Dean and the ripple effects it has through the small town in which she lived. It's a town full of secrets, but the biggest one is why did it take twenty-seven minutes for help to be called after the accident? Phoebe may still have lived had she gotten help sooner.

Told from the POV of several unreliable narrators, you soon learn that everyone has secrets and everyone is carrying around guilt or heartache over something. Guilt and it's side effects are a constant theme in this book.

There are no likable characters in this book which was something I did not care for. I also wish the conclusion had been fleshed out a bit more, but it was still a good ending. Overall the book was a very solid debut novel and I'm looking forward to see what the other comes up with next. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

 Title: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Sarah Slade is a social media influencer, author, and therapist. From the outside looking in, her life is almost enviable. She has a loving husband, a successful self-help book, and a growing fanbase on social media. While attempting to write her second book, Sarah and her husband Joe buy a house. They are able to get it dirt cheap because it's a "murder house" that has been sitting empty for 40 years. A man killed his wife in the home but that doesn't faze Sarah. Sarah's plan is to renovate the spooky house and document it for her fans to see. She also hopes to sell the home for a tidy profit.

It's soon revealed that things aren't as perfect as they seem. There are cracks in Sarah's marriage and they are both hiding secrets from their past. When renovations start adding up and strange things start happening in the house, their already strained marriage takes a hit.

Sarah starts becoming more and more scared and paranoid. She starts losing followers on her social media accounts. She almost believes the house is a living entity and it's definitely a character of it's own in the book. Every noise and creak has you wondering if Sarah is going crazy or is there really someone out to get her. Could it be one of the unfriendly neighbors or could it be the ghosts of the previous dead tenants? You'll have to read it to find out.

Sarah is a very flawed and unstable character but that only ramps up the tension. Her husband Joe is spineless and unlikable from the start. He adds to Sarah's stress level and paranoia. Will their secrets be revealed? Will they survive the renovations on the house?

I give kudos to the author for her descriptions of a small town in Australia. The cold eeriness of the forest bordering the property adds to the spook factor. There were a few words/slang that I was unfamiliar with but Google and an Aussie friend set me straight.

The Stranger Upstairs comes out September 26 which makes it a perfect start to the Halloween season. Cuddle under a blanket with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa and enjoy the goosebumps that this novel provides. This is a solid debut novel from Lisa M. Matlin and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy to review.

Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott

Title: Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott
Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: May 30, 2023

Jacy and Jed travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit Jed's father, the warm and welcoming Dr. Ash. He treats her like a member of the family from the start and Jacy enjoys the attention at first. When she has a pregnancy scare, however, he becomes very controlling and secretive. He definitely has an old school way of thinking about women. What secrets is he hiding? Is Jacy just being paranoid? And what does the mysterious caretaker of the house, Mrs. Brandt, have to do with everything?

The story is very slow building and the formatting can be a bit jarring until you get used to it. You spend a great deal of time in Jacy's head and you start to question what is real and what may not be. Jed starts to act weirdly and she wonders if she ever really knew the man she married. He's a main character but he fades into the background a lot.

Let's talk about the ending, shall we? While several loose endings are tied up, many are not and that made for a very abrupt end. I swiped left on my phone and was pretty angry not to have an additional chapter.  I've since gotten over the anger and can appreciate what the author did.

Overall it was a good book and I'd recommend it to fans of thrillers and psychological suspense. It's a book that you can definitely finish in a weekend.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the early ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

 Title: Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: May 16, 2023

This book grabs you from the very first sentence. The narrator is Amber Jamison, and she's just been kidnapped by a serial killer. Her first thought is that she feels stupid for getting into that predicament. I'd probably be thinking the same thing! Her feelings quickly turn to terror as her escape attempts don't pan out.

Things turn her way, however, when a mysterious woman rescues her from her fate. Amber is intrigued by the mystery woman but for her own reasons must flee from her life. She makes her way to Las Vegas. Once there, she returns to some of her old ways but ends up making her first real friends in the process.These characters are well-written and flawed, but lovable.

The mystery woman reappears in Amber's life and she soon discovers that there is another serial killer in her midst. Is he targeting Amber or is it just a coincidence? Can her luck really be that bad?

This book starts a little slow but builds momentum as it goes on. The backstory about the mystery woman is a bit cut and dried as opposed to Amber's colorful past but it's not boring. This book is perfect to read on a weekend or a beach vacation. You wouldn't think a thriller about a serial killer could be humorous but this one manages to be, and it works.

Highly recommended read. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor and the well-written characters.

Oh, and I read the acknowledgements. The author hints at a sequel!

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC they provided in exchange for my review.

The Intern by Michele Campbell

Title: The Intern by Michele Campbell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: October 3, 2023

Madison Rivera is a law student with a problem. Her idol and mentor, Judge Conroy, has offered her an internship. It will look outstanding on her resume and bring her even closer to her dreams of becoming a lawyer. The problem? Her younger brother Danny has been arrested and the judge in his case is Judge Conroy. Does she divulge the truth to the judge and risk losing the internship? 

Madison lies. She has numerous opportunities to come clean but she doesn't. She tells herself she's doing it to help her brother but in reality she's being a bit selfish and looking out for her future career. While I appreciate the sentiment of doing anything for a sibling, Madison was also looking out for herself.

We soon learn that the judge and Madison had similar upbringings, and they form a strange bond over it. It's also revealed that the judge has her own secrets and Madison finds herself drawn into the intrigue whether she likes it or not.

The story is told from both Madison and Judge Conroy's point of view, in both past and present day. Both women appear to be fairly intelligent but are plagued by impulsivity and resulting bad choices. There were a few times I paused in reading to shake my head at them. Both characters are flawed and it's hard for Madison to accept that the judge isn't as perfect as she had thought.

This book is a fast-paced, easy read. Hints of lies, corruption and even a mob-like feel will keep you reading. It wasn't my favorite book this year but it's definitely a solid read.

Many thanks go to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

 

Book Review: The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

Book Review: The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

Publisher:  Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books

            Scout Press

The description of this book drew me in so I requested it with high hopes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Four middle-aged women are going on their yearly girl’s trip in the wilds of main. Their goal: white water rafting on a rather rough river. They hire a guide whose idea of planning a route on the river is a hand drawn map. Had he been a local and familiar with the river it might not have mattered but he’s only done the river once or twice himself. It doesn’t help that he is made out to be an almost brainless dude bro.

Out of the four female characters I just couldn’t find one to root for or identify with. At times they take turns becoming almost invisible. Their friendship doesn’t really seem to be well defined. Instead of four friends with a 15 year friendship I felt more like I was reading about four women who met in a yoga class and decided to just hang out for a weekend.

Calamity happens on the river and I was expecting to read a tale of survival against the elements. Again, I was disappointed. Having the women be challenged by the environment and having to learn to rely upon each other and themselves would have been a really good story. Instead, other characters are thrown in and it tosses that whole plot out the window.

I don’t want to spoil the book in case you want to read it but the stereotypes of the local people in the story grated on my nerves. You’ll see what I mean when you read it.

It wasn’t a super bad book. It moved quickly and kept you turning the page to see what craziness happened next. It just didn’t live up to my expectations. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to drop me a comment to tell me I was wrong.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

Book Review: Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

Publisher: Pegasus Books

Jessica Gold stops for a coffee after a long day of Christmas shopping. She leaves with a man named Dominic Lacey and ends up in his apartment. She begins to regret her mistake and wants to leave but Dominic has other plans. He’s keeping her captive for twelve days of Christmas celebrations.

Every day gets more bizarre. Dominic behaves erratically. He dresses her in his missing wife’s clothing, force feeds her rich and fatty foods and then calls her fat, and every night he gives her a morbid gift. Included are family photos, his dead sister’s favorite toy…even a bag of teeth. He claims he will let Jessica go home but she knows that she will never be able to escape.

All the attempts to leave are foiled by Dominic. He always seems to be one step ahead of Jessica. Kim, the detective in charge of the investigation into Jessica’s disappearance, has no clear leads to where Jessica could be. It’s like she disappeared into thin air.

I’m not going to get too in depth because to do so would reveal the plot twists that kept me reading this book into the wee hours. Every time I thought I had things figured out the plot would veer off and surprise me.

The ending was a little creepy and felt a little unfinished. The parts of the book with Kim the detective pulled me out of the story and felt unnecessary. Other than that this was a decent thriller with a ton of twists.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Girl Number One by Jane Holland

Book Review: Girl Number One by Jane Holland

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Eleanor Blackwood was six when her mother was murdered in the woods. She was there as a witness but for some reason cannot describe the killer to the police. Eighteen years later, and on the anniversary of her mother’s death, she finds a body of a woman in almost the exact same spot where her mother was killed. After going for help the police arrive and the body is gone.

You would think that this would be setting up a nice mystery but you would be wrong. Eleanor is a cold, detached character. Most people would break down when they see a dead body but Eleanor treats it like any other day. People accuse her of being nuts and instead of being crazy I believe she had some other kind of mental problem.

Her father is an alcoholic and even hits her at one point in the story. She sleeps with men that are no good for her. She even sleeps with a guy that she thinks might be the murderer. She has an “oh well, no big deal” attitude about the whole thing. Eleanor takes absolutely no effort to keep herself safe or out of trouble. Even when she gets proof that the killer wants her to be his “number one” she still runs head on into danger and puts herself and her friends at risk.

I couldn’t connect with her in the slightest. The men all treat Eleanor as a pretty object to be protected and ogled. She never quite gets to stand on her own two feet even though she is a gym teacher and skilled in martial arts.

This book was just “okay” for me. It was nothing spectacular and while it was a quick read and somewhat enjoyable there were none of the twists and turns that I would have liked to see. I guessed who the killer was about halfway through but I wasn’t that excited to find out that I was right. The ending was tied up a little too quickly without enough explanation.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl

Book Review: Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Amanda Sinclair is an escapee from the cult that brainwashed her mother and caused her mother to murder her younger brother. She’s changed her name and taken a boring job as a lab tech at a cosmetics company in an attempt to avoid the spotlight. She’s thrown back in to the public eye when her mother commits suicide around the same time that the cult leader is due to be released from jail.

After examining her mother’s possessions, Amanda quickly concludes that her mother did not in fact kill herself but was murdered. Soon there are two mysteries to contend with as someone is falsifying documents are her job. This error could cause the possible deaths of thousands of customers. Was her mother’s death really a murder? Is the cult involved? Are the document errors at her job intentional or accidental?

I requested this book because of the cult aspect and I was left disappointed. The information about that cult is only garnered through flashbacks into Amanda’s past. There weren’t really enough details to keep me interested. The information about her job was a lot of scientific terms that just left me bored.

The story was extremely fast paced and to that end I felt it could have been fleshed out more. The conclusions to both mysteries felt rushed. When I was done with the book I felt like I had just read an episode of Law & Order.

It’s a quick read and somewhat enjoyable if you are looking for something to pass the time. It’s just not as in depth and suspenseful as I had hoped.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland

Book Review: The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland

Publisher: Adrenalin Books

                            

Mia James is found on a beach with no memory of who she is. She doesn’t even recognize her own face in the mirror. I can’t imagine what that would be like. After seeing her face on the news her boyfriend comes forward to claim her. Mia starts to piece together her life and doesn’t like some of the things she finds.

Her perfect boyfriend isn’t as perfect as he acts. He makes her uncomfortable but she obviously can’t remember why. She’s incredibly wealthy but has family members that hate her and are only kind to her to get more money out of her. Mia remembers that she likes to go rowing and reconnects with Jack, an instructor at her rowing club. He’s the only person not pressuring her to remember her life and that comforts her. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

As pieces of her life are revealed Mia begins to doubt that she wants to know the facts. Is it better off to remember your imperfect life or would you take the chance to start over from scratch?

The pacing of this book was perfect. Not too fast, but not too slow as to drag. The characters are not flawless by any means but this makes them seem more real. You can really relate to them if not personality than in the reasons for their actions.

I don’t reveal spoilers in my reviews but I was pleasantly surprised and a little disturbed by the ending. I definitely recommend that you give it a try.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Book Review: All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford

Book Review: All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Alibi 

                                    

Pen Sheppard accepts a scholarship to university in order to escape her hometown. After testifying against her best friend in a murder trial at the young age of 15 the townspeople never forgave her. She believes that going to a different town will allow her to start over. Unfortunately, she is wrong as she is soon entangled in another murder investigation.

                                                                                       

There is a lot of drinking, drug use, and meaningless sex in this book. At times it felt like it was only used as filler. There’s even some gang violence which is never really fleshed out.

Pen is such a flawed character and she lies so much and so well that it’s hard to find any empathy for her. I found that I was bored for a large chunk of the book. There was too much discussion about whether Pen was innocent or guilty. Since it was told from her point of view the protestations of innocent got old really quickly. Then you have to keep in mind that she is a really good liar and wonder what, if anything, that you are reading is true.

It was a bit of a mess and the ending was almost a given and unsatisfying. I don’t see myself reading this book again any time soon.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Woman In The Mirror (An Alexandra Mallory Novel) by Cathryn Grant

Book Review: The Woman In The Mirror (An Alexandra Mallory Novel) by Cathryn Grant

Publisher: D2C Perspectives

Alexandra Mallory is a murderer. She is looking for a place to live and blend in to obscurity for a while and she believes a house on the edge of a cliff is the perfect place to do it. She rents a room from the home’s owner, Noreen Palmer, and soon finds out that she will have a roommate. His name is Jared and he becomes obsessed with Alexandra almost instantly.

Noreen is quirky, clinging and annoying. Alexandra does her utmost best to avoid her and fails. Noreen claims that she feels a connection to Jared but it is clearly one sided. She also claims that there is a ghost in the mirror. What starts out as weird quirkiness soon changes into obsessive and crazy behavior.

The character of Jared was a hot mess. He walks out of his job one day in an effort to find himself. As soon as he meets Alexandra all of his good intentions fall to the wayside. His only focus from then on is getting her into his bed and into his life. He becomes a needy jerk that won’t take no for an answer. He is almost stalker-like in his new behavior. His constant whining made me cringe.

Alexandra is written as a bad ass and that’s not a good thing here. She has little to no redeeming qualities. She feels that her purpose is to bring a vigilante type justice to people that are evil to the world when in reality she just kills people that piss her off. There was nothing in this character or any of the others that made me like them.

There’s an obvious twist to the story but it comes so late in the game you just kind of go “oh, okay” and move on. This is supposed to be the first in a reported series. You would think if that was the case the author would not have tried to jam in so many flashbacks in the first book. I understand that you need to learn Alexandra’s history but this book went back and forth to so many flashbacks it felt bogged down.

The ending was predictable. If there is in fact a second book I might give it a try to see if Alexandra’s story gets more interesting. I finished this book in a few hours so if you are looking for something to fill time this would be a good book for you. The story isn’t bad but I think it needed to be fleshed out more.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: Deception Island by Brynn Kelly

Book Review: Deception Island by Brynn Kelly

Publisher: Harlequin – HQN Books

Holly Ryan is sailing a yacht and posing as a body double for a wealthy senator’s daughter. Her ship is soon overtaken by several masked men. Even though she fights them she is soon taken captive.

Rafe Angelito has secret reasons for why he is a kidnapper. One of which is the safety of his son. His past has come back to haunt him and unfortunately his son is caught in the crossfire.

Passions stir and Holly learns that Rafe is not the hard hearted con man he is pretending to be. Rafe learns that Holly is not the pampered princess that she was pretending to be. They soon team up together to take down a common enemy but can their newfound passion for each other survive?

Mystery, international intrigue, romance, and suspense make this a fast and entertaining read. It would also make a decent Lifetime flick. If you are looking for a light read or a beach read, this book would be excellent in that respect.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger

Book Review: Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger

Publisher: Touchstone

Finley Montgomery is a 20 year old woman and a psychic. She has true dreams, sees spirits, and speaks with the dead. She has a gift that she doesn’t want and it’s becoming hard for her to control. She tattoos pieces of her visions on her body. Moving to the Hollows, where her grandmother lives, is an escape from her overbearing mother. Her grandmother is also a psychic and starts to teach her ways to control her visions.

The Hollows is a mysterious town with a mysterious history. I wish there would have been more insight to that part. It seems to draw people and events to it. It’s said several times in the book “The Hollows wants what it wants.” It’s almost as if the town is its own living, breathing entity. It’s a character in the book for sure.

Finley meets the detective that her grandmother sometimes helps and is shocked to learn he has a missing person case for her. A little girl has gone missing and the police have given up hope but the girl’s mother has not. Finley reluctantly agrees to help and opens herself up to her visions. She also has to deal with her messy life and an even messier relationship.

The book is told from Finley’s point of view and the point of view of the missing girl and the horrors she is being subjected to. Some of the scenes are graphic but not too bad. A few parts of the book left me with a chill or two but I can report that it didn’t give me nightmares.

All in all, I liked this book a lot. I wanted more. The author left the ending open for a sequel and if she writes one I will most certainly buy it. The only parts of this book that I didn’t care for was that I wanted to know more about the town and its history. Also, Finley’s mother is portrayed throughout the book to be this huge mega bitch but when she’s needed she’s suddenly kind and caring. It was a little hard to stomach the huge personality difference.

Hopefully, if the author writes a sequel, she will tackle more of the town’s history. As I said, if a sequel comes out, sign me up. I have already recommended this book to several people outside of this blog and will continue to recommend it to many more.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. Thanks Netgalley, for another winner!

Book Review: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

Book Review: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

You wake up in a glorious garden. It’s green and lush and there is even a waterfall. It sounds like paradise, right?

Not if you have been kidnapped by The Gardener. He’s a handsome man that on an ordinary day you might find yourself attracted to. Now he’s your captor. He’s tattooed you, changed your name, and turned you in to his plaything. If you are good to him he is good to you. Good behavior gets rewards. Bad behavior gets punishments.

Really bad behavior gets you killed and put on display like a prized butterfly.

After the garden is discovered by the FBI they begin questioning the survivors. The book is told from the perspective of a young girl named Maya. She learns quickly that keeping The Gardener happy is the only way she can survive. Even while she is giving the agents all the answers she is able more secrets and more horrors are revealed.

This book stayed with me when it was over. Yes, it’s a tale of survival. It’s also a story of the depths of friendship between women. The characters were fleshed out pretty well. I shed a few tears during a few sad moments in this book. I almost cheered at the end.

This is definitely a highly recommended read. I only put it down for dinner and restroom breaks. It reads quickly but it also very detailed. The author is excellent at pacing and keeping the reader turning the page to find out what happens next. You almost NEED to find out what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you Netgalley, this one was a treat!

Book Review: Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Book Review: Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Publisher: Redhook Books

3,110 days after she was kidnapped, Lily escapes from captivity with her six year old daughter Sky. Her abductor was a man she thought she could trust. Rick was her teacher and he turned in to a monster that kidnapped her, raped her, beat her, and manipulated her into his compliant “baby doll”.

Little did he know that Lily’s spirit wasn’t as broken as he thought. One day, he gets careless and Lily escapes. She runs through the snow and cold with her daughter and goes straight to the only home she has ever known. She believes that they will now be safe.

Things have changed in her absence. Her father has passed away. Her mother has fallen into drinking. Her twin sister Abby has not only become depressed but is pregnant by Lily’s first love. As painful as it is, Lily has to adjust to the realization that life has gone on without her.

This story was compelling from start to finish. There have been stories in the news of people escaping from activity but you never really see what happens AFTER unless they get a book or movie deal. Granted this book is fiction but I think it shows that when a crime like this happens it’s like a pebble dropped in a still pond – the ripples extend out and touch more than just the criminal and the victim.

Lily’s twin Abby suffers from depression and guilt. Sky is a beautiful six year old girl who is dealing with being taken away from the only father she has ever known and not fully understanding what a monster he was. Lily has to deal with coming back to a life that is completely changed. Even Rick has to deal with the loss of his perfect public persona and the aftermath of being discovered as a pedophile and kidnapper.

The author made these characters realistic enough that you loved them, hated them, rooted for them, and even understood their decisions even if you didn’t agree with them. It’s a story of struggle, hope and survival. It’s a story that will stick with you even when you finish.

I received an Uncorrected Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest opinion.