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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first line of this book was what got me intrigued, and it’s literally one of the craziest starting lines I’ve ever read!! And I did enjoy the ride throughout but I felt the twists to be a bit underwhelming [maybe would be shocking for a beginner of the genre].
What can you expect
💉Psychological thriller with unreliable narrators
💉Murder mystery with a missing person’s case
💉Unlikeable characters
💉Detective wife x Psychiatrist husband
💉Betrayal, secrets and lies
💉Toxic marital relationship
💉Multiple povs
What it’s about
Detective Dinah Marino has built her life around control—on the job, in her marriage, and especially when it comes to the truth. Her psychiatrist husband, Joe, is everything she’s ever needed: steady, compassionate, and above all, trusting. But for ten years, Dinah has carried a secret—one she’s buried so deep, not even Joe suspects the weight of it.
When a missing woman tied to Dinah’s latest homicide case is admitted to Joe’s hospital under mysterious circumstances, he finds himself caught between professional ethics and the woman he thought he knew. And as the lines between personal and professional blur, the couple is drawn into a high-stakes game of deception, where every truth uncovered threatens to unravel everything they’ve built.
My thoughts
I’ve read and loved another book by this author but the tone of this one felt so different from the other. While this was equally thrilling and also read fast, it seemed like the author tried to incorporate more dark humor in here which didn’t work for me at times. What worked though was the gruesome and gross imagery at the start cuz the way she juxtaposed the couple eating cereal to flies devouring a body was morbid yet brilliant. Also, from the start, she delivered so much in short, crisp sentences while also hinting us that something was definitely wrong with the couple, and I liked playing detective on the side by noting those deets, which leads to my only gripe in the novel – the twists were predictable!!!! While the book took some dark turns by the end that I didn’t expect, most of the reveals were something you can easily deduce if you paid a bit more attention. But that didn’t hinder my enjoyment, it just left me a bit less satisfied.
Now coming to the characters—Dinah honestly seems a bit obsessed with her husband. And while that wouldn’t normally feel suspicious, the way she constantly thinks about him after every move she makes? Wondering what to tell him and what to keep to herself? It really makes you question if she’s the issue or if he is. Because when a woman’s always overthinking what to hide and what to share with her own husband, that screams red flags!!!
And Joe really doesn’t help ease those suspicions—he somehow seems to know everything Dinah’s doing, even when she’s actively keeping him in the dark. It gave me some seriously unsettling vibes. Plus, the man has a freakishly good memory (like he remembers tiny things she mentioned in passing years ago😭), and he sees right through every single one of her lies. Tell me that isn’t at least a little creepy?!🙂↕️
Whether they’re both tangled up in the case or someone else is deliberately playing them against each other, you’ll have to read to find out. Overall, I’d recommend this if you’re in the mood for a domestic thriller that’s easy to get into, keeps you guessing, and plays with the idea of unreliable narrators in a really clever way. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author!!
What can you expect
💉Psychological thriller with unreliable narrators
💉Murder mystery with a missing person’s case
💉Unlikeable characters
💉Detective wife x Psychiatrist husband
💉Betrayal, secrets and lies
💉Toxic marital relationship
💉Multiple povs
What it’s about
Detective Dinah Marino has built her life around control—on the job, in her marriage, and especially when it comes to the truth. Her psychiatrist husband, Joe, is everything she’s ever needed: steady, compassionate, and above all, trusting. But for ten years, Dinah has carried a secret—one she’s buried so deep, not even Joe suspects the weight of it.
When a missing woman tied to Dinah’s latest homicide case is admitted to Joe’s hospital under mysterious circumstances, he finds himself caught between professional ethics and the woman he thought he knew. And as the lines between personal and professional blur, the couple is drawn into a high-stakes game of deception, where every truth uncovered threatens to unravel everything they’ve built.
My thoughts
I’ve read and loved another book by this author but the tone of this one felt so different from the other. While this was equally thrilling and also read fast, it seemed like the author tried to incorporate more dark humor in here which didn’t work for me at times. What worked though was the gruesome and gross imagery at the start cuz the way she juxtaposed the couple eating cereal to flies devouring a body was morbid yet brilliant. Also, from the start, she delivered so much in short, crisp sentences while also hinting us that something was definitely wrong with the couple, and I liked playing detective on the side by noting those deets, which leads to my only gripe in the novel – the twists were predictable!!!! While the book took some dark turns by the end that I didn’t expect, most of the reveals were something you can easily deduce if you paid a bit more attention. But that didn’t hinder my enjoyment, it just left me a bit less satisfied.
Now coming to the characters—Dinah honestly seems a bit obsessed with her husband. And while that wouldn’t normally feel suspicious, the way she constantly thinks about him after every move she makes? Wondering what to tell him and what to keep to herself? It really makes you question if she’s the issue or if he is. Because when a woman’s always overthinking what to hide and what to share with her own husband, that screams red flags!!!
And Joe really doesn’t help ease those suspicions—he somehow seems to know everything Dinah’s doing, even when she’s actively keeping him in the dark. It gave me some seriously unsettling vibes. Plus, the man has a freakishly good memory (like he remembers tiny things she mentioned in passing years ago😭), and he sees right through every single one of her lies. Tell me that isn’t at least a little creepy?!🙂↕️
Whether they’re both tangled up in the case or someone else is deliberately playing them against each other, you’ll have to read to find out. Overall, I’d recommend this if you’re in the mood for a domestic thriller that’s easy to get into, keeps you guessing, and plays with the idea of unreliable narrators in a really clever way. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author!!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Will write review for this arc soon.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you think Dinah is unhinged… you should definitely meet Perla (from “The Last Party”) if you haven’t already.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated