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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
4 stars.
Huge thanks to Heather Gudenkauf, Harlequin UK Limited and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sneaky husband alert! Jack's always told Sarah that his parents died in a car crash but when they go back to his hometown to see his Aunt Julia, who's in critical condition in hospital, she begins to realise what he's told her may not be, in fact, true. And so begins her sneaky mystery solving to find out what, exactly, went on all those years ago and why Jack has been lying to her all these years.
A good read and a fun mystery, the characters were, mostly, well-rounded and, although I figured out what was going on, it was still enjoyable to go along for the ride.
A couple of things bugged me, not enough to put it down but enough to knock off a star.
Huge thanks to Heather Gudenkauf, Harlequin UK Limited and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sneaky husband alert! Jack's always told Sarah that his parents died in a car crash but when they go back to his hometown to see his Aunt Julia, who's in critical condition in hospital, she begins to realise what he's told her may not be, in fact, true. And so begins her sneaky mystery solving to find out what, exactly, went on all those years ago and why Jack has been lying to her all these years.
A good read and a fun mystery, the characters were, mostly, well-rounded and, although I figured out what was going on, it was still enjoyable to go along for the ride.
A couple of things bugged me, not enough to put it down but enough to knock off a star.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I hate to use Girl on the Train as an example (the go-to book that other thrillers are compared to) but you know how some readers didn't like that book because they didn't like the lead character? Well, that's how I felt about this book. I was annoyed with Sarah and rolled my eyes at her more times than I could count. But, the mystery plus small town-setting, family-secret dynamics was enjoyable enough to keep me reading.
This book wasn't horrible, but it wasn't all that great either. The writing is pretty juvenile and repetitive, and I figured out pretty early on what was happening. I had the "who" and most of the "why". But I was looking for a quick easy mystery, and that's what I got, so 3 stars it is.
This was a quick read that was enjoyable from start to finish. I love how realistic the plot line was. Love the authors style!
For an ex reporter, the main character doesn't seem to pick up on a lot. I could be angry with her at her husband's deception, but I was also angry at her for not connecting pieces. The murderer was obvious to me halfway thru.
3.5, I was back and forth with this book, where I couldn’t put it down and then it felt like a slow burn. that last 20% I couldn’t put it down. I am not sure why but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Sarah was a lot at first but then I found myself feeling bad. I wanted to shake Jack.
Overall,
- Family drama, holy wow!
- Jealousy daaaang
-Amateur sleuthing up in here!
Overall,
- Family drama, holy wow!
- Jealousy daaaang
-Amateur sleuthing up in here!
I would rate this book 3 1/2 stars . The mystery is good but I just could not identify with the protagonist. Sarah is married to Jack for 20 some years and has two college going kids with him . She was a reporter but but now writes for an advice column . For being married for so many years she didn't know anything about Jacks past history . Jack takes the silent strong type to an extreme . There was no chemistry between both of them and even though whodunnit is good I just couldn't fully get into the book so am giving it 3 1/2 stars
This was a decent thriller. It kept me interested and wondering right to the end.
I’m giving it ***, but 3.5 is probably closer to my opinion. I liked Heather Gudenkauf’s writing. The prologue is definitely a hook to motivate the reader to dig in and keep turning the pages. However, the more I read, the more frustrated I became with Sarah and her jumping to conclusions about Jack. I found it very hard to believe that Sarah and Jack had been married for all those years, and after only a few short days Sarah is completely convinced that Jack is a murderer, especially when he was miles away when Julia(his aunt) was attacked.
I had unanswered questions. Why does the story have Jack think he sees his father shortly after arriving at the hospital? It’s completely unlikely that he could still be alive, in the vicinity and no one would have seen him since Lydia’s death. Why is Jack’s sister, Amy, so messed up if she’s been living with her wonderful Aunt Julia and Uncle Hal all those years? What are Jack’s cousin, Dean and Celia arguing about when Sarah sees them fighting with each other? How did Celia know that Sarah was the column writer for Dear Astrid? Did Jack tell her? Why would he do that? Who ran Sarah off the road and into the cornfield? It must have been Celia, but this incident is not addressed later. I think that if these loose ends had been tied up I would have like this book better.
I had unanswered questions. Why does the story have Jack think he sees his father shortly after arriving at the hospital? It’s completely unlikely that he could still be alive, in the vicinity and no one would have seen him since Lydia’s death. Why is Jack’s sister, Amy, so messed up if she’s been living with her wonderful Aunt Julia and Uncle Hal all those years? What are Jack’s cousin, Dean and Celia arguing about when Sarah sees them fighting with each other? How did Celia know that Sarah was the column writer for Dear Astrid? Did Jack tell her? Why would he do that? Who ran Sarah off the road and into the cornfield? It must have been Celia, but this incident is not addressed later. I think that if these loose ends had been tied up I would have like this book better.