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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Overall great binge-worthy thriller. Just right number of plausible suspects, some great twists. Will recommend.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
No
This novel is perfect for summer escapist reading.
Sam Frost is called by his daughter Clara’s daycare because his wife Bryden didn’t pick her up at the scheduled time. When Sam arrives home, Bryden is not there, though her cellphone, computer, and keys are, as is her car in her parking space. Sam checks with a neighbour and calls Bryden’s sister Lizzie and best friend Paige, but no one has seen or heard from his wife. The police are called, and Detective Jayne Salter leads the missing person investigation which soon becomes a homicide case.
The novel is narrated in the third person but from multiple perspectives: Bryden’s family, (mother Donna and sister Lizzie), best friend Paige, and a neighbour, as well as the lead investigator. Also included are Derek Gardner, whose car Bryden rear-ended six weeks earlier, and his wife Alice. Of course, the reader is not told everything that someone is thinking and feeling.
Very quickly a number of suspects emerge as it’s obvious that many people have secrets and are untrustworthy, being capable of deception and betrayal. Many have motives, especially jealousy, and opportunity. Everyone thinks Sam and Bryden had a perfect marriage and a perfect life, but this proves not to be the case. The reader is certainly kept guessing; much of my interest in the book lay in trying to determine the identity of the murderer.
The plot does have some flaws. The broken security camera system is very convenient. Then the case is solved more by chance, a witness coming in after remembering something crucial at the right moment, than solid investigating. The back story of one of the characters also seems rather far-fetched, though no doubt such people do exist. And of course the ending, with that final exchange, is particularly chilling because of this character’s personality and backstory.
I would not say this book is a literary masterpiece, but it is definitely entertaining; it does what it was intended to do. It’s fast-paced with lots of potential suspects, red herrings, and twists. I liked Jayne Salter and would enjoy seeing her in a series. As stated at the beginning, this is a perfect summer read to take to a park, a beach, a cottage, or the backyard.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
dark
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
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
I enjoyed most of this book but the resolution was pretty deeply unsatisfying and left a lot of loose ends—any thriller/mystery that's any good will employ red herrings, but most of the red herrings at play here seem very forced in retrospect. Beyond that, the over-explanation at the end was at a certain point kind of silly. I'm all for making it clear what happened but it was made clear a few times over and then the characters internal-monologued their justifications on top of that.
I'm trying not to just give everything a 3 simply because I still mostly enjoyed it. So, this gets 2.5.
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced