3.98 AVERAGE

challenging dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
dark emotional tense fast-paced
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don't know how to feel about this book. I was anxious throughout the whole thing, but also so so frustrated.

1st off, if an ex of mine, one who I got pregnant with nonetheless, suddenly introduced himself as if he didn't know me, I would IMMEDIATELY tell my husband being like bro wtf was that??? I surely wouldn't befriend his wife and pretend all this time that we didn't make each other. That whole plot line was definitely kinda unnecessary, but I guess it was to throw you off. 2nd, Meredith had multiple chances to NOT get killed in the end. She could have pretended everything was fine and then went to the police. She could have discreetly asked the person at the front desk to call the police. But no, she didn't even try. Bee is the most diabolical person ever and every choice she made made zero sense. I'm sorry, you chose to hide a body, defile it, frame someone, murder a close friend, and then kidnap her child? When you could've just gone away for a few years for manslaughter and driving under the influence? Your life wouldn't be over after that, but it sure is now you dipshit. 

Honestly, the most unbelievable part of all of this is that two young girls got kidnapped and not immediately murdered for 11 years at the exact same time. It's so rare for kidnapped kids to survive more than a few hours, let alone years. That was the dumbest plot twist. Sorry.


Anyways, I gave this 3 stars cause I was on the edge of my seat and had a lot of feelings. I didn't predict hardly anything that happened so overall, it was a good thriller. I just think everyone made the worst decisions and it was too unrealistic.
challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

What it is with murder mystery/thrillers and having plot twists that felt meh at the end?  

There was a lot going for this book early on—the cast of characters were well drawn and you could start to see the beginnings of motives for the whodunnit. However, there’s several side twists that get left half-finished such as Cassandra and Marty.  The reveal of the true murderer seemed to be less interesting than the misleading asides.  It probably doesn’t help that this is the second thriller in a row to use the same mechanism of accident—feels incredibly tired to see it a second time in such close temporal reading association. 

Is there no other way to have an accident anymore? Ugh.  I suppose if I hadn’t just read Middle of the Night a month ago I might be more forgiving. 


Spice is limited to Meredith and Josh having a night out together, their marriage is well drawn out but there’s relatively speaking no spice in this book other than the usual side stories of affairs.  

Long story short, this felt like a tired retreading of a familiar story.  Maybe my next murder mystery needs to be set in the english countryside (there’s always murders going on in the country). 

Warnings in this book for kidnapping and child abuse/captivity.


Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious

2.5 ⭐️
dark 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: No
emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
mysterious 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