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A review by melissasbookshelf
For Elise by Sarah M. Eden
3.0
Ok, I devoured this latest book by Sarah Eden (only ~250 pages). It is a sweet yet tragic story of childhood friendship, trust, horrifying events, and overcoming tragedy. Miles and Elise spent all of their childhood together and are virtually inseparable. When a horrible murder occurs, Elise disappears at the age of 15. Four years later, Miles has become a Marquees and has inherited a large estate. He still mourns the disappearance of his best friend. When he happens to glimpse a stranger and her daughter in a shop, he determines to follow them and help them because the woman looks like Elise. He is shocked to find that it is Elise. The rest of the book unravels what happened to Elise, why she has a difficult time trusting Miles, and why now that she has been found, the murderer wants her dead too. The villain is creepy and while I picked the murderer from the beginning, I ended up second guessing myself at the end.
My reason for only giving this a 3 is that I was somewhat annoyed with the characters and how the mystery plot unfolded. The fact that Elise and Miles have a deep connection is shared literally every chapter yet it becomes somewhat annoying and painful to see Elise's lack of trust for her friend. As the plot unfolds, it becomes obvious why and better explains her behavior, but it is hard to understand up until this point. Miles is a little obtuse at times, yet I found myself liking him. I wish the mystery would have been given a little more attention. The notes and the villain were really creepy and I think much more could have been given to this plot while still maintaining the developing love story. The facts around the mystery are left a little hazy. We never really get a full explanation as to what happened that night. The motives while explained are a little ambiguous as well. All in all, it was a quick suspenseful read. Despite some flaws, it was hard to put down. I enjoyed it and look forward to more Sarah Eden books!
My reason for only giving this a 3 is that I was somewhat annoyed with the characters and how the mystery plot unfolded. The fact that Elise and Miles have a deep connection is shared literally every chapter yet it becomes somewhat annoying and painful to see Elise's lack of trust for her friend. As the plot unfolds, it becomes obvious why and better explains her behavior, but it is hard to understand up until this point. Miles is a little obtuse at times, yet I found myself liking him. I wish the mystery would have been given a little more attention. The notes and the villain were really creepy and I think much more could have been given to this plot while still maintaining the developing love story. The facts around the mystery are left a little hazy. We never really get a full explanation as to what happened that night. The motives while explained are a little ambiguous as well. All in all, it was a quick suspenseful read. Despite some flaws, it was hard to put down. I enjoyed it and look forward to more Sarah Eden books!