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A review by lifeinthebooklane
Find Me by Anne Frasier
4.0
Having seen this thriller lauded widely amongst my blogging friends I decided to try a sample of the book. That was good enough to see me purchasing and then reading the rest at the first possible opportunity.
The story is told in the third person from multiple perspectives, precisely executed so that I never once struggled to know whose thoughts I was hearing. Some chapters were shown in flashback and again the time and person was very clearly signposted. As someone less familiar with the genre I not only enjoyed the story but also didn't spot any obvious plot holes, though the dress was somewhat of a loose end. The foreshadowing and breadcrumb clues were there but with enough held back that some twists were unexpected. There was a good air of suspense and anticipation too.
I loved that Reni was an unreliable narrator, it certainly added extra tension to the story. Despite her short-coming, or perhaps because of them I very much warmed to her. I liked Daniel too but felt as though we didn't quite get all of him. Not surprising really as this was Reni's past that was slowly being peeled back, her history and the truths of her childhood gradually being revealed. And both had dark pasts that they had buried like the bodies in the desert, hidden from plain sight but affecting every facet of their lives. Some aspects of the plot were not made clear, such as
The desert setting was very evocative, as someone from an island nation and another continent, I'm more familiar with the Mojave desert from old cowboy films. However, it felt like another character, a living breathing entity that gave the story extra colour. I will also admit that my romance roots kept showing through in wanting Daniel and Reni to "develop feelings" for one another. They didn't in this one but there is a new adventure in book #2 so I'm holding out hope!
The story is told in the third person from multiple perspectives, precisely executed so that I never once struggled to know whose thoughts I was hearing. Some chapters were shown in flashback and again the time and person was very clearly signposted. As someone less familiar with the genre I not only enjoyed the story but also didn't spot any obvious plot holes, though the dress was somewhat of a loose end. The foreshadowing and breadcrumb clues were there but with enough held back that some twists were unexpected. There was a good air of suspense and anticipation too.
I loved that Reni was an unreliable narrator, it certainly added extra tension to the story. Despite her short-coming, or perhaps because of them I very much warmed to her. I liked Daniel too but felt as though we didn't quite get all of him. Not surprising really as this was Reni's past that was slowly being peeled back, her history and the truths of her childhood gradually being revealed. And both had dark pasts that they had buried like the bodies in the desert, hidden from plain sight but affecting every facet of their lives. Some aspects of the plot were not made clear, such as
Spoiler
why Ben chose suicide. I wasn't quite sure how that would protect Maurice and Rosalind as it would surely cast more light on the situation rather than less - perhaps that was Ben's intention.The desert setting was very evocative, as someone from an island nation and another continent, I'm more familiar with the Mojave desert from old cowboy films. However, it felt like another character, a living breathing entity that gave the story extra colour. I will also admit that my romance roots kept showing through in wanting Daniel and Reni to "develop feelings" for one another. They didn't in this one but there is a new adventure in book #2 so I'm holding out hope!