BLURB:

A little girl has been left for dead. And now my husband is missing.

‘I can give you a lift home,’ the man says. Little Alice tightens the zip of her big red coat. She’s unsure, but the walk will be cold and dark. ‘I’m not supposed to get in a stranger’s car.’ He forces a smile. ‘I’m not a proper stranger, am I?’

I return home to our beautiful house on a chilly winter evening expecting to find my handsome husband Richard waiting for me by the fire. We’re still so in love, and he always takes care of me: buying us this home in the little village where he grew up, making sure I settled in and made friends, and treating my teenage daughter like his own. There’s a bit of gossip about our age gap, but the death of his first wife years ago was so tragic that he still gets sympathetic looks. Everyone loves Richard.

He usually comes straight back from work. But tonight, our antique clock ticks on through the dark evening, with no sign of him. Then a knock at the door shatters my perfect life. A 12-year-old-girl, Alice from the village, has been found unconscious in the field behind our house. They say she was last seen getting into Richard’s car.

Now rumours are flying. As Alice fights for her life in hospital, nobody will speak to me: and when they do it’s to ask if he didn’t hurt Alice, why hasn’t Richard come home?

I know that revealing my own darkest secret about Richard’s first wife could prove his innocence… but even if I do, he’s still missing. Is everyone right, and is my husband on the run? And will telling the truth about my past turn my own daughter against me, and tear our lives apart for good?

Fans of The Girl on the Train, I Am Watching You and Shari Lapena will adore this absolutely unputdownable read by bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson, about the dark secrets we hide to protect ourselves and the ones we love. 

MY THOUGHTS:

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book prior to its publication. My opinion is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

This book started in a way that made me think, “Wait a minute… is this a major spoiler?” And for a few pages I was utterly shocked. Thankfully, I was wrong. I see what the author tried to do there, but I feel that device should have been exploited in a more exhaustive way to make the revelations along the story even more shocking than what they were. I guess what I am trying to say is that this book was one of those deceptively predictable stories whose ending sneaks up on you and you don’t see it coming.

The development of the characters was good, although sometimes it was difficult for me to understand that Gemma character. Her actions were a bit over the top, even given the circumstances, and her way of dealing with the situation was a bit too chaotic and out of character for what she was going through.

I really liked the setting, though. I think the fact the story takes place in such a small village gives it an entirely different dimension. The number of suspects is limited and made me think of the way Agatha Christie plotted her novels. And no, I’m not comparing this book with Agatha Christie’s novels; just comparing the limited number of suspects for the case. Because of the small town element, the story felt more oppressive and claustrophobic, adding to the psychological aspect of this book.

Overall, a good story with a good pace. Really enjoyable if you are looking for a psychological thriller set in a small town. The only reason I don’t give it four stars is because the beginning was a bit confusing for me.

So, for all of that, I give this book… 3 TEA CUPS!