Publishing Date: July 1, 2017
Publishing Co.: Thomas & Mercer
Pages: 292
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Imagine you’re the American dream. Midwestern housewife with two kids and a steady, reliable husband. He tinkers in the garage after work and you attend PTA meetings and after school events. Nothing rocks the boat for years and years. Until one day, someone accidentally drives their vehicle through your yard and into the garage revealing your quiet, dependable husband to be a ruthless serial killer. You have my attention.
The rest of the story is of a mother living in paranoia, trying desperately to keep her kids safe from people who want to hurt her and her children because they don’t believe she’s innocent, despite a trial that finds otherwise. They change their names, run and try to rebuild. Until someone in their new town begins murdering girls in the exact same manner as her ex-husband.
I’ll admit that this one was kind of a let down. I loved the concept and I was pumped to read it but it fell flat. Everything was predictable right down to the multiple red herrings. I knew fairly early on who the murderer was going to be and I was right. The “shocking” ending wasn’t so shocking. I saw that one coming a mile away, knowing that this is a series and there would have to be something to explain a second book. Gwen, the mother, has super level paranoia but doesn’t think a certain curiosity from a near stranger was an odd question? Or that someone who has been helping her all along did it out of a sudden change of heart? She put too many eggs in baskets that I wouldn’t have touched with a ten foot pole if I were in her shoes.
cupcakesandmachetes 
I actually really enjoyed this – but, I confess I didn’t guess any of the outcomes or who the killer was and I’m not sure if that’s because I just read it without too much deep thought or I’m just rubbish at second guessing – probably the latter. Shame it didn’t work for you though 😀
Lynn 😀
A lot of people really like it so I’m in the minority here. It was well written and there were likable characters, so it had that going for it. I don’t read murder mysteries too often so maybe I was just bizarrely on my game for this one lol.
Aw, that’s too bad that it wound up being so predictable. I haven’t ever really read many mystery thriller sorts of books. Maybe it’s a genre I should give a shot sometime. I think it could be fun trying to figure out who the bad guy is and whatnot.
I really like a good murder mystery now and again (my grandpa read mostly that genre), but they can be really hit or miss too.