I thought this author’s last book, After the Accident, was one of the most unique books I have read. So, I was looking forward to seeing how he followed it up.
Abi returns home after several years away and is immediately witness to a hit and run. The victim turns out to be the son of one of her oldest friends, Jo. From there, things just sort of…happen.
Usually I mention atmosphere or setting later in a review, but I’m putting it near the top because in this case, the situation within Abi’s hometown plays a direct bearing on the characters. In some ways it as influential as any person is on others in the story.
One of the things that Abi and her friends consistently comment on is how much has changed, yet still stayed the same. Hendo’s shoe factory was the lifeblood of the town. Once that happened, it took a lot of the town spirit with it.
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I think this is vital, because that means the story can easily be translated to any small town where factories or industry have dried up. Once jobs are gone, people lose hope and behavior becomes well…sketchy.
That’s absolutely the case in point here. Abi herself is chased by demons and falls into the same patterns that took her father. Holly (another friend) seems to be involved in a desperate scheme for money – but she didn’t feel she had a lot of other choices.
And then there’s Jo and her family. Secrets and lies abound here. And really, nobody does or says exactly the truth. It’s up to Abi, in her defeated state of mind, to try to figure everything out.
I’m not saying anything else about the plot, because of those secrets. While not quite reaching the bar he set, this is still fine psychological suspense.
