With everything going on in life these days, it is sometimes difficult to concentrate on a book. Not the case here. This one drew me in from the very beginning and had me turning pages through most of the book. I say “most” because, well….more on that later.
I thought that the author did a fantastic job of setting the scene. I am from the San Francisco Bay Area and spent many a weekend in the Monterey/Carmel area. It’s still one of my favorite places in the entire world (and I have traveled extensively). Big Sur, in particular, is scenic but remote, which makes the perfect place for this type of thriller.
As has been more common lately (or maybe it’s just the books that I have been reading), the house in question is as much a character as the people. It’s certainly the center and catalyst for everything that happens. Atmospheric is the word that comes to mind. Gothic also crossed my mind a few times, which is an interesting conundrum given the beauty of Big Sur.
I really don’t want to give anything away, so I’m going to be careful here. I loved the first three-quarters of this book. The pacing was good, the characters well-formed, and the plot was tight. I could tell that there was some serious gaslighting going on, but it was done in a subtle way at first, so that the tension built. The remoteness of the house contributed to that.
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The author also did a great job of dropping little hints here and there that weren’t exactly red herrings but gave just enough info to keep the reader guessing. What is the wife hiding? What is in the woods? Is there more to her than meets the eye? And what happened to her husband?
Everything unwinds naturally, for the most part. However, I have to say that the last quarter was a bit disappointing. As secrets were unraveled, things got a little bit out of control and the limits of plausibility were stretched. It almost felt as if it belonged to a different book. While there were threads to the rest of the book, the whole tone of the ending was different. It felt disjointed.
I also found it interesting that the “wife” is never named (unless I totally missed it somehow). Everything is named, even the house. But she goes nameless. I suppose maybe that was an effort to allow readers to put themselves in her place? It didn’t bother me and didn’t distract from the story, just an observation.
I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it for the descriptions of the California coast and the expert gaslighting of some of the characters.
Author Bio:
Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thriller, THE WIFE’S HOUSE (released by Bookouture Aug 24, 2020) and suspense and romance. Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.
When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.
