Might as well tell the truth here – the second I read the last page, I put my Kindle down and said, “Holy crap…wtf was that?”
And I mean that in the best possible way.
Seriously, what started out as a seemingly straightforward “who is telling the truth” psych thriller ended in a cacophony of revelations and…yes…wtf moments.
From the very beginning, Vivien was an unreliable narrator. Not that she was flaky, in fact, quite the opposite. She was extremely well-put-together. Almost too much so. It seemed to me that she was hiding something.
The same could be said about Ashton. Again, very put together, well-respected neurosurgeon, pillar of the community…you just know that it’s all too good to be true. Somebody has to be not what they seem…but who?
The further into the book I went, I still had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. I thought that maybe it had to do with the façade that she was upholding regarding her marriage.
Turns out I was only part right about that.
Apple: http://ow.ly/aPvB50D5lVO
Kobo: http://ow.ly/rMxA50D5lP4
Google: http://ow.ly/kydk50D5m3m
At almost exactly half-way through the book there was a revelation that turned pretty much everything on its ear. The first part of the book was clarified and from then on, it became a roller coaster of those aforementioned “WTF moments.”
I liked how the book was divided in this manner. It pretty much tore the rug out from underneath me. In retrospect, the first half was setting the scene of psychopathy (but on whose part?) and the second half was the application of that.
I will say that there were a couple of things that didn’t ring true to me in the first half of the book. Even after finishing, with all of the secrets being unraveled, I’m still not sure they entirely worked. But I did gain a better understanding of why those were what they were.
Purposely vague there…sorrynotsorry.
I’m not going to give away spoilers (anyone who has read my reviews knows how I hate them). But I will say that when you think you have a character figured out, you don’t.
When you think you know someone’s motivations, you don’t.
When you think you have the bigger picture, you don’t.
And if you assume this is a run-of-the-mill psych thriller, you’re wrong.
There are surprises right up until quite literally the very last page. Definitely one of the most unique and intriguing books I’ve read in a while, and I highly recommend it. And while you’re at it, check out The Wife’s House – also a pretty good psych thriller.
Twitter: A_Richmonde
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.
