Day: June 21, 2021

If the definition of a psych thriller is that it keeps the reader guessing until the last pages, then this one definitely qualifies.

The book starts with a tragic event and then immediately goes back in time to the months prior, working its way back to the present event, which occurs roughly halfway through.

It’s interesting, because the backstory section seemed much longer in the actual reading of the book. I was surprised when I went back to the book to check for this review.

I guess that’s a testament to the writing, that something was actually more condensed that it originally seemed to be.

Anyway, the author does a good job of sowing the seeds of doubt about Maria (the title stepmother) right from the beginning. Whether it is from Lily’s (the adult daughter) point of view or a well-placed reaction or thought from Maria herself, there are hints at the underlying secret throughout.

Lily was well-written and the perfect foil for Maria’s secrets. Were Lily’s reservations about Maria legitimate or was she still grieving over her mother’s death? This wasn’t heavy-handed or overdone, but just enough to cast doubt on Lily’s motivations.

Maria is the perfect embodiment of “if someone is too good to be true….” But the author didn’t make that obvious either. Was she as bad as she seemed to think, or was she being targeted for some unknown reason? Again, lots of little clues but no clear path.

When answers to the questions are slowly revealed, the full backstory becomes apparent, and the author wisely still leaves it up to the reader to determine the fault in the matter. I particularly liked that the author allowed the reader to draw their own conclusions.

A couple of twists felt heavy-handed and I’m not sure they were worthy of the story as they were more contrived than the main current. And the end felt a little cartoonish.

But I did like the growth in the characters – there was a depth to both Maria and Lily that showed their progress as individuals and in their opinions of each other that made them more human.

Also, on a possibly odd note, I really liked Seb. I kept waiting for him to be a typical throw-away character or to be a cad in some way. I won’t say why I liked him, but I want to thank the author for writing him the way he was.

As mentioned, the author does a good job of keeping motivations and reasons for events hidden until just the right moment, which keeps the reader turning pages – making it a great beach read to pass the time.

Author Bio:

Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women’s magazines.

Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen has recently signed a two-book deal with Bookouture to write psychological thrillers. The first one will be out in November, and the second one in 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, which will be out in 2021 and 2022