Day: November 4, 2021

You’d be hard-pressed to find a psych thriller that better typifies the genre than this one. It has everything a reader wants in a book.

Lily is a sympathetic main character/narrator. She’s smart, intuitive, and a little too trusting. That last one is important because it has a big impact on the plot. It is vital she sees nothing wrong with her life until she’s in the middle of a mess.

But exactly what is the mess, and who is responsible for it?

I don’t think she is naïve in any way, although some readers may take her as such. I like that she is a teacher first and foremost because she looks at her problems from several different angles. As a teacher myself, I can relate to that.

The author does a great job of building the foundation through the first part of the book. It is the perfect example of “setting the stage.” The action moves along even though there are a lot of details to put in place.

And once those details are in place, hang on…because once Lily starts to realize certain things the action takes off and doesn’t let up until the very last pages. Actually, not even then.

The way the storylines converge is masterful. The parallels between the past and present situations are each detailed and unique but with enough similarities that the reader recognizes the important patterns.

This is vital to the story. But I’m not going to say why, because that would give away the plot. And that would be no fun to new readers. I did guess a few points, but only because I like to challenge myself to see if I can think like the author.

I rooted for Lily pretty much the entire book. There was only one part about ¾ through that I thought was out of character, but as I continued to read, I realized why she did what she did.

There are other characters in the book (of course). I don’t want to say anything specific about Edward and his family, because I might slip up. But let’s just say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I felt for Noah. And Marsha was a good friend.

But really, this psych thriller should be at the top of your list. I couldn’t put it down and read late into the night to finish it. An excellent entry in the genre.

Also by this author: The Night Away

Author Bio:
Jess Ryder is the pseudonym of Jan Page, author, screenwriter, playwright and award-winning television producer. After many years working in children’s media, she has recently embarked on a life of crime. Writing, that is. Her other big love is making pots.