Make Me Disappear by Jessica Payne is a psych thriller that you think will be about one thing but actually goes in a completely different direction.
In other words, it lives up to the promise of the “twist you won’t see coming.” Sometimes those promises are not fulfilled, but in the case of this psych thriller, it meets the standard.
Noelle is in a bad relationship. We know that right from the prologue. Just how bad, however, unfolds over several chapters. It takes a while to realize just how awful the situation is. The author does a great job of keeping the tension building.
Instead of being a damsel in distress, however, Noelle is a thinker, and she makes a plan to escape.
And that’s where everything really lets loose, and the action gets more interesting.
There are revelations that have bearing on the events (or do they) and you think you know who is controlling the entire thing (you won’t).
I thought the entire plot was well-done as it kept me guessing and second-guessing all the way through to the very end.
I especially liked the author’s writing style. The story is largely Noelle’s and chapters alternate between the present and the year or so leading up to the events that make up the main plot of the book. The “past” chapters are clearly marked with timeframes, so pay attention to those.
Every so often, there is a chapter from Daniel’s point of view. Those are deliciously creepy and enforce why Noelle feels the need to escape.
But, if you’re paying attention, you’ll realize there is actually more to Daniel than meets the eye. He’s…complex. That’s all I’m saying on that.
Once Noelle goes on the offensive, there are a few events that push the limit of belief, but I didn’t mind ignoring what would happen in reality. By that point, I was so invested that they could have turned it into a totally different novel, and I would still have finished it.
In other words, I definitely wanted to see the end result no matter what else happened in between.
Make Me Disappear is a debut novel from Jessica Payne. If it is any indication of future stories, I look forward to reading them!
Facebook: @authorjessicapayne
Instagram: @jessicapyane.writer
About the Author
Jessica Payne is the author of MAKE ME DISAPPEAR. She grew up in Kansas City, later moving to the Pacific Northwest where the mountains and Puget Sound became home. Beyond writing, she loves to run, rock climb, and explore the great outdoors with her daughter and husband. She is an RN and recently finished her degree as a nurse practitioner. When holding still, which isn’t often, you’ll find a book in her hand and a cat or dog (or both!) in her lap. Jessica writes suspense and thriller and is the host of #MomsWritersClub on Twitter and YouTube. You can find out more about her at her website, jessicapayne.net
