It takes most of the book to find out what is The Truth About the Accident, but Nicole Trope makes the journey worthwhile in her new psych thriller.
The prologue introduces us to a pivotal character – without letting us know exactly who that is and who is speaking about them. That becomes important later in the book, as chapters from this person pop up throughout the plot.
The first chapter is also a grabber, as it consists of calls to 911 following an accident in an intersection during a torrential rainstorm. If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice something striking right from the beginning.
(No spoilers, just pay attention to what the callers are saying).
The rest of the story unfolds from the perspectives of three women: Marla, Sonya, and Athena. Each of them has a tie to the victim of the accident. And each of them has deep secrets – also tied to the victim.
The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing as to the ulterior motives of each while also building each of the women’s characters. Are they more similar than they (and we as readers) think? Is there something they know that the reader doesn’t?
And that “speaker” in the prologue…is that one of the women or someone else? Not telling.
In time, the twists really start to hit, and the reader realizes how the stories of the three women intertwine. It’s just excellent pacing all around.
One of the things I liked was the authenticity of each of the women. Their attitudes, reasonings, and motivations are organic, and each character is fully realized.
The resolution is a bit far-fetched, but by then, the reader is so invested that it doesn’t matter. I actually celebrated that each of the women got their “turn” in the resolution. And the last part? It makes a terrific bookend to the prologue.
I am a huge fan of Nicole Trope. The Truth About the Accident is one of her best, and I look forward to her next psych thriller.
