"It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together—just like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time.
But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong—Emily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily’s husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It’s the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.
Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing—not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor—is as simple as it seems."
My Thoughts:
Okay so read the above summary at your own risk. Definitely don't read the entire thing that is on Goodreads as it gives way too much away in my opinion. This book was totally not what I was expecting. I knew from the very first page that I was going to be in for a wild ride though. The book begins with this reference to all of the secrets that everyone has....it was so good that I couldn't resist sharing on Litsy with other readers. It was the perfect way to begin this book and set the tone for everything that was to come. I hit the second portion of this book (it was broken into three parts) and that was it for me. I couldn't stop reading at that point because I was just so hooked by it all. I'm not saying a lot about the book yet because I feel like this is a book that could easily be spoiled. If all you want to know is if I enjoyed this book or not then stop reading by the end of this paragraph. The answer is yes, I did enjoy this book for the majority of it. I didn't love the ending but I will discuss that more in a little bit. It was fast paced and intense which is how I like my thrillers to be.
I'm going to be a bit more detailed (possible spoiler alert) from here on out. I really started reading this book with not having heard much about it. I read the summary on the book jacket but I really never knew what else to expect. The first half of the book had some weird vibes but I was just going along with all of it. The second part of the book is a game changer though. This is the first book that I've read that would actually deserve the comparison to Gone Girl. I don't think I liked any of the characters (except maybe the poor kids) which was just like my reading experience with Flynn's book. There were just a lot of similar vibes and with how over-used the comparison usually is....this is the first time that I actually feels like it might fit. That being said, I'm kinda over not caring for any of the characters. It sure didn't stop my from reading this book as fast as I could though! My only complaint with this book was the ending. I didn't care for the way it ended. I feel like the way the author hinted at Stephanie's secrets in the beginning portion of the book. I just wanted more out of her and the way it ended. I'm trying not to spoil anything so that is all I will say. This book was way crazier and darker than I expected so I will end my thoughts there.
Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience for the most part with this book. I can't believe that this is the first book by this author. It is crazy to think about, but now I'm looking forward to reading whatever she comes up with next. I'm eager to see what other readers think about this book. The best part sometimes is just discussing a book like this with other readers. I'm curious to see if others will feel like I did. I would recommend this book to fans of both thrillers and mysteries. I can also easily recommend it. Now to wait and see what this author comes up with next!
Bottom Line: This debut thriller was quite impressive!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a TLC book tour.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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