Reviews

This was a really interesting book. A crime thriller with the premise of how strong is a mothers love for their child, and how far would you go to protect them. It left me disconcerted ,with so many thoughts and feelings, for days after. A great read !

bsmith27's review against another edition

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4.0

I'd actually make this a 4.5 Stars book. Really drew me and I finished it in just over a day. Nina and Simon are a young couple who are visiting his family's property in Vermont. Nina comes from a blue collar family and Simon is from a wealthy family. They really do vilify people with money in this book which was a bit annoying. Story was told from Nina's point of view, her parents, her sister, Simon's parents. It was interesting to see everybody's point of view. From the beginning you assume that Simon has killed Nina. And there weren't us. No great twist which was actually kind of refreshing. You do see how horrible it is when a child is missing. In this story. They talk about how the media went after the parents and even made up lies about them. You also see how parents will protect their child at all costs. Simon killed Nina and buried her on the property. But then Nina's parents asked to have a search party go up to that property and so Simon's father watches the video footage from their cameras. He sees that exactly 12:00 One of the cameras is slightly moved so you can't see a trail. He assumes this was his son. So he goes up to the property and stumbles upon the body. Knowing that everyone is coming up tomorrow, he moves the body into the lake. The police are not able to get the camera footage because the company is based in Panama. Even though on the search a retired cadaver dog finds evidence of Nina, the police are having a hard time putting it all together. Then Simon takes Nina's sister Grace to a place where they can be alone. He hits on her and this is is where Nina's family can see his true character. I think it's a flaw to think that a person would have acted this way. Any way Nina's father goes to try to scare Simon into telling him what happened. He follows him out on a trail and then. You really get the idea that he didn't want to do this that he's a good guy, in the end he does kill him. He calls Nina's min to tell her that he messed up and is going to have to go to prison for a while and Nina's mom figures out an alibi and a Barry Simon underneath the barn. At the same time the police have gotten a warrant to search for Simon's phone. Simon's mom threw it in the lake to try to stop the police from getting it. Not knowing that that was the lake where the body was buried. So the police start searching and finding Nina. So everyone starts to assume that Simon has run off. His father does go to jail for moving the body. And the mother pleads with Nina's family to tell her if they did till they say just so she can have some closure. However, they don't tell her. This book was a lot about the character of people when something overall happens.

jessicataylor71's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

micasreads's review

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5.0

Author: Dervla McTiernan
Narrator: Full Cast
Started: August 28, 2024
Finished: August 29, 2024
Format: Audio
Genre: Thriller

Nina & Simon are on vacation when something happens, and Nina breaks up with him. When Simon returns home, he tells everyone that they had broken up and he came home but Nina was going to have someone pick her up the next day. Nina's parents file a missing person's report and an investigation ensues, and Simon's story is repeatedly questioned. When the truth is revealed, it will shock everyone.

I really enjoyed this novel. First, it should be noted that the plot was influenced by the Gabby Petito case although Simon's personality reminds me of the Natalie Hollway case. You will recognize the story within the first few pages. That being said, the story does find its own plot further into the book. The despair the family feels is palpable and their anger and fear show in every word. This story kept me interested from beginning to end. This is one I will be thinking about for some time.

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