Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I sometimes wander into the loved one trying to solve a murder or disappearance genre, and this was a particularly depressing take on it. The narrator kept making wildly inappropriate choices that made her very unlikeable. I wanted to see if there was true resolution so I kept going, and in hindsight I wish I hadn't.

leah_bee's review against another edition

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3.0

sometimes you just don’t solve the case and I appreciated this books choice to do that

stellahadz's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I read Gillian Flynn's Dark Places in January, and I wondered at the time what the story would have been like if it had been written in the era of ubiquitous true-crime content like podcasts and subreddits. Rabbit Hole is as close as I've gotten to an answer to that question. It's an enthralling story about the aftermath of the main character's sister's disappearance and her father's death. It's more character-driven than most thriller novels, and the mystery is less about the "who" than the "how" or the "why." I understand some people's disappointment with some aspects of the story, but I thought it achieved its aims pretty well. It kept me engaged from the very first page, and although I wish some of the character arcs and storylines had been tied up a little more neatly, I think the point was that life isn't always like that.

I'd advise checking the content warnings for this book, and I'd generally recommend not reading it at all if animal cruelty is tough for you to read about - the instances in this book were just about at the limit I could handle, and I usually have a pretty strong stomach.

Content Warnings

horsley123's review

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4.0

It is indeed a 'Rabbit Hole' - ten years after Teddy's sister disappears, her father drive off a bridge to his death. As Teddy and her mother go through his things she comes across her father's ten year investigation into her sister's disappearance. At this point, who wouldn't follow up the leads? But as with all rabbit holes, at what point should you stop?

Teddy's desperation is tangible as she struggles to cope with so much loss, reaching out to people via Reddit, stalking potential perpetrators and generally making a mess of things. I was initially frustrated by the ending, but having sat with it for a few days I think it is the right one, life isn't like the movies after all!

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