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A review by sharanya
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
🚨THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS🚨
Holly Jackson continues to be the Queen of Excellent Plotting with this one — maybe a little bit too excellent? Like, the clues were so well laid out that the plot “twists” felt less like twists & more like puzzle pieces slotting neatly into place. I could’ve used a little more surprise, maybe.
TBH, I should’ve guessed earlier that Holly would’ve written another “f*** all the men” mystery novel. That’s her typical MO so again, I was not very surprised when it turned out that, in fact, nearly all the men in the book are kidnappers & murderers. & lol, how mad am I about that, really?
That said, I LOVED Bel & her take-no-shit attitude, & her relationship with her sister Carter was so tender & real. The pacing of Bel uncovering each piece of the mystery was ✨PERFECTION✨ bc, as I said, Holly is the Queen of plotting. The eventual answer to the mystery was well put together and felt pretty satisfying.
My ONLY final caveat is — is Bel gonna get some therapy? Bc she seems remarkably okay with the fact that she spent 16 years fiercely loving & defending a man for exactly the crime that he pretty much committed. Like. A) that seemed WAY too easily wrapped up and b) how is she so okay? Pls.
Despite my quibbles, this is EXACTLY the kind of mystery thriller that pulls you in & does not let go until the last page. A keeper for sure!
Holly Jackson continues to be the Queen of Excellent Plotting with this one — maybe a little bit too excellent? Like, the clues were so well laid out that the plot “twists” felt less like twists & more like puzzle pieces slotting neatly into place. I could’ve used a little more surprise, maybe.
TBH, I should’ve guessed earlier that Holly would’ve written another “f*** all the men” mystery novel. That’s her typical MO so again, I was not very surprised when it turned out that, in fact, nearly all the men in the book are kidnappers & murderers. & lol, how mad am I about that, really?
That said, I LOVED Bel & her take-no-shit attitude, & her relationship with her sister Carter was so tender & real. The pacing of Bel uncovering each piece of the mystery was ✨PERFECTION✨ bc, as I said, Holly is the Queen of plotting. The eventual answer to the mystery was well put together and felt pretty satisfying.
My ONLY final caveat is — is Bel gonna get some therapy? Bc she seems remarkably okay with the fact that she spent 16 years fiercely loving & defending a man for exactly the crime that he pretty much committed. Like. A) that seemed WAY too easily wrapped up and b) how is she so okay? Pls.
Despite my quibbles, this is EXACTLY the kind of mystery thriller that pulls you in & does not let go until the last page. A keeper for sure!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Stalking
Minor: Body shaming