by Peter Swanson

A Mystery/Thriller, 2025 by William Morrow, 273 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• Telling the story backwards works but you really have to pay attention to those dates that start chapters. I’m not always a fan of that so I struggled, finding myself having to go back and check them.
• Both of these characters are not exactly perfect or great people. Realistic? Yes. Pillars of morals? Haha, no.

What I Did Like:

• The opening line is great! I love a good first line that pulls you into the story and immediately makes you ask some questions. 
• I adored the way Wendy’s character arc was written. She’s smart, calculating, and creative. She’s also dangerous but that just adds to the intrigue. One of my favorite literary characters likely EVER. 
• If this story had been told in chronological order it wouldn’t have worked the same. This way allowed for questions to naturally arise and then be answered by diving into the past. Plus, that final chapter really tracked BACK and let you infer some of the answers you wanted from the beginning. Really brilliant. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Mystery fans this one has a load of intrigue and a satisfying bunch of answers. Plus, this technique of telling the story backwards adds to the mystery! 
• Contemporary fans who like character driven stories, these characters are both morally grey and reveal that as the story progresses. They’re great! 

My Rating: 5 Stars

• I love when something different pays off and, in this case, it really does!