- Started: November 29, 2021
- Finished: November 30, 2021
- Pages: 285
- Single POV, Texas
- Rating: 4.5/5
- TW: Rape
REVIEW + SUMMARY
I’m slowly making my way through Julia Heaberlin’s bibliography (I just have one left) and this was another great novel. Even though it dealt with some pretty heavy topics such as rape and drawn out murders, I also felt that this book had the greatest amount of humor to it. The characters were a bit over the top, but that just added to the fun of the story. There were a lot of different characters with murky motives and possibly related storylines that the book kept me on my toes throughout. Heaberlin’s later books (this is her second thriller) are described as “books of suspense” but this was not and kept up a fair level of action throughout.
Emily and her husband, Mike, move to Clairemont, Texas in the middle of her pregnancy for his career: he has been appointed police chief. Emily attempts to make friends with the ladies in town, many of whom are part of a secret society lead by Caroline Warwick. Emily is reluctant to be included and her feelings of despair only grow when Caroline disappears and a series of ominous notes appear at Emily’s doorstep. She is unsure if they are connected to the missing socialite or her own dark past but knows that, either way, she is in grave danger.
I was surprised by the ending and by how all the various pieces came together, but I thought it worked out well. I am glad to have read this and recommend it, especially if you are fans of her other work. It is the third book I have read by Julia Heaberlin this year (We Are All the Same in the Dark and Black-Eyed Susans are the other two) and I only have one more to read before going through all of her thrillers. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Books and Lewks 