From the cover and author, I thought this was a suspense or thriller novel, but after the first few chapters, I was confused. It read like women's fiction about a woman and her adult daughter navigating a health crisis. Slowly some hints surface that all is not as it appears, and then the plot escalated quickly!
I appreciated this slow burn suspense novel. I was never completely sure of either main character's motives, which I enjoy in stories with a mystery to solve. The involvement of the daughter's workplace was an interesting aspect; I'm relieved I no longer have family members who reside at a senior living facility. I questioned the detailed flashbacks to the mother's high school years ... until I didn't.
Occasionally I anticipated a minor twist in the plot, but for the most part this story surprised me time and again. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Mara which was the perfect balance of intensity, although at first it was a bit confusing to track the daughter vs. the mother voiced by the same narrator.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review copy of the audiobook.
I appreciated this slow burn suspense novel. I was never completely sure of either main character's motives, which I enjoy in stories with a mystery to solve. The involvement of the daughter's workplace was an interesting aspect; I'm relieved I no longer have family members who reside at a senior living facility. I questioned the detailed flashbacks to the mother's high school years ... until I didn't.
Occasionally I anticipated a minor twist in the plot, but for the most part this story surprised me time and again. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Mara which was the perfect balance of intensity, although at first it was a bit confusing to track the daughter vs. the mother voiced by the same narrator.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review copy of the audiobook.
Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it's been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening. Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception. This was a great read from Sarah Pekkanen. The book is divided into three parts and has 2 POV's, one from Ruth and one from Catherine that switched back and forth. They both have hidden secrets that question everything they thought they knew about each other. It's a fast-paced plot that kept me reading until the very satisfying ending. There are things that happen that I did not see coming. I look forward to reading the next book by Pekkanen. If you like surprises with twists then you will love this book.
