Two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn’t. The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost—until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a … ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It’s a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing.
Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found and her sister’s fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body—that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she’s increasingly sure the cases are connected.
Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for . . .
“A fast-moving page-turner. . . . Donlea skillfully maximizes suspense by juggling narrators and time all the way to the shocking final twists.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Well worth the read.”
—Booklist
“Donlea’s sophomore effort is solid. He keeps the reader guessing and second-guessing until the end, thanks to an expertly crafted abundance of potential suspects.”
—Library Journal
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A psychological thriller. This book started out slow, then really caught my interest. It really made me think about life choices and how they can severely alter your life.
Good
enjoyed very much
I really liked this story. I had hoped the writer could have added more at the end. I was sure I knew “who did it” but wasn’t even close.
A mediocre potboiler
The plot is silly and arbitrary and the writing is awkward. For instance:
Thirteen Month’s Since Megan’s Escape
Nicole looked at the boarded-up windows that were scantly visible…
Livia politely rebuked his offer ….
I wander around the dark corners of that building and people divert their eyes.
Livia diverted her eyes momentarily…
The rest of the car was empty besides the trunk.
Tyler and Mike, who took awkward glances at her on the way by.
I enjoyed this book, it took me longer to read, and I didn’t figure out the twist which always makes me happy. 🙂
I have just started reading books again and this was a great book to choose for my first read. The characters are easy to follow and the suspense kept me reading late into the night to find out what was next. I would recommend this read if you like suspense/crime novels.
Excellent book. It does not end as expected!
Right up to the very end I had no idea who the culprit was I loved it
This was a great read with twists and turns. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately read his other book, Summit Lake, which was equally enjoying!
The author keeps feeding you clues, some that take you down the wrong path, some that seem to add up but until the very end, you are left wondering what happened to Nicole Cutter.