A heart-pounding novel of unspeakable crimes and unforgivable sins from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sound of Rain.Homicide detective Nicole Foster has finally balanced an unsteady life and is anxious for a second chance. There’s no better place to start over than at the beginning—back at her childhood home on the Washington coast, where’s she raising her niece and keeping an … raising her niece and keeping an eye on her increasingly fragile father. But Nicole’s past is never truly behind her—not when a disturbing new case stirs dark memories of the haunting investigation that shattered her career.
In the middle of the hottest August in a century, a toddler is found dead inside a parked car. Her father says he forgot her. It’s an unthinkable crime. And for Nicole, it’s made all the more unbearable by her own suffocating secrets—those shared by an old rival who has reappeared from the shadows and is pushing Nicole to the edge once again.
Now, wherever the truth lies, solving this case and avenging an unforgivable death is the most important move in Nicole’s career. But to see it through to the end, how far is she willing to go? And what is she prepared to risk this time?
more
I love everything Gregg Olsen writes. He knows how to entertain.
Engrossing psychological thriller that draws you into the lives of the characters and allows you to have an insider’s look at their thoughts, fears, struggles, regrets and hopes. The plot is intriguing and is masterfully developed.
The second book in the series, this was read as a stand-alone in my case. It worked as such, I do not feel I missed out on any character development or plot misalignment. The story itself was alluring and multifaceted. It does deal with the darker subject of child neglect and death, so sensitive readers should be aware.
Homicide detective, Nicole Foster, is attempting to start life over in her small hometown. She is determined to escape her past. One that includes bad choices in men, addiction, and a narcissistic sister. For the past three years she has been raising her niece, taking care of her aging father, and working to regain her reputation as a good cop. As Nicole is beginning to find balance in her new life, a startling new case threatens to throw her off course. She receives a call from her partner, Detective Carter Hansen, to find that a toddler has been found dead inside her father’s car. As they begin to work what seems to be a straight forward case, Nicole and Carter find that everything and everyone is not as they appear. Simultaneously, Nicole’s memories of a past case that almost ended her career and cost her everything comes crashing forward. She is thrown into the lies and deception surrounding her sister’s life and she is forced to an awakening that she must either continue to bare the weight of keeping silent or find the strength to do what’s right.
This book is an easy 4 stars. I hesitate on 5 because of the lack of closure we are left with involving some of the tertiary subjects. While understanding that this is a series and that the bigger story lines can, understandably, be carried over and left to linger, the reader does not want to be left without remedy on internal plots within the book itself. That being said, this is a great read. Olsen’s story is dynamic and the character twists are remarkable.