When family secrets are unearthed, a woman’s past can become a dangerous place to hide… clue to her elusive past. Twenty-three years ago, she’d been found wrapped in a yellow blanket in the narthex of the Holy Saviour Catholic Church—and rescued—or so she’d been told. Her mother claimed there was no more to the story, so the questions of her abandonment were left unanswered. For Ava, now is the time to find the roots of her mother’s lies. It begins with the house itself—once the scene of a brutal double murder.
When Ava enlists the help of the two people closest to her, a police detective and her best friend, she fears that investigating her past could be a fatal mistake. Someone is following them there. And what’s been buried in Ava’s nightmares isn’t just a crime. It’s a holy conspiracy.
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This book started out well enough, it truly seemed interesting. Sadly, once I figured out what happened, and why it happened, it suddenly felt like I had wasted time and energy.
Keeps you guessing!
I read a couple of reviews and thought this would be a ‘great’ read. It was for the first 30 something chapters, then it became a chore. I felt it could have been shortened and been a considerably more intense mystery. I also didn’t like the ‘main’ character, Ava. It seemed she was just too shy, at first, then too calculated when the heat was turned up. I didn’t think the murders that led up to the finale were all necessary and seemed a little disjointed to the plot. I don’t know that I will read more of Ava Saunders. Sorry.
I enjoyed this book, except when I got to the ending. The book was a page-turner, but the ending was poor and not believable….and if the ending wasn’t bad enough it was a setup for a sequel. This could have been an intriguing story…but it ended in a hot mess. The only way I would read the next book is if it’s a freebie, and that’s still iffy…..sorry, this could have been a better effort by the author
What do you do when everything is ripped away from you when you are too young and vulnerable to do anything about it? If you are Ava Saunders, you wait. Then, you get creative. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
A brutal, vicious attack left Ava Saunders an orphan at the age of three. Raised by a woman closely linked to the crime she remembers little about the night that ripped her entire world apart. She grows up on the run, always wondering who she is and where she came from. But if you think this book has a Hallmark ending, brace yourself. The impact will cause more than whiplash.
Ellen J. Green has written a truly terrifying tale. The ghosts and monsters and villians are hidden in the pages, the way evil is hidden behind the most ordinary, even benign faces. It is insidious, and it strangles the life out of the reader’s hope the way one act of selfish need twists through the lives of the characters in the story. As for judgment, good luck. Right and wrong are turned on their ears.
If you are triggered by hints of child sexual abuse, read with caution. There is no graphic content, but the facts are there. There are also negative portrayals of Catholic clergy, which some might find objectionable. It is the first in a series, so there is a cliffhanger, and any hope of a happy resolution is pretty much annhilated. Proceed with caution.
Book source ~ Kindle First
There was always something off about the story her family told about how Ava was adopted by Claire Lavoisier-Saunders. Ava wanted answers and her family wasn’t talking. So when Claire dies Ava starts searching in earnest. When her best friend and a detective from work pitch in to help, the mystery starts to unravel, but the past is filled with murders. Then Ava herself disappears and it’s up to Joanne and Russell to finish the job.
I don’t care for the way this story is written. I can’t say why because it would be a spoiler, but I’m not a fan. Also, I don’t like Ava. Not one bit. The twists and turns in this are decent, but the means to finding the answers just turned me off. Again, spoilers which I won’t reveal. It’s just too hard to swallow, and falls very close to what I consider ex machina. I think the plot could have been written a different way, making it more believable and still been a great mystery. As it is, I’m disappointed in the execution.
Ava Saunders was found 23 years ago, wrapped in a yellow blanket, and left at the doorstep of the Holy Saviour Catholic Church and was later adopted.
Her adopted mother and family would never answer questions about her birth, her abandonment, and her natural parents. Now that her adoptive mother has died, Ava is looking for the answers that have always evaded her.
Ava has found a photograph ,,, so far non-threatening … showing an open door. When Ava locates the house, she finds that the two people living there were brutally murdered.
And there have been more deaths.. with one thing in common … the Church. And who is the man who is following her? And who wants her dead?
This is a terrific mystery. I liked the characters, and the story premise is a good one. A few twists and turns along the way … and a major surprise … will keep you riveted to the pages. The one drawback is there is a cliff hanger. Good news .. the second book in this series, ABSOLUTION is already available.
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Crime Mystery. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
I just finished this book, WOW! It kept me guessing as to what was happening, it is a bit of a who done it and when you find out, close your mouth.
Kept me guessing til the end.
Not that many twists, and a little confusing at times to keep the characters straight, especially as the narration toggled from one to the next. But, don’t lose faith, even if this keeps you wondering and guessing. Overall, it was a good mystery-suspense and I kept wondering why family secrets should endanger a woman looking for her biological family.
A good story line with twists. I’m not a fan of the ending. It seems like it ended in a way to promote the next book. Characters are well developed. Don’t know that I care for the storyline enough to read the next book. This book on its own is a good read.
There’s a lot of anger in this tale, and I think the author was able to channel it in the lissome, paradoxical character of Ava. Though she defies reason, we want her. Bad. And maybe it’s the allure of danger that surrounds her. Or it could simply be that she was raised French and Catholic. Either way, watch out.
If you like the strange and mysterious, then grab this book. And you might want to crack open a nice Château Lafite Bourdeaux to put yourself in the mood.
Slow start but turned out good
i love the book it is very lovely
Good book. Great twists. Surprising ending. Could be a second. Looking into some of her other works now…book of James seems good…reading the sample now.