Forget the truth.
Remember the lies.
He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and wearing only swim trunks. He can’t remember who he is. Everything—his identity, his life, his loved ones—has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth uncovers more questions than answers.
Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.
Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?
Shared fates intertwine in a twisty, explosive novel of suspense, where unearthing the past might just mean being buried beneath it. (Pub Date: May 25 2021)
I'm a big fan of Hannah Mary McKinnon's works and I thought I should be honest and start by that disclaimer, because this is another compelling web of mysteries she's weaved for us.
Our main character wakes up on the beach with no memories and can only trust his instincts, which takes him to a town and Maya, a sister he'd left years before. Lily is looking for her boyfriend, whom she was about to move in with until he disappeared and she found out there was a lot more about him. Is he really our main character? What caused him to disappear then and again now?
I feel this book is a mix of McKinnon's last two books, so if you've enjoyed them, you'll probably like this one too. But as I've learned not to trust similarities, that didn't fool me this time (check my review for Sister Dear and you'll know it's a case of been-there-fell-for-that). Still, it amazes me how she manages to reinvent herself even when the elements are similar: spouse finds out their lover has been lying + finding a sister you never knew you had.
Although I liked the male character a lot, my favorite was surely Lily (I couldn't trust Maya enough, but I did feel her pain, and maybe that's why). It was also painful to follow Lily's drama in losing her meaningful one and seeing her life crumble down, I can't imagine how it must have been for her.
On the down side, maybe I've become immune at this point, but I could actually predict the main twists. Though it was still a light read, not wordy, straight to the point, I also couldn't call it a quick one for an average-length book. Don't worry, it won't take you a full year, but you probably won't be able to do it in a single read. I wonder if it's the dark, foggy scenery (which I made in my head, ahaha). Notwithstanding, I guarantee you will come back to finish it, you'll have to.
For all that, I can't say this is my one favorite book by this author (so many to choose one!), but for sure it is one of my favorite thrillers of the year. The plot is twisted as we all love it and puzzling. Don't miss it!
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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