Author: Jess Ryder
Narrator: Rosamund Hine
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Publication Date: November 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: ‘They’re lying,’ my little stepson whispers, his blue eyes shining with tears as I tuck him into bed for the first time. ‘They think I’ve forgotten, but I remember everything. I know my mummy is still alive.’
My best friend warned me that it was too soon to marry Edward, a widower with an adorable but troubled little boy. She said we were moving too fast. But all I could see was a kind, loving man, struggling with grief, who needed my help.
Yet as storm clouds gather above our small wedding ceremony, my hopes and dreams fall apart. None of my husband’s family turn up to support us. Instead of a honeymoon, we have a quiet night in. My wedding bouquet is placed on his first wife’s grave. And then my new stepson tells me he’s sure his mother is still alive.
What does Noah remember and why is his father trying to make him forget? Have I been completely wrong about my husband? What happened to the woman who came before me, and how far will he go to stop me finding out the truth?
My Thoughts: This story began in what I consider a very predictable manner. Lily marries the man who hired her to homeschool his young son, Noah. He’s a bit older, successful, wealthy, etc., and so forth. His first wife died and he also has two grown daughters. Despite any red flags she may have noticed, Lily goes through with the wedding. Afterward, Lily’s new stepson informs her they are all lying and he remembers everything and that his mother is still alive.
This story has all the Alfred Hitchcock gaslighting feels and the more Lily uncovers, the more lies are told and the more unsettled I felt. It’s obvious Edward and his daughters, Tara and Georgia, are keeping secrets and downplaying everything Noah has revealed to Lily, but if your son says he is communicating with someone who is supposed to be dead, how do you not involve the police? As a parent, shouldn’t you be concerned that an online predator or someone may be targeting your child? That is, if you have nothing to hide…
The tight plot gets increasingly sinister and the suspense continues to amplify upward as Lily desperately tries to uncover the memories locked away in Noah’s mind to find out what really happened to his mother and who Noah is communicating with.
I have a few of this author’s books on my to be read pile but this is the first time I have read her work. I am looking forward to reading more and having the rug pulled out from under me. The audio narration performed by Rosamund Hine was exceptional, employing the right amount of emotion which added to the tension and suspense.
My Final Verdict: I enjoy a good spine-tingling thriller but when the people you love and have put your trust in are lying to you and gaslighting you, it makes the experience more edgy and uncertain. I recommend this story to fans who like danger closer to home.
Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
