Pages: 384
Published: 25th July 2023
Genre: Mystery
Content warnings: Violence towards child, missing child storyline, references to domestic violence
Welcome to Stanhope. A safe neighborhood. A place for families. William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road.
So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper. Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing.
Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbours become increasingly unhinged.
Now this is what you call addictive. Every now and then you get a mystery that proves irresistible from the start, pulling you in with ample amounts of intrigue and enough hints to keep you grasping at possibilities but still some way away from landing upon the definitive answers – and this is one of them. For those who are capable of reading a book in one sitting, it ticks all the boxes.
Shari Lapena has carved herself a niche in the suburban crime genre, where her misleadingly simple prose disguises the intricacy with which her stories are crafted, feeding the reader with plenty of information through concise factual statements without giving too much away. Not all of them have been executed perfectly, with a couple of her books failing to leave a lasting impression, but this one is easily her best yet.
On the face of it, much of the story follows a similar formula. Frequent switching of third person narratives; two police officers attempting to solve the crime and pulling in the various suspects for questioning; characters in possession of pay as you go mobile phones. A missing child premise and extramarital affairs are also far from original. But what makes it so good is the execution of the mystery and how well thought out the details are, plus there is that sense of menace that makes it all the more enticing.
The mystery is set up so well, with the curious circumstances of Avery’s disappearance giving rise to a plethora of questions with several possible outcomes. As the revelations come about each of the characters and we discover their reaction to what has happened, their secrets are exposed and their resolve is tested during a police investigation that keeps us on the edge of our seats.
It remains curious until the main twist takes place about two thirds of the way into the book, which is worth the wait despite coming slightly out of left field. At that point the intrigue is replaced by sheer suspense in what becomes a battle of minds, and although it is kind of obvious how that will end, it adds a delightfully dark tone to the story that was not there before. Ultimately, no character comes out of it well. Some are emotionally damaged or lose a lot of their integrity, while others see relationships fall apart.
In a way, there is a twisted kind of poetic justice to the whole thing, but two characters who cannot be blamed for their misfortune are the two police officers, who just have the bad luck of working on such a fiendish case. Both of them are quite likeable, with the surprisingly sharp Bleddoe well complemented by the observant Gully, whose perspective is perhaps the most engaging of all.
William, meanwhile, is someone who you certainly do not have any sympathy for. He is a bit of a loser, cheating on his wife and striking his daughter. Considering he is a doctor, he really seems to lack common sense and regardless of whether he is responsible for Avery’s disappearance or not, there is never going to be any redemption for him. Nora, at least, manages to feel some kind of remorse for her actions.
It is therefore hard not to root for Avery’s mother Erin, who finds herself in an awful situation and is in over her head. Elsewhere, the author does a good job of exploring Michael’s turmoil and guilt, which is both powerful and extremely sad to read as those feelings gradually eat away at him. Then we have Marion, who is a real dark horse. Every character is well developed and adds something to the story.
The setting also plays an important part as all the key players live in the same neighbourhood. This creates conflict for one thing, but it also makes fertile ground for unwelcome and false rumours to spread. It is another example of the far-reaching consequences of Avery’s disappearance and the actions of those who orchestrated it. And remember, everyone is a witness.
With absolutely the right pacing, each individual piece of the plot is melded together seamlessly and there is genuine skill in how every switch of perspective is pitched so that we find out some crucial information but it leaves us craving more. The author comes out with some killer lines towards the end too, as things close on a truly ominous note.
Overall, this is a mystery that takes over your life during the period that you are reading it, and the characters will surely evoke some strong emotions with their positive and negative traits. The bare elements may appear rooted in cliché, but the reality is different as a fiendish and fabulous plot blooms from the seeds of a tantalising premise.
Like I said in my review, it is my favourite Shari Lapena book so far. Lucky number seven.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
