“Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate town where he lives: he’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him: he’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed fearing for her life. When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his 13-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. After five years of captivity, Aidan is betting on Rachel being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.”
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Publication Date: June 20th 2023
A pulse pounding psychological thriller about a serial killer narrated by those closest to him: his 13 year old daughter, his girlfriend, and the one victim he has, for some reason, spared.
For the subject matter that this book covers, I didn’t really find myself liking or sympathising with any of the characters that we got to know across the three points of view we are told the story from. Rachel has been held captive in the shed of Aidan Thomas for five years, and when he needs to move house, he does all that he can to keep up appearances, but Rachel is waiting for him to make a wrong move; one that will ensure her escape.
With a strong start, you seem to expect one thing from this book, but as the story progresses, it seems to drag for an unnecesarily long time; there are a lot of mundane things that could have been cut so that we could have gotten to the point a lot quicker. I feel like the ending was a bit bland, and for such a good story, it could have went a number of different ways and not the somewhat dull ending we did get.
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC!
All the love,
Jade x
Tea Stains and Book Spines 