All Who Wander

What a suspenseful psychological thriller with domestic drama and a heart-pounding mystery all rolled into one!

All Who Wander is a deep, dark and dynamic psychological thriller. If you liked Girl on a Train or Gone Girl, pick this one up. I read this in one sitting, I couldn’t find a chapter to stop on that didn’t have me wanting more.

So here is the premise, I don’t want to go in too deep, as not to spoil anything.

In 1998 on a snowy night in rural Vermont Brooke Mulcahy’s car slides off the road. Her car was finally discovered, but there is no sign of Brooke. Her step brother Bobby, her best friend Aaron Reardon and her ex who was very possessive and was an addict are all still reeling from her disappearance 21 years ago.

When a young woman, Lily shows up to Roberts (Bobby) door claiming to be the daughter of Brooke, Robert doesn’t know what to believe. Robert goes back and revisits that night where everything happened. Then he uncovers a horrible deep dark secret. The story is told in a dual timeline and dual POV and is quite the page turner.

Currently on KU for FREE, so if you’re looking for a dark atmospheric read with domestic drama and want to be in the winter season setting, this one's for you!

Told in the past, leading to the night of Brooke’s disappearance and now, twenty years later. Robert is half brother to Brooke who wants to uncover the reason why and how she disappeared. Mike is suspected having been her on and off bad guy boyfriend last known to have been with her that last night. Aaron, one of the good guys, is her best friend that was in love with her. A young woman seeks out Robert to disclose she is the child of his long missing half sister. He doesn’t take her word since many claims and sightings brought false hope through the years. The ending for all characters dramatically changes in the end which is not at all how I expected.

This book is a thrilling mystery novel that is bound to keep readers engaged until the very end. It follows the story of Robert Kirby, who attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his stepsister, Brooke Mulcahy. According to the FBI, Brooke may have been kidnapped by a serial killer who resided in the vicinity where she was last seen. However, everything takes an unexpected turn when a woman named Lily comes forward to claim that she is Brooke's daughter.

What sets this book apart from others in the same genre is the author's adept interweaving of Brooke's story in 1998 and Robert's present-day investigation. The characters are multi-layered and complex, and the bleak New England setting adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

Although this book has some similarities with other mystery novels, it delves deeply into the psyche of its characters, going beyond surface-level storytelling. Readers will get to know Brooke and Robert intimately and see how they perceive each other differently.

In conclusion, this captivating read is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Readers will find it hard to put down until they uncover the truth about Brooke Mulcahy's disappearance.

This was a good domestic psychological thriller. It makes the reader curious about the mysterious disappearance, and keeps you engaged till the end when you find out what happened.

Joe Clifford is back with an incredible story that just keeps unraveling the longer you sit and turn the pages. Told from two separate points of view, Brooke and Bobby, stepsiblings and their sad stories that just clash, no thanks to their separate upbringings but also due to their age. Brooke gets into a car accident and disappears without a trace. Robert (Bobby grown up) can't seem to move past this point in his personal life as his professional life takes off. Events unfold that leave Robert chasing leads to hopefully, finally, be able to put his past to rest. Page turning with twists one doesn't see coming.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. I do love the past and present telling of the story for those different perspectives. The different narratives kept me guessing until the final few chapters. In saying that, I’m not sure how I felt about the ending, it did leave a little bit open. I think some could have been expanded on in the present, but I guess it’s up for interpretation.

Obviously, I felt more invested in the past narrative because it followed Brooke, the missing young woman, and her story. She does have a sad story and you just hope her story has a HEA and doesn’t end like everyone thinks it is going to. The present, which featured her half brother, left a lot of questions during and at the end. I would have liked to know a bit more about some of the help he had received between the timelines. He’s an interesting character.

I enjoyed the way the story was told and it seemed an appropriately pace. I think I would have liked an expansion on some topics that were brought up but I don’t think it’s completely detrimental to the story. This was my first read by the author, and I would be interested to check out his other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Square Tire Books for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

Brooke Mulcahy leaves home in a dilapidated car during a snow storm at night in Vermont. Her car is later found, but she isn't, leaving her family with no closure. Her family was dysfunctional in the extreme, and her boyfriend was even worse. Drug use, alcoholism, and abuse was common among her family members and in her school. She had a younger brother Bobby (Robert) that she called 'fecto', meaning that he was defective. He did have a physical defect which was remediated with surgery.

Fast forward around 20 years, and Brooke's story is published, bringing it to public attention and digging up old skeletons. In its wake, her brother Robert's stable life where he was a respected college professor begins to fall apart. I wondered at times if perhaps Robert had a psychiatric disorder himself, since he seemed so disassociated from his younger, pre-surgery self.

The ending was a surprise - I didn't see that coming. I received an e-arc from the publisher Square Tire Books via NetGalley. These are my opinions of the book.

I wanted to read All Who Wander because some of it takes place in Vermont. This was a quick paced mystery. I didn’t guess the ending!

A woman disappears and this book goes from past to present to work out what happened. This is a dark and thrilling read about Brooke (who disappeared), Brooke's daughter and Brooke's brother. There are so many thrills and such suspense surrounding the past and now the present.

I enjoyed this book as it kept me enthralled with twists and turns, its darkness and the family problems such as guilt, addiction and trauma which lends a depth to the story. I really enjoyed this deep and dark story and look forward to finding out more about this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Square Tire Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

It's been over two decades since 20-year-old Brooke Mulcahy disappeared. Her body never found, rumors about her fate have plagued her younger half-brother Bobby's life. He was only a kid at the time she went missing, living with Brooke's alcoholic father following their mother's death. Detested by Brooke, uncared for by her dad, and abused by her boyfriend, his childhood was a nightmare no kid deserved. It wouldn't have been a shock if he'd turned to alcohol and drugs to cope like those around him. But he didn't. Instead, he rose above it.

Now known as Robert with a wife and child of his own, he's a successful professor at Uniondale University and the winner of a coveted NEH grant. His life is pretty sweet. His wife is gorgeous. His son's thirteen and a great kid. He lives in a nice house in the suburbs and drives a Porsche. Although he goes to therapy to try to find closure from his childhood and Brooke's disappearance, he's lived his adult life as a stable, proud, and happy man. However, his life quickly starts to unravel when a young woman named Lily shows up at his office one afternoon claiming to be Brooke's daughter.

Suddenly, the past is literally at his doorstep, breaking into his house and mutilating his dog. His wife leaves him without warning and takes his son with her. A red car starts stalking his house. Robert has no choice but to go back to the night Brooke disappeared and figure out exactly what happened. However, nothing that he uncovers about that night is as horrific as the truth about their lives leading up to her disappearance -- or the unraveling of Robert's life in present-day.

Chilling, gritty, and twisty, "All Who Wander" by Joe Clifford is just what you expect from this author. It's brilliant. Unputdownable. And filled with a darkness that you can feel as if it were your own. Joe Clifford has a knack for creating characters that you don't just get to know. You get to "feel" them too. It's almost like you can hear them breathing and read their thoughts. There's a depth to them that you don't find with every author, even the mega popular and talented ones.

This is especially true with Robert's "character". He's a heavy character who I couldn't like, no matter how much was written into the story early-on that should have made me feel otherwise. Brooke was cruel to him when he was a kid, but she was troubled too and just wanted out of her unloved, unhappy life. She was written to be unliked, but I couldn't quite get there. Did Clifford want me to dislike her? Definitely -- if you judge by the words he wrote. However, you get gut feelings about Joe's characters like you would people in real life. Your gut feelings are very likely not to be the same as mine because in real life (again) we aren't always going to like the same people.

There's a lot going on in "All Who Wander". Although the book follows Robert as he searches for the truth about what happened to his half-sister Brooke, other characters and revelations about the past deliver a much more complex storyline. It's well-written and completely engrossing right up until the conclusion when he reveals Brooke's fate and what happened before she disappeared. It's a satisfactory final twist that you'll either have you shocked or saying "meh". It didn't knock my socks off, but it did lower them to my ankles. That's good enough for me. Not every ending has to be a jaw-dropper, especially when the book as a whole is as addicting and good as this one.

All Who Wander is told in a then-and-now narrative that follows the disappearance of Brooke, a troubled young adult with addiction issues and terrible taste in men who is presumed dead, and her half-brother, Robert, aka Bobby, who is the present-day main character. The university-level professor has come a long way from his traumatic childhood and has secured a major grant. He believes his is a happy marriage and is a good father, but what’s the truth of it? The arrival of a “niece,” the daughter of his missing half-sister, pulls the current-day success toward past failures. Why did Brooke leave that night, and what did Bobby know about it?

The story starts promisingly enough, if not a bit heavy-handed. The author does an excellent job keeping Robert’s voice that of an intelligent professor while writing Brooke’s chapters as far more casual, but the entire novel in both points of view is exposition-heavy for my taste and weighed down with backstory.

I assumed Brooke was alive from the outset because that's a popular "twist" on missing persons. I wanted to be concerned what happened to her, but she isn't a sympathetic character. Brooke calling Bobby “fecto” and the casual use of the word “retard,” while time-period appropriate, are cringe-worthy. It is hard to engage with someone mean regardless their background, and Brooke was all the reader was given to care about. Everyone else is flawed and unlikeable. Add animal cruelty, scenes of domestic violence, drug addiction, and incest, and this story just didn’t entertain me. I read as a form of escapism. All Who Wander took me to a terrible place with less effect than other similar stories with a stronger redemptive message that made enduring the hard stuff worth it.

This is the story of a mixed-up woman who disappears during one of the Northeast's wicked snow storms. It is told in two different timelines - 1998 and Present. This is a very dark and stunningly twisted story. There were a few times that I thought it was a little too dismal for my taste. But Joe Clifford's writing saved it for me.

Past- It’s 1998 in and it’s a snow storm, Brooke Mulcahny is determined to leave her hometown in the rearview mirror. She’s escaping a horrible relationship and that’s only part of the dangerous situation she has found herself in. As she’s driving and crossing the border from Massachusetts to rural Vermont, her car hits some icy roads her car crashes. From that night Brooke is never seen again, a man had stopped by and offered to help that fateful night but she declined and was last seen walking away from her car.
As we read we are taken into Brookes past how her mother left her and returned with a half brother named Bobby. When her mother dies of cancer Brooke feels lost, she doesn’t get along with Bobby, she looks for love in all the wrong places and she tries drugs, we soon discover what leaves Brooke to leave and then go missing.
PRESENT: Now, twenty-one years later, Bobby is grown up and is now called Robert, he’s an esteemed professor at a private Upstate New York University. He just received a grant. Married and with a teenage son Robert has always wondered what happened to Brooke. When a young woman named Lily appears, she claims to be Brooke's daughter. Roberts world soon becomes unraveled as he investigates further into who Lily is and he is determined to find out what happened to Brooke. This was such a dark atmospheric read. I was glued to the pages, the author does an incredible job creating characters who seem so real and who are flawed. I read this book in a day! Joe Clifford is a must read for me!

This is the first book I've read by Joe Clifford. I had never heard of this author but I will be looking at more of his books in the future. I went into it blind, just choosing by the mysterious snowy cover that sets the scene very well. This book is told dual timelines and POV to uncover what happened the night Brooke disappears. Brooke narrates the past and Robert the present. Through its many twists and turns I was pleasantly surprised to find a dark book with themes of family, guilt, addiction and trauma. Four stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I did not connect with the main character, and I did not enjoy reading from his perspective. This book was just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Joe Cliffird does a great job in writing a good psychological thriller, it had a strong concept and does everything that I expected. The characters were well-written and I never questioned why they were doing something.

What a suspenseful psychological thriller with familial drama and a heart-pounding mystery!

I absolutely loved this novel and appreciated the writing style of the author. The twists and turns in this story had me rubbing my neck from all the whiplash….but in a good way. I was captivated by the way the story was written in a dual timeline / dual POV, traipsing back and forth between present day and the past. It felt like the story was a gripping but slow unraveling of what really happened that night, all those years ago.

This was a super good atmospheric read for me, enoying the chilling setting while wrapped warmly in my blanket. I was left turning page after page and had to take a break a few times to regroup and start again. As the mystery unfurls and we get more and more details, the struggling family dynamics are put to the test and we learn more about Brooke, her supposed daughter Lily and her step-brother Robert. These characters were well developed and I was really able to put myself in their shoes. I think the ending could have been a titch better, so I took off one star for that.

Currently on KU for FREE, so if you’re looking for a dark atmospheric read with familial drama and want to be in the winter season setting, this one id for you!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Certainly love the premise, Brooke, a young woman disappears into a snowy night. 20-yeara later, her stepbrother is paid a visit by a woman claiming to be Brooke's daughter. Domestic suspense from an author I've enjoyed for years.

This was very atmospheric and suspenseful! I really enjoyed it and have already recommended to several of my reader friends!

This one started a little slow for me but then really picked up and got my attention. I love the alternating timelines and they way the author moved through the transitions so seamlessly. I loved the layers to this story. Several times, I thought I had it figured out and it would twist again and surprise me. It completely was not what I expected - but the author does a perfect job of bringing all the storylines together. I will definitely recommend this to thriller lovers.

I loved the characters of Brooks and Bobby and their sibling relationship and how it played into the intense mystery in a small town that this book takes you . It’s an intense but good mystery
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

fantastic book. so well written and characters are very likable. a few different plot twists that kept my attention also. 5/5 stars

This was a much more intense mystery than I anticipated - and I loved it! Brooke and Bobby are half siblings in a broken, unloving family. One night, Brooke disappears and is never heard from again. Bobby has struggled with his past and questions about Brooke’s disappearance, but he’s built a good life - successful college teacher, husband and father. But then Lily shows up claiming to be Brooke’s daughter and things start to go off the rails. A highly entertaining story!

Joe Clifford is becoming one of my top ten authers. All Who Wander is set in wintery upstate New York. It is 1998 and Brook, a young troubled woman decides to run from spiraling circumstances that could land her in prison or worse. Driving in the freezing and story NY State winter, Brook is never seen again.
In the present, Brooks younger half-brother, Robert is visited by someone claiming to be Brook's daughter. So starts Robert on his quest to discover what happened to Brook. But, in the hands of Joe Clifford, there is much, much more to come. He has a brilliant ability to write a character's inner dialog and psychological unraveling when the haze of denial and avoidance clear a road to the truth. With Joe Clifford, it basically never is what it seems. Hiw writing is that good. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of All Who Wander in exchange for my honest review.

Robert’s sister, Brooke, has been missing for nearly 20 years. So, when a young lady shows up claiming to be Brooke’s daughter, Robert knows he must reopen old wounds and a past he is not ready to face.

This story kept me on my toes. I knew something was hinky about Robert/Bobby and the disappearance of his sister Brooke. And there is more than one issue with her disappearance, there are multiple issues. And this novel just keeps building and building and THEN…You will have to read this to find out! And trust me! It is worth your time!

I am a huge fan of this author. All of his books are just a little bit different than the usual thriller. And this one is right up there with it. Now, I did feel the ending is a bit abrupt. But, my understanding is…there is going to be a sequel…I AM HERE FOR IT!

Need a good domestic, psychological thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

At this point, I'm going to read anything Joe Clifford writes. He's that good. Every. Single. Book...All Who Wander, had my complete attention from the first page. I kept having to make myself slow down so I could enjoy the pace of the story as it was written. I wanted to get to the next chapter to find out what was coming. lol! I thought the alternating past and present chapters especially worked well telling this story and keeping the readers interest. Another stellar book from Joe Clifford!

3.5, rounded up to 4.

This was truly a thriller that left me wondering, WTF! The disappearance of Brooke Mulcahy was very similar to that of Maura Murray. As someone who was very interested in that case, I liked seeing the parallels between the disappearance in the plot and the real-life case. I really like how the author didn't introduce too many new characters. The same characters from before and after Brooke's disappearance were built on and worked within the plot. I enjoyed seeing Robert through Brooke's eyes and vice versa as Robert, Brooke's younger half-brother, still struggles without having closure from Brooke's disappearance. Lily's character did bother me a little bit as her role within the plot is exposed. I was also shocked by the ending and found it really didn't fit the rest of the story. I think there needed to be some more building on the ending as well as the "resolution" of the story. The ending didn't leave me satisfied and left me with a lot more questions than answers.

I struggled with getting going but overall this was a good book! The book opens up in the past on a snowy winter night and switches to present day through separate point of views. This is one my favorite formats to read.

All Who Wander is a dark, twisty, familial thriller that will keep you coming back.

All Who Wander by Joe Clifford is an interesting and gripping psychological thriller. I picked this book up because the description had me really intrigued, and I was not disappointed.

The author has a very nice writing style, which meant that I flew through this book and found it hard to put down right from the very beginning. The use of flashbacks can sometimes be confusing and make the story seem muddled, but in this case it worked very well. The glimpses into the past that the author offered us not only helped to build a sense of mystery and suspense, but also allowed us to get an insight into Brooke's character that we otherwise would have missed. Being able to see the past events unfolding from Brooke's point of view was a clever addition to this novel and helped the readers to slowly form a picture of what happened leading up to Brooke's disappearance as well as getting a look at Brooke's mental state during this time. Throughout this book, the author is constantly hiding information; offering just enough to keep us wanting more but withholding the crucial details to keep us guessing and engrossed by the web of mystery that Joe Clifford spins.

The characters in this book were incredibly well written, and the author clearly has a very good understanding of the human brain/mental health. Each character was psychological evaluated by the author, with each of their morals and values being questioned throughout the novel. The author makes some interesting commentary on guilt, shame, remorse, childhood trauma and much more, all through the way he depicts his characters. Bobby was a brilliant example of this. He was not particularly likeable both in the past and present, nut the more the story unfolded, the more we realised why he had turned out the way he had. From Brooke's past perspective, Bobby is a useless child who she resents strongly and, therefore, she is terribly horrible to him, which make us feel sorry for him and develop a dislike towards Brooke. However, this "useless child" is completely contrasted by the strong, intelligent and successful Bobby who we see in the present day. We assume that he has healed all his past issues due to the flashy exterior he shows the world, but as the story unfolds we realise that actually his childhood trauma has left him with many scars that he is unable to hide. The fact that Bobby also did some bad things as a child was a different, but interesting, addition to the story. He holds onto a lot of shame and guilt for what he has done and never truly works through this, so it sits with him all the way until adulthood. All of Bobby's buried emotions cause him to be in constant emotional turmoil and he bottles it all up until he finally explodes towards the end of the book. His character really shows just how important going to therapy and speaking to someone about these issues can be.

Brooke's character was also cleverly written. At most points throughout this novel, she did not come off as particularly likeable, yet I still ended up feeling desperately sorry for her and wishing the hardships she was facing away. Having grown up in a broken household where her mum has left to start a new life, Brooke holds a lot of abandonment issues that are clear in her relationships with men. The way she treats Bobby is cruel and unfair, but we can almost understand where the hatred is coming for as we empathise that it must be horrible for your own mother to run away and leave you for many years. Brooke's choice to keep dating bad guys who caused her nothing but trouble simply because the nice guys were "boring" was infuriating at times, but again is understandable as she has no experience with healthy relationships considering her mum and dad never had a particularly happy marriage. This is also showing how Brooke's childhood trauma is affecting her years later, as she only feels comfortable when living in chaos, as that is all she knows. Brooke's relationship with Mike was frustrating, as the reader just wants to scream at her that she could do better than him, but only adds to the suspense in this novel. When we are trying to figure out why/how Brooke disappeared, the author is very good at dropping hints that Mike may have been involved, which keeps us on the edge of our seat desperately trying to work out the facts right up until the end. All of the characters in this book were cleverly crafted, but particular appreciation has to go to the incredible way in which the author has dived into the mental health aspect of Brooke and Bobby, and even their father in a miniscule way.

The ending of this book was a little disappointing as I did work out in my head what had happened about halfway through, but I still enjoyed the outcome nonetheless. The author did a great job at throwing suspicion on each character for their involvement in Brooke's disappearance so that we didn't get a clear picture of what happened until the very last chapter. Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy reading this book, but it wasn't necessarily unique and was simply an enjoyable run of the mill mystery thriller novel. The psychological aspects of this book is what made it so enjoyable, and the commentary on mental health and childhood trauma was a very clever addition to the story as a whole. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read that will have your mind in overdrive and will keep you hooked from the first page until the last page.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Joe Clifford for the ARC.

What starts as a simple "girl goes missing" story becomes a complex and haunting family story that far surpasses a thriller. It wasn't a quick and easy read, but the characters will stay with me for a long time. This is the first book I've read by Joe Clifford, but it won't be the last.

Good book from Clifford. In 1998, teenager Brooke Mulcahy's car is found after a bad accident but Brooke is not in the car. 21 years later, her stepbrother, Robert, gets a visit from a young woman, claiming that not only did Brooke survive the accident but that she is Brooke's daughter. Not knowing what to believe and who to trust, Robert opens this old wound trying to find the truth. I felt that there was some unanswered questions at the end so hoping there might be a sequel. Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One snowy night in 1998, Brooke Mulcahy's car slides off the road in rural Vermont. Her car is discovered. She is not. Twenty-one years later, Robert Kirby, Brooke's stepbrother, is paid a visit from a young woman (Lily), claiming to be Brooke's daughter. Since a tumultuous upbringing, Robert, formerly known as "Bobby," has enjoyed considerable success. Now an esteemed professor at a private Upstate New York university, Robert has just received a significant NEH grant. After Lily's visit, Robert's life is upended.

This is a new author for me who I have never heard of before but had read some good reviews of his work so thought I would give it a try. This is quite a dark story where we are focused on two main characters, Robert who is still troubled over the disappearance of his stepsister Brooke and Brooke herself. Brooke has made some dubious decisions in her life and has not always associated with the best of people. This is the heart of the story which is told by these two POV's. Great characterization and a strong plot that really enhances the book and I felt the author did a great job of taking us into the heart of these people's lives. An enjoyable read, four stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and disturbing. Bobby's sister Brooke has gone missing in a snow storm. Bobby has been trying for years to piece together what happened. Bobby starts looking for answers when Brooke's supposed daughter shows up on his doorstep.

Wow! I was captivated by All Who Wonder. It's my first Joe Clifford, but definitely won't be my last. I feel like I've found a hidden gem (Clifford) and I'll be sharing/shouting his praise to my family and friends. You know an author is good when almost all of his characters are dysfunctional, yet you can either empathize with them or you actually love them. (Or is that a reflection of my crazy lol). In any event even the supporting cast in this novel are fleshed out and have purpose. For me the story is less about a daughter/half-sister who vanishes during a winter storm and more about Bobby discovering who he really was/is, and how his trauma really shaped his life. The story rings true in so many ways, notably in the dialogue, which is not as easy to do as one would think. Just as in real life people who had it together in youth don't always succeed. While those who were not expected to amount to anything, if not much, find a way to overcome and shine, function and even succeed. Kudos to Brooke for making it. The story left me a little wanting for Bobby to be okay. He still had a lot on his plate in the end, so I'm not sure. But bravo to Joe Clifford for a job well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Square Tire Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this excellent title from Netgalley, author Joe Clifford, and Square Tire Books via Lisa at Swell Media on September 30, 2023. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read All Who Wander of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am always pleased to recommend Joe Clifford to friends and family. He writes a tight, compelling tale with personable characters who feel like friends in settings he can make you see.

Our protagonist, Brooke, is a very complicated and compelling character, one we would like to see thrive. She is at first her own worst enemy. Before long, we see that she is only what she was compelled to be, by circumstance and family pressure. and Bad Luck is her best friend. Bobby - Robert, too is a likable character created by his circumstances. They will both have your sympathy. They both need a lot more than that.

It’s been 20 years since Brooke disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a half-brother and father she had didn’t really get along with. The book uses the now-and-then format to look at what happened leading up to Brooke’s disappearance twenty years prior, and the current time with how her half brother (they have a mutual mother) is dealing with her disappearance. The author did a great job with setting the scene and helping you visualize the story as it was unfolding. I certainly didn’t expect the twist at the end. The author didn’t leave it all tied up together in a nice package at the end, but gave you enough that you didn’t feel left hanging.

So much better than I expected.

Highly recommended to everyone who enjoys a dark psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns making it a very gripping storyline. The case of Brooke's
disappearance since 1998 and how her half brother, Bobby, tries to find out what happened to her which haunts him every day for the last 20yrs. Brooke's family life was traumatic, sad, and brilliantly written of her younger days leading to her disappearance, by Joe Clifford

Thank you to net-galley

What a wonderful deep dark psychological thriller. All Who Wander is.
Twenty one years ago Bobby's half sister Brooke goes missing.
Her car is found on the side of the road after a heavy snow storm but there isnt any trace of Brooke.
Since that night Bobby has turned his life around and is now a Professor but night that comes back to haunt him when Lily turns up claiming to be Brooke's daughter!
Tales are unravelled and secrets are found but what really did happen to Brooke that night?
This book has some brilliant twists and turns and it was hard not to read it in one setting.

Book Review 📚
All Who Wander by Joe Clifford - 4/5 ⭐

My first read from Clifford and I will definitely be reading more. This kept me on the edge of my dead, with mystery and suspense throughout the entire book.

I loved the back and forth between timelines, it really did bring the story to night. There's so many questions throughout (don't worry you'll get answers) and you can't help but wonder what actually happened to Brooke?

The characters descriptions and development were spot on and utterly fantastic. They could not of been done any better. The book was great from start to finish. A nice fast pace that keeps you intrigued and your desperate to finish the book so you can find out that all important question!

Thank you to NetGalley and Square Tire Books for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

“All Who Wander” explores Brooke Mulcahy”s life in the 1950s before she runs off the road in a snowstorm and disappears, presumed dead. Brooke’s chapters alternate with those of her younger step-brother Bobby, now known as Robert, an esteemed college professor in the 1990s. Someone has presented herself as Brooke’s daughter Lily, which causes Robert to re-examine all that he knows about Brooke’s disappearance 40 years earlier in an attempt to determine the veracity of Lily’s claim. Joe Clifford has added some creative twists and turns to the story to keep readers entranced until the story’s resolution.

Brooke Mulcahy disappeared twenty years ago and her half-brother is still dealing with this. It became a major news story and he has had to deal with all of the people coming forward and making claims that they have seen her. Then Lily knocks on his office door, claiming that she is Brooke’s daughter. After a difficult childhood and years of therapy, Robert’s life is going well. After Lily’s visit his life begins to unravel. Joe Clifford’s All Who Wander is told in alternating timelines. In 1998 Brooke is a college drop-out, involved with drugs and in an abusive relationship. Her mother had earlier run out on the family and then returned with young Bobby in tow. She died a year later, leaving Brooke to deal with a half-brother that she resents and an alcoholic father. Facing drug charges and abuse, she takes off. Her car is later discovered in a ditch and she is never found.

In the present, Robert is a college professor whose marriage is now falling apart. His troubles started with Lily’s appearance. Now he is determined to find the truth of what happened to Brooke. After twenty years he gets little help from the authorities. What he discovers about Brooke and events from his own past is shattering. Clifford’s psychological thriller seamlessly weaves together the past and the present. While Robert has had therapy, there are times that the stress he is under threatens his control. In a final twist, Clifford reveals Brooke’s fate and what actually happened prior to her disappearance, leaving the reader in complete surprise. I would like to thank NetGalley and Square Tire Books for providing this book for my review.

This book fascinated me as it's a thriller and a domestic family drama all in one! Told in a "now" and "then" format, the novel shows us Brooke going missing in a snowstorm after her car crashed (then), and her step-brother, Bobby trying to piece together what really happened even as his marriage is imploding (now). Brooke was wild, experimenting with drugs, loser boyfriends, and just tolerating younger nerdish Bobby. But Bobby--now Robert-- is a distinguished doctor, receiving an NEH award, and believing his wife and young son are the solutions to his crazy upbringing. Of course the two worlds collide, and Bobby desperately seeks answers when Brooke's supposed-daughter, Lily shows up at his door unexpectedly. A wild ride for sure but great fun!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Gripping, thrilling and shocking!!
All who wander is my first novel by this author and I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this book for fans who love mystery, thrill and shocking endings.

All Who Wander by Joe Cliffird was a wild, psychological thriller. My first book from this author came just in time for fall and the season for spooky, strange thrillers.

I highly recommend this book for readers of Alice Feeney or Lucy Foley. I can’t wait to read more from Cliffird.

Is she dead or is she alive? That is the major premise for this different type of mystery that captured me from the beginning. With a great writing style and effective character development (which definitely gives you feelings about each of the characters) and a narrative that is somewhat unreliable, I found this book staying in my mind, whether I was actually reading it or not. My only caveat, and I realize this is personal preference, is that I could’ve done without a lot of the sexual depictions throughout. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I will check out some of his other books, since I enjoyed this one. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

3.5. Although this is not my usual drama (unsolved mystery of family member) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is about a 20-year old disappearance of a young woman with a colored past and lots of life complications. Her younger half brother becomes interested in getting closure on what happened to Brooke and embarks on a journey to re-open the case. Story is interesting; character development is good, and the plot continued to engage me until the end. Recommend the book.

All Who Wander is my first book by author Joe Clifford, a dark mystery that takes the reader through dual time periods. One is a countdown of days before Brooke goes missing, (ostensibly who the story is about) while the other time frame is seen through her half-brother's eyes about 20 years later. Robert, aka Bobby, aka 'fecto (short for defective) has never gotten over the trauma of his missing half-sibling. When a female college student makes contact with Robert claiming to be his long-lost sister's daughter, things start to spin out of control. Robert now a small college professor starts to spiral as does his entire life he so carefully constructed after his dysfunctional upbringing.

The reader can feel Robert slipping mentally, particularly when he starts referring to himself in the plural. There are many suspects that could easily be the reason for Brooke's disappearance so the reader continues to wonder why Robert feels so guilty about it when he was just a young teenager when she went missing. I was pre-cringing over what I thought was going to happen. I also was misdirected on by who (kudos to Joe Clifford) and continued to try and sleuth out the details.

The ending is quite satisfactory, if not shocking. The author already knows per his notes and quotes what things happen in the book that will set some readers off.

Thank you to Square Tire Books and Swell Media for access to an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.

Enormously Atmospheric..
Secrets, lies and unexplained events surround a mysterious disappearance in a rural and snow bound Vermont. Twenty one years later, that same case is once again brought into the limelight and lives may well begin to unravel but will secrets out? Enormously atmospheric and emotionally charged psychological suspense, often dark and haunting and peppered liberally with a keenly observed narrative and often unexpected twists.

Why do we allow others to manipulate us with their “truth”.

In "All Who Wander", we travel between the present and the late 1990’s, just days before twenty-year-old Brooke Mulcahy disappeared.

Brooke lived with her father in a small Massachusetts town. He didn’t know how to deal with her wild behavior, drug abuse, and affection for the wrong men. Her mother, who had abandoned them a decade earlier, returned on the brink of death, accompanied by a baby boy. Brooke understood her mother’s desire to escape, but harbored resentment toward her newfound half-brother, Robert, or "Bobby." The narrative in the present unfolds through the lens of Robert, now a thirty-six-year-old civil engineering professor, husband, and father.

When a young woman, claiming to be the daughter of Brooke comes to visit Robert, his life starts to unravel. Brooke’s disappearance was considered a cold case, as her body was never found. However, even authorities believed that she was a victim of a known serial killer. The problem for Robert though, was that it brought back excruciating childhood memories of his life as "Bobby".

This intoxicating novel transports us to uncharted territories of human emotion and psyche. The characters are meticulously crafted, and we understand their motivations. Author Joe Clifford writes with haunting clarity, and we can feel the intense emotion of the characters as well as the smell of the stench and sweat of everyday life. The conclusion hits you as a complete surprise, and from start to finish, this book captivates, refusing to release its grip.

I seldom give a book the highest rating of “5 Bookmarks", but "All Who Wander" meets the necessary criteria. I look forward to reading more from this author.

My first from this author and definitely not my last! Wow! This is a compelling and dysfunctional psychological thriller. It is told in alternating narratives. Brooke disappears one snowy night after her car veers off the side of the road. She tells her story prior to her disappearance with so many upended wrongs in her life. As her life falls over the edge of destruction with an abusive boyfriend, she must also deal with an alcoholic father.

Even more bone-chilling after Lily appears claiming she is Brooke's daughter. Brooke's brother, Robert, must deal with the matter after 21 years have passed since her disappearance. You are unable to put it down in order to find out what happened to Brooke. Robert has quite the story from his own past.
Thank you NetGalley and Square Tire Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

All Who Wander by Joe Cliffird definitely knows how to write crime and keeps me very interested.
AWW is a gripping thriller that took me on a rollercoaster ride of suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists.
From the very first page, Clifford's amazing storytelling grabbed hold of me and refused to let go until the final sentence.
An excellent leading character, and an amazing story.
Cliffird is a spectacular crime writer and it shows here.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Square Tire Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I chose this book to review on a whim and I’m glad that I did because for a thriller, this was pretty good. There are definitely a lot of unlikeable characters and dark situations throughout this book but for me, that is what makes a book stand out. I loved the twists and unpredictability of what was going on. As the seasoned thriller reader that I am, I think this one is a win in my book and I am glad to have read it!

I would suggest looking up trigger warnings if you are thinking about picking it up as there are several.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.

What a dark, twisty story!
What a broken and dysfunctional family!
If you are in the mood for a dark psychological thriller…..you need to pick this book up!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

273 pages

4 and 1 / 2 stars

This is a psychologically heavy novel. It is the story of a very dysfunctional family, a missing young woman and her half-brother who is tortured by the past despite years of therapy.

Robert “Bobby” Kirby is an eminent professor of civil engineering at a very prestigious college. He seems competent - until he doesn't. His half-sister, Brooke, was just twenty when she disappeared. Following an auto accident in a snowstorm, she is nowhere to be found. Robert’s mother died and his stepfather is an alcoholic who paid little attention to him, or, indeed, to Brooke.

This book takes a look at the depths of human experience and consciousness. Mr. Clifford lays out his story in two timelines. Flashbacks to just before Brooke disappeared and the present day.

At first the reader is drawn into the mystery, all along suspecting that this is a “normal” tale of a missing woman. Very slowly, and craftily, Mr. Clifford turns the plot into something heartrending and sometimes horrible. We begin to see the characters as they really are: flawed and unlikable. The author also adds to the ambience of the story by setting it in torrential rain and snow. It added nicely to the depressing tone of the book.

In spite of the fact that I did not like any of the characters in this book, I was nonetheless compelled to keep reading. I moved through this novel very quickly. Mr. Clifford is a very talented writer. His character development is superb. I felt like a first hand witness to all of the exchanges between the people in the book. This book will stay with me for a long time. This is my first Joe Clifford novel and I immediately went to Amazon to look for more from this author.

I want to thank NetGalley and Square Tire Books for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

In typical fashion, Joe Clifford's narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the grim, damp, and snow-covered East Coast, delving deep into the shadowy facets of human existence rather than basking in sunny beach settings. His characters are exposed at their most vulnerable, providing readers with a raw and intense exploration of their lives. My introduction to Clifford's writing came through the Jay Porter series a few years ago, and I was immediately captivated by his unique style.

In "All Who Wander," Clifford crafts a psychological labyrinth that may unsettle some readers with its disturbing events. The story revolves around Robert (Bobby), a successful academic who, on the surface, should be content with his life—a loving marriage, a son, and professional success. However, he remains haunted by the unresolved mystery of his half-sister's disappearance during his childhood. Despite numerous therapy sessions, closure eludes him, and he hungers for answers. Recent developments suggest that he might finally uncover the truth, but as the saying goes, the truth isn't always what we hope for, and it may be more unsettling than the ambiguity he's lived with. As Robert embarks on a quest to reconnect with individuals from his sister Brooke's past, long-buried and distressing memories resurface.

Brooke, his missing sister, was just twenty years old when she vanished, trapped in a grim home environment and entangled with unsavory characters. Her life was marred by poor decisions and ill-fated romances. Did she simply leave in pursuit of a better future, or did something sinister befall her? With the passage of time, both memories and witnesses become unreliable, adding to the complexity of unraveling this mystery. Clifford's meticulous character descriptions paint vivid mental portraits, allowing readers to envision each individual vividly.

The urgency of Robert's quest to unearth the truth had me on edge throughout the narrative. "All Who Wander" is a relentless journey filled with revelations, concealed secrets, and morally questionable characters. I found it impossible to find a moment to pause and ended up devouring the book in just twenty-four hours.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an advance digital copy of "All Who Wander" by Joe Clifford, a publication of Square Tire Books. These thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, offered willingly and without any form of compensation.

All Who Wander- Joe Clifford 4 Star review.

Joe Clifford is know for his work in thrillers and psychological thrillers at that- and this book is no different. It is dark, very twisted and gets under your skin in the best way possible. Unlike most thrillers where your mind is constantly trying to guess the plot twist- this book kept me engaged and "living" in the moment. I truly felt as though I was there in the moments with the characters and just as stunned by the ending. I highly recommend picking up this book and finding a cozy place to sit because you wont want to put the book down.

Dark psychological thrillers are the author’s specialty, and he has done it again with this story. Jumping back and forth, two narratives take us to the past and show how the future has been affected as well. Good use of the technique to keep the reader interested.

Joe Clifford's ALL WHO WANDER is a dark and disturbing literary, domestic psychological suspense about a troubled young woman who mysteriously disappears during a snowstorm, never to be found again.

PAST: 1998 Vermont. A brutal, snowy night. A young woman, Brooke Mulcahny, escapes her nightmare of a life, crossing the border from Massachusetts to rural Vermont. She is running from danger and her past. She was looking for a motel when, due to the weather, she ran off the road and crashed due to the icy roads and blizzard.

From that night, no one had seen her since. A neighbor man stopped by and offered help. She declined. Some cameras showed she may have gotten into a white van. Was she picked up by the serial killer who lived nearby—one who had killed other women?

The author takes us back to Brooke's childhood. Growing up in a highly dysfunctional home, her mom left without a word when she was young. Her father, Paul, was distant and spent most of his time working and drinking. Emotionally distant, he offered them food and shelter, and that was about it.

Her mother showed back up at their door years later with a baby boy, Bobby, from another man. Their life returned to some sense of normal until she told them she had cancer. Her mom left them again, died, and now left them with a boy. A boy that Brooke thought was weird. He just took up space.

Brooke got into drugs and all sorts of trouble with men as a teen, from the married high school coach to Mike, the drug addict. She was not pleasant to her stepbrother Bobby. She had a best friend, an upstanding, brilliant, friendly Aaron, who adored her, but she was not interested in him as a boyfriend.

She was dating an evil, abusive, bad boy, a drug addict, controlling and jealous, Mike, also from a bad home environment. Brooke dropped out of nursing school and worked at a nursing retirement home.

Then, with a crazy scheme for money, Brooke with a co-worker and Mike, a drug deal goes down badly. Now Brooke's dad has to put up the house as collateral. No one was there as an influence for Bobby. His mom was always on the run before she died, so he never had a stable upbringing.

From past to present, we learn the events leading up to the night Brooke disappeared. It kept you on the edge, waiting to see what happened the night of the accident.

PRESENT: Now, twenty-one years later, Bobby is all grown up and now going by Robert, an esteemed professor at a private Upstate New York University; he has just received a significant NEH grant and married with son Peter. He has undergone years of therapy to cope with his traumatic past. Can he leave his past behind?

Even though Robert does not owe Paul anything, he purchased Paul's home for him and pays his bills in an assisted living facility, which will not last much longer.

He has always wondered what happened to Brooke. Then, a young woman named Lily appears, claiming to be Brooke's daughter. From here on out, his world becomes unraveled as he investigates further.

Robert's life is out of control; he becomes detached. His wife left with his son to visit her parents for a while. Robert is determined to find out what happened to Brooke. Someone breaks into their home and screws up the dog's vocal cords. He does not believe Lily is Brooke's daughter. Something is up, menacing and sinister.

What happened to Brooke?

Atmospheric, gritty, dark, and compelling ALL WHO WANDER is my first book by Joe Clifford, a talented author. His writing is lyrical, with vivid descriptions, delving deep into the evil human conditions.

Honestly, I was hooked from the first page towards the end UNTIL the book turned to weird Stephen Kingish horror! Until this point, this was 5 Stars, and due to this strange turn, I downgraded it to 4 Stars.

When he brought the characters Robert/Bobby, Mike, and Aaron together —what happened next was just creepy! I was unsure of the purpose of this unless the author was exploring how people change. The good can turn evil, and the evil can turn good, doing a complete 180 and Robert going rogue! Do past sins define you? All the characters were deeply flawed—nature vs. nurture.

I enjoyed the author's lyrical, beautiful writing. The storyline was powerful, thought-provoking, and intriguing until it turned weird and twisted with an ending that was not satisfying. However, I look forward to seeing what comes next from the author.

There are themes of drug use, addiction, violence, abusive relationships, alcoholism, trauma, inner demons, step-siblings, and abuse.

Thanks to Swell Media and NetGalley for a gifted ARC for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 5, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books

As with most of the books that I’ve read by Mr. Clifford, the setting is East Coast gritty, dark and wet or snowing. The seedier side of humanity is fleshed out, you aren’t on a sunny beach. He explores his characters during vulnerable parts of their lives. I stumbled across his Jay Porter series a few years ago and knew I liked his writing style. This is a psychological mind twister with a few events which some readers could find disturbing.
One of the protagonist Robert (Bobby) is married, has reached success as an academic, has a son, should be happy with life. He is instead consumed with the disappearance of his half-sister when he was just a kid. All the sessions with shrinks haven’t given him closure, he needs answers. New developments could finally give him facts. Answers aren’t always what we want them to be, it could be worse than the not knowing. As Robert seeks out those people in his sister’s life from back then, his own disturbing memories surface.
The sister, Brooke, was just twenty with a lousy home life when she was last seen. She’d made some poor choices, fell for ‘bad’ guys and her future is more of the same. Did she just leave for new opportunities or did something more sinister occur? Memories and witnesses are notoriously unreliable, especially after all these years. The characters are so well described I could picture them all as I read. The urgency to get to the truth had me on pins and needles. It’s full of discoveries, secrets and disreputable people. I couldn’t find a place to take a breather, read it in twenty-four hours.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “All Who Wander” by Joe Clifford, published by Square Tire Books. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Chilling and thrilling! All Who Wander is a deep, dark and dynamic psychological thriller in the order of Girl On A Train. I read it in one sitting- I could not put it down! It is the first I have read of Joe Clifford’s extensive collection, but certainly won’t be my last! It’s delightful to discover new authors with such writing mastery. Joe Clifford is an award winning author, which is no surprise after reading his latest installment.

The storyline’s structure is well done. The novel transitions seamlessly and smoothly repeatedly from the past (before Brooke’s disappearance) to the present ( post disappearance). Resolving Brooke’s disappearance is the thread that runs - and upends- stepbrother Robert’s world. The pacing starts slow but builds up steam to an electrifying climax and shocking resolution! WOW!🤩 The MANY twists build heart pounding suspense! The character driven story fuels the plot chillingly. It is a dark and gritty noir type of storyline- quite rough but so engrossing; it is steeped in mystery that keeps one guessing to the very end! WOW!🤩

Some thematic elements addressed: do past sins negate future happiness, past trauma and it’s affect on the present psyche and human condition, the depths and depravity of our alter-ego, guilt, drug use, parenting abuse/neglect, redemptive transformation and conversely how easily a “respectable” person can fall downhill on the slippery slope. Fascinating and thought-provoking, this one will stay with this reader for some time.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unsolicited and unbiased review. The opinions of this reviewer are entirely my own.

All who wander was such a thriller! I really loved how suspenseful this book was, and you just never really knew where the story was going. This is an incredible book and will have you twisting and turning. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a good thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley/Publisher for the opportunity to read this E-arc for my honest review.
Excellent plot with many twists which would have been a five star ⭐️ rating if not for the need for editing, multiple discrepancies with timelines/ages, verbiage using incorrect definitions and the repetitive use of stepsister (half-sister was the correct word). This caused the inability to immerse myself completely in the book.
Great ending!

Joe Cliffird, has entered the room and he is here to stay!

Whoa, that was a doozy of a book, All Who Wander, will have you thinking about what you read long after you conclude. Jam packed with twists and turns, you will never be prepared for what happens next.

The snowy setting gave me the chills, both literally and figuratively. This book is TWISTED!!!!!

I hate to admit this, but this was my first book by Joe Cliffird. I won't be making that same mistake twice, I have already downloaded "Junkie Love" and "Say My Name" to read next!

Check out this teaser:

One snowy night in 1998, Brooke Mulcahy's car slides off the road in rural Vermont. Her car is discovered. She is not. Twenty-one years later, Robert Kirby, Brooke's stepbrother, is paid a visit from a young woman (Lily), claiming to be Brooke's daughter. Since a tumultuous upbringing, Robert, formerly known as "Bobby," has enjoyed considerable success. Now an esteemed professor at a private Upstate New York university, Robert has just received a significant NEH grant. After Lily's visit, Robert's life is upended.



His wife Stephanie reveals she is unhappy in the marriage and takes their teenage son to visit her sister in PA. Brooke's former best friend, Aaron Reardon, still devastated from Brooke's disappearance, offers to help. And forever lurking in the background is Mike Rakowski, Brooke's ex, a possessive, abusive drug addict.



As Robert's world unravels, he revisits that night twenty-one years ago where everything went wrong, unearthing a horrible, bone-chilling secret. In the vein of Simone St. James' Sun Down Motel and other female-driven domestic psychological thrillers today, All Who Wander mines the depths of past transgression, begging the question: do past sins automatically negate future happiness?

Darkness and cold.......

Clifford paints a picture of unloving darkness and cold. I'm not talking about the cold and dark outside but the cold and dark inside that ruins lives and is visited onto the children. Children who then grow up and visit it onto their children. And the cycle continues until someone decides to break it.

I'm not a great fan of the dual timeline but Clifford made it work well here. I am left both happy and sad. He answers the questions that he helped build up at the beginning and leaves me hoping for the best, happy accidents at the end.


<i>An ARC gently provided by author/publisher via Netgalley.</i>

He has lived the last 21 years not knowing to where his sister disappeared or even if she is still alive when a young woman steps into his life and starts a journey down a road best left untravelled. As his present life dissolves into the past, what story will this brother find?

All Who Wander is a fast paced psychological thriller. Well written, the characters draw you in, as does the narrative.

Twenty years ago, Brooke, was killed in a car wreck. In the present day, a young woman claiming to be Brooke's daughter, appears and comes to meet her step uncle, Robert. Soon, Robert's life begins to unravel.

It is all about secrets and Robert has to unravel them. Every time the reader figures it out the narrative whip lashes the reader's ideas.

An edge of your seat thriller

Well developed characters and a fast paced story kept me reading late into the night. This is one of those novels where just when you think you know what's going on, you don't. The twists kept me guessing right to the very satisfying ending. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Joseph Clifford for an advanced reader copy.

What really happened that night years ago? A brother and sister…a niece…an ex…a friend…quite a group of realistic characters. This story moves quickly. Trying to unravel this mystery is not easily accomplished. Talented author. Great story. Thanks Netgalley.

Wow! My first read by Joe Clifford but definitely not my last. I really enjoyed his fresh and insightful style. This one hooked me early on and really never let go! The characters were fantastic. Loved the twists and turns.
Thank you NetGalley, Joe Clifford and Swell Media for an opportunity to read and review this book

On a snowy evening in Vermont a woman’s car slides off the road as she tries to escape her past.
Her car is discovered, she isn’t.
Twenty one years later, her stepbrother gets a visit from a young woman claiming to be the woman’s daughter. What follows is the complex unearthing of family secrets.

I found this to be a well constructed read that maintained my interest throughout and am grateful to NetGalley and Lisa from Swell Media for the opportunity to preview.