This book started out really strong, and the writing kept me interested throughout, even though the story dips a bit in the middle. I loved how well characterized Allison, Heather, Julie and Sarah were, although it did get irritating when Sarah's character devolved into a alcoholic in the middle of the book. There didn't seem to be much lead up into that at all, and then we never saw much else from her from there.

The story itself, like I said, started out really great, and when I found myself thinking, "oh, this is becoming that cliched story now," it actually surprised me by lurching into an entirely different direction. It did get a bit slow at one point, but Drake's strong writing kept me reading. I definitely recommend checking out this book, you'll find yourself thinking you know how it's going to end and being continuously surprised!

Riveting psychological suspense -- a good friend will do almost anything for you, right?

Julie, Alison, Heather and Sarah find out just how much they are willing to risk when one of them needs help getting out of an abusive relationship. These four women are mothers and wives --close friends in a small suburban community. Drawn into the drama when they see the bruises on Heather's body, the others have no clue that they are jeopardizing everything to help her.

The narrative is very fast-paced and draws the reader in immediately. Told in alternating points of view, the characters reveal bits of their own history as things become increasingly tense and all are under severe strain as events spiral out of control. Each comes to regret the decisions they made on one fateful night. But for different reasons.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and will definitely look for more by this author. There were some not wholly unpredictable twists in the novel, but I liked the writing style and could easily identify with the women throughout most of the story. I read it in one sitting as I couldn't sleep without seeing how it all turned out.