My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A dark and emotionally tense book balancing the line between grief and obsession.

HOW QUICKLY SHE DISAPPEARS is one of those crime novels which pulls you in through its characters. Fleischmann expertly exposed the pain of loss through unraveling the events in both the past and the present.

What I enjoyed about this book was the back and forth in time. Reading about Elisabeth and Jacqueline as children truly helped in the understanding of who Elisabeth is in her thirty-year-old self. She is a complicated creature who is struggling with her role as a wife and mother while she deals with the loss of her sister twenty years earlier. Then, when Alfred shows up and creates many ripples in her world, the suspense and emotional strain push her to her limits.

All in all, this is a deeply chilling tale of the emptiness felt when there is an acutely personal loss. Mix in the Alaskan landscape, obsession, and a bit of duplicity, you have a seriously well-crafted, psychologically charged piece of crime fiction.

Author: Raymond Fleischmann

Genre: Literary Fiction/Thriller/Historical Fiction

Rating: 3.25 Stars

Thank you so much to Berkley and the author for an ARC of How Quickly She Disappears in exchange for an honest review! This book published on January 14th – so my review is coming a smidge late since I was still in Jamaica on the 14th. And with the current forecast in Iowa…I would like to please go back. The snow is great. The highs in single digits? Not so much.

Okay, I have a lot of thoughts on How Quickly She Disappears. When I first read the synopsis, I was really intrigued. Here’s what I received from the publisher:

It’s been twenty years since Elizabeth Pfautz watched her identical twin sister Jacqueline disappear without a trace. But even now, thirty years old and living in the tiny town of Tanacross, Alaska, Elisabeth still dreams of her. Trapped in a loveless marriage and alone in the Alaskan bush save for a precocious daughter that reminds her more and more of her sister every day, Elisabeth can’t help but replay the events that led to her sister leaving when they were just eleven years old.

Suddenly Alfred, a stranger with his own wicked plan, arrives in town and commits an inexplicable act of violence. And he offers a revelation that’s perhaps more shocking—he knows where Elizabeth’s sister is. However, he will only reveal his secrets if Elizabeth does three favors for him. With every request fulfilled, she will get closer to her sister, and closer to the truth about her disappearance.

– Berkley
Sounds like an awesome thriller, right? Well…here’s the thing. I was intrigued. And while reading it (on vacay, yes, gonna keep rubbing that in), I was interested enough to know what was going to happen – how would it end. But something was just…missing? Lacking? I couldn’t put my finger on it until I started going back over it for this review, and I think I landed on the main issues.

One glaring thing missing from Berkley’s synopsis is that the year is 1941. This definitely has traits of historical fiction vs. thriller, which drastically changes the vibe of a story. It almost felt like the book didn’t quite know what it wanted to be – creepy thriller or intriguing historical fiction?

My other main issue: characters. I’ll explain more below, but this was a really great example of how character development can make or break a story for me.

RATING BREAKDOWN

Writing – 2/2: Fleischmann’s writing is solid. I’ve mentioned before, I love books set in the Alaskan wilderness, and the author does an excellent job setting the scene. I could feel the remoteness, especially since the story is set in the 1940s.

Plot – 2/2: Cat and mouse game between psychopath and desperate/strong mother? Yes, please. Oh, also a decades long missing persons story? Love it. With the strong writing and the great plot, this book has the makings of an awesome thriller.

Thrills/Suspense – 1/2: Aaand, here’s where the first issues start to happen. With a few exceptional moments right at the beginning and at the end, this book was not a thriller for me. Sort of a mystery…wondering what happened to Elizabeth’s sister and if she’ll find her…but not a thriller. It was easy to put this one down, rather than being a story where I had to read “just one more chapter.”

Characters – .5/2: With the exception of Elizabeth, I did not like any character in this book, and I was actually really confused about how I should feel about some. For example, Elizabeth’s husband seems sort of minor at the start…and then his role and his personality does this HUGE shift, leaving me feeling like “…woah…wtf.” Same with their daughter – I loved her at the start and then, for no reason explained, she turns into a monster. As someone who loves plot driven books but craves loveable, relatable characters, this was a real struggle for me.

Feel – 1/2: Like I mentioned, it was easy to put this one down for me. I loved the remote setting and the drive of Elizabeth. I enjoyed the ending – I will say that. The ending had some very satisfying moments. But overall, I didn’t walk away with a strong feeling about this one.

Overall, this one was okay. I’m glad I read it. It’s probably getting a bit of a more critical review because it was sandwiched between SEVERAL 5 star reads for me, but honestly, it just didn’t hit the mark. If you enjoy literary/historical fiction with a touch of mystery, then you’ll probably like this one. With its issues, this one gets 6.5 points out of 10, for…math…um, 3.25 stars total. Yeah. 3.25. Thanks calculator (face palm).

Happy reading!

I have to admit, this book was chosen purely by the beautiful cover. I love being surprised when I read a book. Sometimes it works out...and sometimes it doesn’t...but it’s exciting to start a book with no expectations!

The setting for this one was fabulous. Alaska in 1941 didn’t sound like anyplace I’d like to live, but it was interesting to read about! And the small bits about the native Athabaskans was fascinating. Unfortunately, not much more of the book really excited me.

I did love how young Jacqueline was described. Feisty, fun, adventurous, exciting...nothing like her wise and practical twin sister Elisabeth.

There were parts of the book that started to get my attention, then there lulls, so it was up and down quite a bit. It bounced around between past and present, but not in a straight-forward way, at times.

Elisabeth, and the wreckage she managed to make of her life, became frustrating and predictable. Overall, the book was just an ok read, and felt longer than it’s 320 pages.

Thank you to NetGalley / Berkley / the Author for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#HowQuicklySheDisappears #NetGalley


<b>My Rating: </b> 3 ⭐️
<b>Published:</b> January 14th 2020 by Berkley
<b>Pages:<b/> 320

<b>Recommend:</b> Not sure

Here's my thoughts - don't compare any book to the likes of Silence of the Lambs, especially a debut novel as this tends to bring about certain expectations from the readers. Admittedly it is atmospheric like The Dry with that psychological warfare/cat-mouse game of Silence of the Lambs but let's not stretch this too far, eh?


I knew from the first few pages that this was going to be a slow burn where the characters override the plot. At one point, I considered putting this down.... but then it got quite interesting and I was curious enough to see this game play out. Alfred and Elisabeth. How far will she go to find her sister and does he really have any information? Color me intrigued. While the pacing was slower than I tend to like, this back and forth really had me turning the pages regardless. But then we get to that ending.

UGH. Ok, so I can't even say anything because I don't want to ruin it for anyone who is going to read this book. There's a part of me that appreciates the subtle genius of what the author did... and yet I was mad... MAD.. when I turned the last page. I aggressively slapped the jacket cover back on the book and slammed it into my book stack of my January reads. WHY. The WHOLE TIME it was leading here and then this is how you leave me? I suppose it says something that it evoked such a strong reaction from me, so there's that.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

How Quickly She Disappears is methodical in it's timing, pulling you in like a Welles' film noir classic. Deeply emotional and engaging, the story pulls you in different directions, none of which are expected.

Set your phone to silent when you read this book, you're not going to want to be interrupted until you're done.

4 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading.

This book for me started off good and I thought I was in for a great ride.  I did not connect with the characters as I thought I would and the book lost something for me.  Elisabeth was not a great character makes odd choices in the book.  I couldn't connect.  I loved the Alaska backdrop but it was not enough for me.  This was my first time with this author and I am not sure how I feel so I would go this author another chance.  But for this book I didn't like it like I wanted to.  *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Stevie‘s review of How Quickly She Disappears by Raymond Fleischmann
Literary Suspense Fiction published by Berkley 14 Jan 20

I was hoping for great things from this book. Set in the wilds of Alaska, as the US teeters on the brink of entering World War II, a decades-old mystery might at last have a solution. And it all begins with the arrival of the mail. Elizabeth Pfautz moved to Tanacross with her husband John and their daughter Margaret, when John took up a post at the local school. Elizabeth feels isolated as one of the very few people of German descent in a mostly indigenous population, and this is further exacerbated both by her staying home to educate Margaret, having previously been a school teacher, and by the ever-increasing anti-German sentiments displayed by her neighbours as a result of the continuing hostilities in Europe.


As our story begins, Elizabeth and Margaret are at home by themselves since John is away on business. Both are anticipating the arrival of the weekly mail plane, since Elizabeth has ordered a chemistry set for her daughter. When Elizabeth goes out to examine her deliveries, she finds that the mail plane is still there, undergoing repairs from an unfamiliar pilot. The man introduces himself as Alfred Seidel, a fellow German, and imposes himself upon Elizabeth as her guest until his plane is once again airworthy, Elizabeth’s house being one of the few in the town to have a spare room.

Alfred quickly ingratiates himself into the household, although both Elizabeth and the neighbouring community are suspicious of his motives. Their fears are proved justified, when Alfred kills one of their number in a seemingly motiveless attack. Elizabeth feels a measure of guilt that her not-exactly-welcome guest could murder a man she has come to regard as a friend, and it seems that some in the town also blame her. While Alfred is awaiting trial, he writes to Elizabeth and reveals that he already knew something of her past before arriving in town. He claims to know the whereabouts of Elizabeth’s twin sister, who disappeared when the two girls were eleven years old and living in Pennsylvania.

Somehow, Alfred has contrived to leave proof of his story in Elizabeth’s house, and as his letters continue, he begins to ask her to supply personal items of her own, if she wishes to hear more of his story. Eventually, his demands place Elizabeth and her family in danger, and Elizabeth is forced to fight with all her strength to protect those around her.

Although some of the descriptions in this book were very vivid, I found Elizabeth difficult to warm to as a person, not helped by the fact that the flashbacks to her childhood, in the days leading up to her sister’s disappearance, were told in the second person, a conceit that very rarely works for me. I also experienced a disconnect from her reactions to Alfred’s requests and the readiness with which she went along with them. Although the book’s ending showed some of her greatest strengths, that did little to drag the book up in my estimations.

Grade: C

Elisabeth Pfautz lives in Alaska with her husband and daughter. Twenty years ago in 1921, her twin sister, Jacqueline, disappeared never to be heard from again. Elisabeth’s life has never been the same. She can’t help but believe her sister is alive and well somewhere in the world.

When a stranger, Alfred Seidel, arrives in town, Elisabeth is stunned when he murders a local man and insists Elisabeth is the only one he will talk to. He leads Elisabeth through a psychological maze insinuating that her sister is alive and he knows where she is located. Elisabeth feels she has no choice but to follow the directions of a killer.

It took me time to get into this story, but when I did, I couldn’t put it down. It was addicting. It reminded me very much of the movie The Silence of the Lambs. It kept me guessing throughout the whole book. I was trying to figure things out along with Elisabeth.

The author did a wonderful job of painting the scene. I felt like I was in Alaska and was even a bit chilled at times. The characters are well-written and realistic.

For me, although it started a bit slowly, it drew me in. It ended up being a real page-turner for me.

How Quickly She Disappears is an incredibly atmospheric novel that transported me to Alaska. That was my favorite part of this debut! Elizabeth is an isolated mother and wife living in rural Alaska. Her twin sister's disappearance years ago, when they were 11 years old, continues to haunt her. When a mysterious stranger comes to town, claiming to have answers, Elizabeth will do anything to comply with his requests and to uncover her sister's whereabouts. This book was a slow build suspense. I was confused and frustrated by some of Elizabeth's choices through the book, despite her motivations. While the story kept me turning pages, I was left somewhat unsatisfied with the ending. Still, a solid debut and I would read more from Fleischmann in the future!

Raymond Fleischmann’s debut novel How Quickly She Disappears is a powerful story about loneliness, grief, and obsession. Primarily set in a small town in Alaska in 1941, the story follows Elisabeth Pfautz, a woman who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her twin sister, Jacqueline. Jacqueline went missing without a trace twenty years earlier and the lack of closure is something that has troubled Elisabeth for years.

Elisabeth’s life really gets turned on its end when a mysterious man named Alfred Seidel is imprisoned for murder and refuses to talk to anyone except for Elisabeth. When she goes to see him in prison, he tells her he knows where her missing sister is and that she’s alive and well. He will gladly tell her everything she wants to know about Jacqueline… in due time and in exchange for a few favors. As suspicious and outrageous as this sounds, Elisabeth is desperate for any news about her sister and so she plays along. And play she does, as the two of them begin a mental game of cat and mouse.

Will Elisabeth get the answers she so desperately wants? And if so, at what cost? What is Alfred’s endgame?

* * * * *

I was drawn into this story immediately, both by the author’s vivid descriptions of the remote Alaskan landscape and by Elisabeth’s emotional plight. I felt sympathy for Elisabeth’s situation right away. The loss of her sister is of course devastating, but I also felt for her because she was so alone. It’s hard enough to move away from everyone and everything you’ve ever known but imagine doing so and then not being welcomed to your new home with open arms. The story is set during WWII and so, being of German descent, Elisabeth and her husband, John, were unfortunately given the side eye more than once by those around them. Couple that with the fact that it becomes apparent early on that John isn’t the most attentive husband in the world, and it’s easy to see why Elisabeth feels so alone.

In addition to creating a sympathetic protagonist, the author also uses one of my favorite tools for historical fiction, the dual timeline presented in alternating chapters. Fleischmann lets the story unfold for us from Elisabeth’s perspective, with one timeline in the present following her cat and mouse game with the suspicious and mysterious Alfred, while the other timeline follows her at age eleven and shows us the lead up to Jacqueline’s disappearance and the immediate aftermath. I really enjoyed following the twists and turns of each timeline and watching the pieces of the story fall into place.

Elisabeth’s growing obsession with Alfred’s game both thrilled and frustrated me. It starts her on a downward spiral, basically taking over her life and causing her to make some horribly bad and downright reckless decisions. Elisabeth’s obsession had me quickly turning the pages to find out what was next in Alfred’s manipulative little game, but at the same time, there were moments when I just couldn’t believe she was actually willing to do some of the things he was demanding of her. When she starts neglecting her own child and putting others at risk, I honestly started to dislike her a little.

Along with my growing frustration with Elisabeth as the story progressed, there were also some moments at the prison where I really had to suspend disbelief to get through. I keep telling myself it’s the 40’s and maybe prisons weren’t as strict back then about prisoners and visitors and the contact they’re allowed to have, but it still had me shaking my head a bit.

My issues with the book were quite minor though and overall I still found How Quickly She Disappears to be a riveting read. It’s atmospheric, suspenseful, and it packs an emotional punch as well. I was really impressed with this debut from Raymond Fleischmann and look forward to many more novels from him.

I have to say that I struggled through parts of this book. I wanted to connect with the characters but they seemed so hard, so bitter, and so depressing. They were living in a place that they didn’t enjoy. They didn’t enjoy being with each other, they were the outcasts of the town.

Then Alfred came into the story. He brought with him twists and turns, had me guessing at what he could give to Elisabeth to make her happy again, and what it would cost her. I wondered what his connection to Elisabeth’s twin was and if he could really help Elisabeth come to terms with her disappearance. I didn’t like Alfred at all, I knew he was shady and that whatever he was up to it wasn’t going to end well for anyone involved. But he was the reason that I kept reading.

The ending… oh the ending. It was nothing I saw coming. I had no idea how it would end. Again, I didn’t like it, I didn’t see it coming, but it made sense and I am still not sure if I would have done anything differently if I would have been in Elisabeth’s place.

Imagine growing up with a twin sister who you idolized and one day, at 11 years old, she’s no longer there. Simply vanished, run away and never returned. There’s no death, in which to seek closure. The thought of her being out there somewhere is ever present as you are forced to continue you life. For Elisabeth Pfauts, living in Tanacross, Alaska in 1941 this is reality. She sees the invisible presence of her sister in her daughter, Margaret. Having an unbreakable and incredibly strong bond with her sister, she’s never given up hope.

When Alfred, a German pilot, lands unexpectantly in Tanacross, he quickly befriends Elizabeth, who feels a moral obligation to extend hospitality to this gentleman, welcoming him into her family’s home. Something about this guy seems a bit off, but she dismisses it as the general uneasiness of having a stranger in her home while her husband is away for work. Alfred soon commits an inexplicable act of violence, followed by a starling revelation: he knows what happened to Elisabeth’s sister, but will only reveal the truth if she fulfills three requests.

Immediately filled with doubt, but the glimmer of hope of at last knowing what happened to her sister she’s feels a strong urge to play along. After all, Alfred has just validated her feelings of her sister really is still out there. How far is she willing to go to find out what happened? Is it worth potentially ripping apart her family? How can she trust the stranger who’s already committed a most handouts act?

How Quickly She Disappears has been compared to Silence of the Lambs. The comparison is very fair. However, personally, my only qualm with this novel is it seemed to be a bit too derivative of it. I don’t want that to take away from this being a great novel in its own right, but I would have appreciate a greater variation from Hannibal Lectar.

Beginning with the unsettling arrival of the pilot and ending with his and Elisabeth’s final confrontation in the woods, the evolution of their creepy cat-and-mouse game will captivate through the last page.

4.5

Gorgeous writing, extremely suspenseful. The Alaskan wilderness and one woman's drive to find answers gives this narrative its propulsive drive.

Concept: ★★★
Writing: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★
Villain(s)/Reveal(s): ★★★ 1/2

It's 1941. Elisabeth Pfautz is living at home in Tanacross, a barely-there outpost of rural Alaska with her husband, John, and their young daughter, Margaret. They've been in Alaska for a while now, following John's teaching posts wherever they lead, and Elisabeth is just along for the ride with an unhappy marriage, a gloomy home life, and the ghosts of the unsolved secrets of her past.

Elisabeth's twin sister, Jacqueline, disappeared when she was a child.

I'll be right back, don't worry.

Jacqueline never came back, and after decades of searches in the Pennsylvania town where it happened, the case has gone cold.

In Tanacross, Elisabeth meets a stranger and he needs a place to stay for the night. She offers him their spare room despite her reservations, as her home is the unofficial B&B when Tanacross gets white guests.

The stranger, Alfred, is odd. He's a German during a time when to be German is to be the enemy, and frankly, he's creepy. By the next morning, Alfred's murdered Elisabeth's neighbor in an act of (seemingly) cold blood. He's immediately whisked to Fairbanks and interred in the prison.

But Elisabeth begins to receive letters from the murderer in jail. Alfred claims to know what happened to Jacqueline, and he can prove it. To Elisabeth, this permanent hole in her life sucks her into Alfred's narrative, and Elisabeth finds herself responding to his letters and following his bread crumb trail.

What happened to Jacqueline?

First off, let me say that this is some of the most gorgeous and suspenseful writing that I have read in a literary suspense novel in quite some time. For the writing quality alone, this novel is worth the read. Fleischmann can weave his words together with a flourish.

In fact, at times I forgot that I was reading a mystery/thriller, and completely engrossed myself in the literary suspense. This is less a "whodunit" and more of a character study of Elisabeth and Alfred, complete with beautiful described scenes and flashbacks.

However, I will say that I found the ending to be not quite...what I expected. Considering the near-flawless writing and the fantastic characterization of Elisabeth, I was a bit surprised by the direction taken at the end. Again, the "whodunit" was not the driving force for my reading experience, but I still found the reveal(s) to be a weaker ending. Why did we make that final choice?

Overall—what a read. I hope others enjoy this interesting tale set in one of America's most memorable landscapes, as it is such an impressive debut. I'm incredibly interested to see what Fleischmann writes next.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A harrowing and gripping thriller set in 1940's Alaska. Fleischmann's narrative gives us a strong sense of place. Alaska is a prominent player in this atmospheric debut. I didn't find Else to be particularly likable, but I most definitely cared about her quest to discover the truth about her missing sister. As a twin myself, I was inexorably drawn to this book as soon as I read about it. Although it was a bit more atmospheric and gritty than I expected, it was a compelling read and I would recommend ti to those who enjoyed "The Great Alone," "To the Bright Edge of the World," and "The Child Finder."

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since my two favorite genres are domestic thrillers and historical fiction, I was eager to read How Quickly She Disappears, the debut by Raymond Fleischmann that combines the two.

Taking place in pre-World War II Alaska, the protagonist is Elisabeth, a thirty-year-old teacher’s wife who never got over the disappearance of her twin sister, Jacqueline, who vanished when the girls were eleven. Now with a pre-teen daughter of her own, Elisabeth is isolated by her German background, self-absorbed husband, and small-town politics. When Alfred, who also has a German background, comes to town, Elisabeth feels duty-bound to host him. But after Alfred kills a local, Elisabeth is blamed. And Alfred complicates things even further by insisting that he knows exactly what happened to Jacqueline – and that she is still alive. If Elisabeth will do certain things for him, Alfred will tell her where Jacqueline is. But can this killer really be trusted?

Read the complete review by clicking on the link below.

I was so excited when I received this book, but I was mostly frustrated while reading.

Pacing is a slow crawl.

The plot is thin. We spend too much time wallowing in Elisabeth's memories and guilt over her sister's disappearance, and not nearly enough time with the situation at hand. Attempts at foreshadowing fall short, and I didn't feel the kind of immediacy or intensity this kind of story demands.

All the main characters behave inconsistently. For example, Elisabeth is initially portrayed as a loving, doting mother. Her daughter is the center of her world. Then, later, during a brief separation, Elisabeth doesn't even miss her daughter. Suddenly the girl is more of a nuisance in her life. Elisabeth's husband and daughter also have radical personality changes. None of these abrupt changes make sense.

Marketing this as "The Dry meets The Silence of the Lambs" sets big and specific expectations. Unfortunately, this book just barely scratches the surface of its potential.

This is a debut novel from an American author. It is set in 1941 in a small town in Alaska and revolves around the character of Elizabeth. She is married and has an 11 year old daughter Margaret. When she herself was 11 her twin sister went missing and was never found and she still dreams about her. One day she meets the new pilot that brings the mail in and he seems to have information about both her and her sister. When he murders an man and claims it was over a card game, she knows something is wrong with that motive. He is sent to jail in Fairbanks and asks to see her, promising her the location of her sister if she fulfills three requests. Since she is willing to do almost anything to find her sister, she finds herself playing a dangerous game. The publicity blurbs refer to it as "The Dry meets Silence of the Lambs ". It is wonderfully atmospheric as is "The Dry" and the main character is forced to deal with a murderer to gain information as in "The Silence of The Lambs"...but that is as far as the comparisons go. I enjoyed the book (3.5/5 stars) although I did have a few quibbles about some of the characters and was left wanting more from the ending. Still better than a decent read and I will look forward to more from this author.

How Quickly She Disappears features one of the creepiest villains I've read in a lifetime of reading mysteries with creepy villains. My skin still crawls when I think of Mr. Alfred Seidel. He's a German pilot who flies in to Tanacross, Alaska - a very small town deep in the bush. It is 1941 and people are still reeling from World War II. He's stays in the guest room of Elisabeth and John Pfautz who live in the Department of Education cabin with their daughter, Margaret - a precocious eleven year old. Mr. Alfred's behavior is odd and Elisabeth is on edge, especially since her husband John is off in Juneau on business. Soon Alfred's behavior comes to a head in violence that throws Elisabeth's life in to turmoil and begins a fight for survival. Seidel is connected to the disappearance of Elisabeth's twin who vanished without a trace many years before. He shows up now with clues to Jacqueline's whereabouts and forces Elisabeth into some life or death choices.

The story jumped around a lot and was a little difficult to follow. It cleared up by the end but I had to flip back and forth a few times. Other than that, the plot moved along and the characters were very well developed. This book will appeal to anyone who loves a good mystery !

Interesting enough to keep me reading to the end and wanting to know what happens but also a little boring at times. I didn't feel any connection to the characters and Elizabeth's naivety drove me crazy. Her thoughts of her husband and daughter who were with her then vs. her sister was infuriating. Overall it's an enjoyable enough book with a very unlikable character.

This was a really gripping story. It starts out slow, but once the main conflict is introduced, the story picks up. I am on the fence about whether or not I like the main character. I found her to be at times really interesting and sympathetic, while at other times to be frustrating and passive. I could sort of predict the conclusion, but is a small twist at the end that I think really works and made the ending worth it for me.

The historical fiction part is pretty cool. I liked the setting being in Alaska since that's not an area that I'm very familiar with, so it was interesting to see this environment and the indigenous people included there as well. I like that the war is not a super important factor in the plot. I tend to dislike world war-focused historical fiction. In this book, it's mostly a factor of lending distrust to a couple of characters and for setting purposes.

I also enjoyed the back and forth between the past and the present. Sometimes this technique doesn't come across well, but I think Fleischmann was justified in his use of it and employed it well. Getting to see Else as a child and her relationship with her sister helps justify why she's so desperate to find her and provides a bit of a clue to what might have happened to her.

Overall, I think the book is well written, the characters are really well-formed, and I enjoyed the mystery/thriller element of it.