I found the basic plot and pacing of this novel to be good, but it lacked something for me. I found I didn't have much attachment to the protagonists, or a driving desire to have the plot's mysteries revealed. I was able to pick this book up and put it down easily, unlike other thrillers I've read. Lee Goldberg's Lost Hills, for example, was a book I consumed almost in one sitting.

I liked the story idea. That was intriguing and definitely worth a read. However, there were masses of things I didn't like that made the story hard to follow. Continues time jumps for one. I understand we needed to know character background but it was difficult to focus on what was happening in the present when they were either jumping forward or backwards. This could be a point for Clive's unstable frame of mind. Clive himself was a character that was not. Going into his point of view was unnecessary and at times did not help the story at all. The inconsistency of Ellie and Neil was something that bothered me as well. At times they were unlikeable and wild and free, then they were freezing people out, had strong moral objections which clashed with what they had previously said. Neil especially, I could not read his point of view. Whilst it was interesting to learn about Ellie and Neil and Clive's pasts intertwined, it was not a shocking revelation due to how unlikeable the writing was.

A shout-out to Dundurn Publishing and Netgalley for sending me an e-copy to read prior to publication in 2020.

Ellie and Neil drop off their two children at summer camp and head for their vacation cottage to renew their relationship. When their dog, Hamish, decides to explore the neighbor’s yard, Ellie meets her nearest neighbor and invites him over for dinner. All goes well until this neighbor returns again while Neil is out and kidnaps Ellie in her own home telling her he is her soulmate. He devises a game for her to play. “Tell me my name” and if you get it wrong I cut off one of your husband’s toes, and the second wrong answer removes a finger. Three errors and Neil dies. The perp has had lots of work done so recognizing him is not that easy.

You might want to set an app on your phone reminding you to breathe. I noticed I kept holding my breath during the tense parts, which was most of the time. For a debut book, the pacing was spot on. Nothing moved slowly in this book except maybe the police. I think Ruddy has a great future ahead of her writing thrillers.

I did have one minor problem near the end. Too much coincidence in a place as large as Toronto. I totally believe that storyline could have been omitted without taking away from the thrills.

But on the whole, a riveting read.

This was a fast paced story with a twist at the end. It was told from the different view points of the characters which worked well, although there were a few times I felt things were a little unbelievable but it didn’t put me off finishing the book. An all round good read.

Just what the world needs…another dud of a thriller. Back to me for me. And sure, yeah, it’s statistics, you can’t just make these female thrillers to be so ubiquitous and expect originality all the time, but still…some disappointment will be had. The plot here involves a wife and a mother who gets kidnapped by a George Clooney lookalike (I know, right) who proceeds to go all Rumpelstiltskin on her…so he’s all like tell me my name, tell me my name and she’s all like, let me scroll down my mental rolodex of creeps over the years and he’s all like ok, but while you do, I’ll cut off your man’s (also kidnapped) fingers and toes. That’s just for starters. Eventually, it just, not quite spirals, that implies dynamics, but more like rolls into a predictable survival thriller of sorts, the battle of wills between the three of them. All the characters are thoroughly blah, including the handsome psycho, who was (surprise, surprise) messed up by his cruel whore of a mommy. The female protagonist is nothing special and her spouse’ main drama is a one time cheat/one night stand he profoundly regrets. There’s also a lady cop on the case, tough despite her small stature, because she says things like go have an intercourse with a rapey waterfowl, though not in those very words. The mystery aspect here is nearly nonexistent, this is a straight up suspense thriller, albeit not all that heavy on either. The plot doesn’t attempt any dizzying twists either. The book basically takes it pretty easy. It’s easy reading all around. Mild, inoffensive and bland, the way some (I don’t, but some) might describe Canadians and yes, this author and the book are both Canada set Canadians. So anyway…not much to recommend here. In fact, the best thing about this book might have been that it was the kind of blah that lent itself easily to being sped read, so at least it didn’t waste too much of my time. But time was wasted and only the bare minimum of entertainment was offered in return. Sure, it’s a debut, the author might get up to speed eventually, but for what it is now, it really isn’t worth reading, unless you specialize in trite thrillers of limited thrilling. Pass. Thanks Netgalley.

LTS

A while back I saw a post on another site from a book buddy. They were explaining their rating system & how they’d finally reached a place where they didn’t feel guilty about not finishing a book. But instead of using DNF, they elected to go with LTS….Life’s Too Short. So I’m going to shamelessly steal their idea & apply here.

When I decide to put a book down, it’s rarely due to poor writing skills. Instead, It’s like walking past a shop window & seeing a sweater that catches my eye. Everything about it screams “Pick Me!” so I dash inside & try it on. Then I look more closely. Hmmm….something’s not quite right. Maybe it’s the material, maybe it’s me. But clearly we’re not meant for each other.

That sums up my experience with this book. I had problems connecting with any of the characters & that hindered my ability to suspend my disbelief far enough to accept some of their actions & truly be gripped by the story. When I got to the 60% mark, I found my mind wandering to all the books waiting for me in my massive TBR pile & decided my buddy had it right. Life’s too short to not be fully engaged by what I’m reading.

So it all comes down to a simple mismatch between reader & book. But just like with the sweater in the window, I know there are others out there that will find it a perfect fit.

(Because I cannot post without giving a star rating, I'll go with 2.5 - 3 stars for the portion I read)

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC.
Unlike other very favorable reviews I can't say I enjoyed this book. It's set in rural Ontario, where a couple want to reconnect while their children are at camp. A man overpowers the woman while her husband is out shopping and, unless she can call him by his name, will harm and eventually kill him. According to the man they know each other and he's her soulmate. She doesn't recognise him and delves through her past, eventually realizing she does know him. But does she know her husband?
The premise is good, but I couldn't get invested in the story or the people and the writing, to me, was poor. One of the blurbs said if you like Ruth Ware you would like this book, but I think that's a gross exaggeration.

I wanted to love this book because the description sounded like my cup of tea, but I couldn't. The pacing was too fast and some more time developing the different characters would have been nice. If things would have been more fleshed out, I would give this book a higher rating.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This one was pretty twisty- some more obvious than others but still an enjoyable ride. You really do you fall in love with the main female character. Solid four