This was an exciting roller coaster of a read with lots of shocking twists and and turns. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, something else was revealed that completely changed my perspective. The audiobook version was excellent and potrayed the fast-paced story and suspense ideally. Fans of Shari Lapena and Megan Goldin will enjoy this.

It’s been a year since Isabelle’s infant, Mason, disappeared from his crib while she and her husband slept. The police found no leads or evidence and the case has gone cold and Isabelle’s husband is with another woman. The loss of Mason has damaged something inside Isabelle, and she’s barely slept since he disappeared; the lack of sleep and her grief makes Isabelle appear unstable. When a podcaster approaches her with the idea to feature the disappearance in a show, Isabelle readily agrees, even if she’s apprehensive about the motives for the podcast. Told in Isabelle’s voice, both past and present, and the fact that she’s a somewhat unreliable narrator, made this a complex and interesting story.

4.5⭐️A very strong sophomore novel by Stacy Willinghan that I couldn’t put down!!

Synopsis: For the past year Isabelle Drake has been searching for her missing son who was taken in the middle of the night from his bedroom. Sleep deprived and desperate for a lead, Isabelle agrees to work with a true crime podcaster and hosts him in her home. However, all this digging starts to bring up secrets from the past, and Izzy starts to second guess who she can trust… including herself

Thoughts: This was well-written, unpredictable, and one wild ride. I am not usually a fan of the unreliable narrator/ crazy mom trope but the Stacy Willingham made it work. I really enjoyed learning about Izzy’s relationships with the other characters, especially her ex husband and parents, and seeing how it all tied together. There were also flashbacks to Izzy’s childhood, which added an extra layer of suspense and eerie vibes. I had many predictions when reading and while some were correct, there were many twists that I was surprised by!

Read if you like:
-True crime podcasts
-Atmospheric settings
-Kidnapping stories
-Past/ present timelines

Pub date: 1/10/23