A missing roommate and a trail of lies…

My first Laura Marshall book and I can say that I am definitely a fan. Her writing drew me in and I really related to the “best friends” scenario of Ellen and Sasha, Karina and their complicated relationship. I could feel Ellen’s desperation when Sasha disappears one night and she just knows “something is wrong“.  Why won’t the police do anything? No one is listening to her.

Sasha is one of those characters that I couldn’t quite figure out. We get a peek at how she met Ellen years earlier, when she moved in next door. Sasha is described as “movie star” beautiful and alluring, but she calls herself “the cuckoo in the nest.” Everyone seems to be drawn to her by some force of nature.

The timeline alternates between 2007 and 2017 and the as the story builds we learn more about the family dynamics next door. There is a complicated mixture of themes that are relevant today and felt like it could have come out of the news headlines. Although there are some interesting twists, this one is more of an unraveling of a scandal than a edge of your seat thriller (just know that going in).

The end wrapped it all up nicely, highlighting the consequences of both telling lies and living with the truth.

Recommend to fans of messy domestic relationships and slippery motives, along with some court room drama.

4 Stars from me!

 

Book Description:

Someone told a lie.
Someone knows the truth.

Someone is watching you.

*****

When Sasha North comes into Ellen’s life, Ellen falls under her spell. As Ellen is welcomed into Sasha’s family, she doesn’t see the darkness that lies beneath their bohemian lifestyle. Not until a brutal attack changes all their lives forever.

Ten years later, Ellen and Sasha share a flat in London, still bound together by that night. When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. The police won’t take her seriously, but the events of the past give Ellen good reason to be frightened.

What really happened that night? Who is telling the whole truth? These are the questions Ellen must confront when searching for her friend. But someone knows Ellen is looking. And they don’t want the answers coming out . . .

 

Out today 9/4/18