A Skipper's Oath: 5 Stars

Author: P. Wesley Lundburg
Length: 430 pgs.

I signed up to read this book for free in exchange for a review as part of my Freebie Chicks’ featured Author of the Month. I asked to read this after seeing the blurb for the book. It sounded like a great thriller and reminded me somewhat of that Meryl Streep movie River Wild, where a family out for an innocent day on their boat are taken hostage by criminals, finding themselves completely isolated from society and at the mercy of a few psychos.

That’s not to say this book is anything like River Wild, but I’m glad I signed up for a copy because I ended up LOVING IT. The author hooks us from the very beginning, throwing us for a loop as we think we’re reading from the perspective of the main character at first (at least I did, since I didn’t take note of the main character’s name too closely before diving into the book, apparently). Tragic circumstances ensue, and we realize we haven’t even met our protagonist yet, we’re just learning to hate the bad guys he will eventually be going after.

The first thing I noticed and one of the most notable things about the book is the amazing setting in which it takes place. Apparently the author resided in Alaska for over 17 years and ran a fishing boat charter, but I didn’t need to know that to understand that this book is written by someone who’s been where he’s describing. Thanks to the succinctly elegant prose you can almost see Alaska, can almost smell the water and feel the spray of it against your face as you speed through the water with Frank Mattituck on his boat. The author’s love for the place lives in Mattituck’s thoughts and words, and makes me want to add “retire on boat in Alaska” to my bucket list. And that’s another thing – I know absolutely nothing about fishing or boating, but for these characters it’s pretty much a way of life so there’s no avoiding the terminology. Fortunately Lundburg has a way of explaining things in certain terms without treating his readers like idiots. Even I knew what was going on, though I couldn’t tell starboard from portside-or whatever it is-if my life depended on it (though I now apparently must learn all of this before my retirement). Alaska isn’t just the setting where this book occurs, it’s a living breathing character in itself.

The second thing I noticed is how terrifying the antagonists in the book are. There are two of them, and we’re not sure if they’re running to or from something at first, but they seem immeasurably wreckless and kill without warning or sense. We witness their disregard for human life within the first few pages. This isn’t just a case of catch-the-bad-guy(s), it’s can they catch the bad guy? And how are they going to do that?? Once Frank finds himself in the killers’ line of sight and must desperately seek shelter on an uninhabited island, things become even more dangerous.

The murder of a close friend sets off a series of events that leads to Frank being deputized and partnering up with his acquaintance Todd, who is a State Trooper. Their budding partnership was one of my favorite parts of the book. Something else the author seems to excel at is character building, and I grew to really like Frank and Todd for different reasons. I wanted to be on the boat with them, drinking coffee and plotting our next move.

The plot itself is well thought-out and perfectly executed. I was on the edge of my seat, not sure if my favorite characters were going to be sacrificed by the author or if they would be spared. Like Todd says at one point (I’m paraphrasing), if you follow one thread long enough everything will eventually unravel, and tagging along as he and Frank uncovered more and more information about their two suspects and their purpose was fascinating.

I love a good thriller, and this did not disappoint. Not only did we get a great story, but a beautiful and tangible setting to accompany it, along with smartly crafted characters from all walks of life. I truly enjoyed this and am giving it five stars for captivating me and keeping me turning the pages in an unsettling combination of anticipation and dread. I didn’t know ahead of reading this that there was a second book but I will definitely be picking it up!!

When You Disappeared: 4 Stars

Author: John Marrs
Length: 350 pgs.
Wow, that was insane.

This book was a lot of fun to listen to -I downloaded the audio version from Kindle Unlimited – up until the last 2 hours or so. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t lose steam or go off track at the end. Rather, the story goes from mysterious to just plain depressing and torturous to hear. It was extremely hard to listen to the end of the story due to the events that are finally revealed at that point. I wish I could explain why but that would be spoiler-y and this book is best if you go into it blind.

Having just listened to another Marrs book, The One, I can say that When you Disappeared is not really a thriller per se, but more of a years-long mystery that is unraveled throughout the book. It’s still in the vein of psychological thriller as it does play with our heads but it’s not particularly fast-paced and doesn’t have that edge-of-your-seat vibe from Marrs’ other brilliant book Good Samaritan. However I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story centers around a woman, Catherine, who wakes up to find her husband Simon missing. Just gone. Was he killed in an accident? Did he run off? Did he leave her for another woman? Was he abducted? There’s a years-long search, but at its end Catherine accepts she’ll never know what happened to her husband.

25 years after he disappears, Simon shows up on Catherine’s door step. He needs to tell her the story of where he’s been, and in turn she tells him the story of how her life and the lives of their three kids fell apart after he left them.

Marrs has created a true monster in the character of Simon. Never have I had such a strong dislike for a character. His excuses as to why he left made me scoff. His proclivity for blaming Catherine for “making” him leave his whole family in the lurch is infuriating. And as the book goes on, he cements himself as a truly despicable person who has done despicable things.

On the other end of the spectrum is Catherine, whom I can’t help but feel for as we hear her struggle. And we soon learn that Simon disappearing may or may not actually be the worst thing that has ever happened to her.

Marrs has a definite way with both character- and mystery-building. He also has a talent for writing women: their inner voices, their unspoken anguish at experiencing loss or deceit, the day-to-day feelings of uncertainty, unworthiness and second-guessing. Catherine is as well-written a female character as I’ve ever read from a female author.

As I mentioned above, the last 1.5 – 2 hours of the book are incredibly hard to get through. I cried on my drive to work as I listened to the narrators reveal their biggest secret, the heartbreak from that day now coupled with regret as their truth is finally shared. It reminds us we shouldn’t jump to conclusions, and you can’t make life-changing decisions based on suspicion. It also makes me want to hug my kids tightly and never let them out of my sight.

If you’re like me you’ll find yourself struggling to come to terms with the story after it ends, in a state of shock and/or mental anguish. My recommendations are just to silently repeat the words these are not real people. These are not real people over and over.

The Broken Puppet (Elite Kings Club #2): 3.5 Stars

Author: Amo Jones
Length: 274 pgs.

3.5 stars

This book picks up immediately where Silver Swan left off, and I enjoyed that aspect of it as most sequels automatically jump forward months at a time and simply give us a quick wrap up of what’s been going on (although to be fair it does jump forward a bit, AFTER it picks up from where #1 left off).

Madison and her friend Tara use their power as rich kids to generate fake IDS/passports to leave the country and flee to New Zealand. They only last a few months before being tracked down by the Elite Kings, and they’re dragged back home. Bishop is still his mean old self that he was in the first book, and although Jones writes him as being more affectionate towards Madison as the book goes on, there’s still a lot of scenes where he chokes Madison, or physically forces her to do something or accompany him somewhere.

As for the mystery surrounding the Kings, we do get some answers to questions that were asked in Silver Swan. Some new mysteries are introduced however, and it’s hard to mention them in a review without giving too much away. Madison discovers she has more than one family member that she never new existed. She learns more about her heritage. She also starts having flashbacks of childhood torment at the hands of a man only known as Lucan who called her “Silver”. It’s all very creepy as memories that Madison’s subconsciously been suppressing for years slowly come to the surface.

There’s a lot of action in this book – someone is shot, someone who’s dead apparently really isn’t, more than one character goes missing, etc. We find out why a certain King has been treating Madison as if he hates her. It definitely gets crazy but these kids still take the time to party and hook up while it’s happening. The book’s storyline pushes the boundaries of reality-which I think I said in my review of Silver Swan- but there truly is never a dull moment or one in which you don’t feel like Madison is in imminent danger. Who can she really trust? What do the Kings plan to do with her? Why is her dad such a selfish asshole (seriously, he spends about 5 minutes checking on Madison after she’s injured at one point in the book, before saying “we better go” and leaving with her stepmother)?

Unfortunately these questions are never answered due to the giant CLIFFHANGER this book ends on. Imagine my mental pain and anguish when I learned that the third book won’t be released until May 2018!! (I have already pre-ordered it lol). I’d be lying if I said that Amo Jones hasn’t completely piqued my curiosity and left me dying to find out the rest of the story.

The One: 4 Stars

Author: John Marrs
Length: 416 pgs

I’m officially a John Marrs fan and will be adding him to my list of authors whose new releases go straight to my wishlist and/or kindle collection depending on how much money is in my bank account.

My book relationship with John Marrs began with his book The Good Samaritan late last year and reignited my love for psychological thrillers. There’s nothing quite like a GOOD thriller that messes with your head and throws you for a loop a handful of times. The Good Samaritan was thoroughly enjoyable for that reason, so I jumped at the change to listen to The One thanks to a Goodreads friend (hi Pam!) letting me hijack her library subscription.

The story here revolves around several people who have been “matched”. In the world Marrs has created, there exists a technology that uses DNA to match people to their soul mate. Of course everyone jumps at this chance to find their true love without thinking twice. The whole idea has its pros and cons that are explored throughout the book. But in true Marrs fashion he does so via some characters that may seem innocent or naïve at first glance but turn out to have many layers to them.

The book alternates POVs in each chapter and at first you wonder how you’re going to keep track of everyone but I adapted quickly to the revolving viewpoints. We have Ellie, who is a rich and powerful CEO – but of what, exactly? Mandy, whose husband left her for his DNA match and who wants to find her true own love and settle down to have a family. Nick, who’s perfectly happy with his fiancé Sally until she insists they test to see if they’re a match. Jade, whose match is halfway around the world in Australia and who will text her but won’t Skype or Facetime- what is he hiding? Christopher, a serial killer who’s just found his match – but will he fall for her or add her to his list of victims?

I thought I had certain storylines nailed down at some points in the book, but in typical Marrs fashion he caught me completely off-guard more than once (and of course the way the stories actually went was so much better than what I’d imagined). When I was finishing up the audiobook on my commute home yesterday I had a visceral reaction to some bombs that were dropped at the end. I was angry. I was upset at and with some of the characters. And others completely shocked and impressed me with the way they had handled some insane situations.

There were times when a characters’ narrative would start heading towards happily-ever-afterville and I’d wonder how Marrs would give it his “touch”, and again he’d add the perfect little twist or wrap it up in a way that didn’t feel forced or cheesy.

I have listened to the audio version for both of the Marrs books I’ve finished and they are as enjoyable as the actual story. The narrators each speak in a clear, soft British accent and intuit their character’s emotions perfectly.

I now have to add every book Marrs has ever written to my TBR. Up next is the audiobook for When You Disappeared which I downloaded via Kindle Unlimited and started almost immediately after finishing The One. If I love this book as much as the other two I really don’t know how I’m going to keep my own head from exploding at excitement from finding a new favorite suspense/thriller author. Why his name isn’t yet up there with Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware I have no idea. Please, someone make this a movie.

Silver Swan (Elite Kings Club #1): 3.5 Stars

Author: Amo Jones
Length: 261 pgs.
I picked this book up as a freebie during a price drop and after seeing a friend give it 4 stars I couldn’t wait to read it! I was not disappointed. I could not put this book down and flew threw it in about 2 days.

I wasn’t sure initially what I wanted to rate it. Some of the writing had grammatical errors and a few passages read as amateurish. And I’m not the grammar police but I can’t help but take note of those things in a published book. But the content and the storyline made me overlook those small mistakes.

Let’s focus on the storyline for a minute. It revolves around Madison Montgomery, who is well known among her peers due to the fact that her mother shot and killed her father’s mistress before turning the gun on herself. So it’s just Madison and her dad, who’s pretty much absentee due to his line of work.. However her dad’s just gotten remarried, so they move to a new city and Madison joins an elite prep school where she instantly befriends a girl named Tatum. Tatum is likable and funny, and they quickly add another girl to their group that they meet by the name of Tillie. I loved the dynamic between these three girls. Their dialogue was youthful and true to their age most of the time with the lingo they would use (can you tell I’m older than them based on the fact that I just used the word lingo?) My only issue with their triad was that the similarity between Tatum & Tillie’s names confused me at times. That’s probably just me though…

Madison quickly learns she has a new stepbrother, Nate, and he and his 9 friends make up what is known as the Elite Kings Club. There’s a lot of hearsay about what actually goes on with these guys and they’re not the nicest guys. The way they size up Madison and eye her evilly-especially the ringleader Bishop-gave me the chills. Tatum immediately warns Madison to be careful, and once she finds out Nate is Madison’s stepbrother she reiterates this warning. In fact Madison’s warned many times throughout the book to watch her back.

Shit hits the fan instantly between Maddy and the Kings. This is probably why people refer to this book as being insane. Right away she’s lured to a remote location, taken hostage and asked seemingly random questions. Maddy has no idea why she’s being asked these questions, but the whole ordeal definitely made me feel unsettled and anxious as to what was going to happen next. You know there is definitely more to the Kings that meets the eye.

Nate goes back and forth between being a sleezeball creepo trying to scare Maddy, and being an overly affectionate step brother. His protective attitude towards Maddy I didn’t really buy considering that they’d only just met but I let that slide. The thing about Silver Swan is that you have to suspend the rules of a typical teenage reality in order to accept what’s being laid out in front of you. Because the way the Kings behave, and the things they do to Maddy to terrorize, assault and stalk her, would not go unanswered or excused in the real world. (At least I hope they wouldn’t.)

Maddy finds herself drawn into a erotic cat and mouse game with Bishop. He is admittedly delicious to read but he is a bad, bad guy. He is not nice to Maddy at all, and he tells her straight up that he hates her. By his actions and the way he treats her for the first 2/3 of the book, we have no reason to disbelieve him. This is where I started to feel conflicted about this book. I LOVED the events that unfolded. I loved all the action and confrontations and scheming and the naughty nature of the Kings. I did. But the relationship between Maddy and Bishop- while Amo Jones gives us some delicious encounters that seem beyond the reach of actual teenage behavior-to me seemed definitely mentally and emotionally abusive.

I’m not on any ethical or moral committee and I’m definitely not a saint, but the fact that Maddy made no attempt to preserve her dignity and self-respect by defending herself or standing up to Bishop at any point, really bothered me (and as I’m totally into super dark erotica no one is more surprised by this than me)! But the whole Maddy/Bishop thing went beyond dark erotica. It was hate sex. Literally, Bishop tells her he hates her as he’s f#*^ing her. And Maddy chalks this all up to him being a bad boy, or mysterious, or blah blah blah. Not once does she say you know what, I don’t deserve to be spoken to like this. In fact she actually blows off a really sweet guy in order to continue degrading herself with Bishop.

She’s also the first to defend Nate, even after a scene in the woods where the Kings attack her AGAIN. She says that despite all he’s done, she knows Nate wouldn’t hurt her. Oh, really? Because I thought that’s EXACTLY what they were doing to you in the woods. WTF Maddy.

Despite all the above, I DID like Maddy. She was funny, strong (just not when it comes to men apparently), self-assured, a loyal friend, and gun savvy. On the downside, she is INSANELY naïve- when her friends make offhanded yet obvious comments that are meant to warn her about one thing or another, she shrugs them off or moves on to a different subject. It seems like clues are being thrown at her left and right that she is either in danger or that things are not what they seem, and she ignores them or makes excuses.

And it does seem like everyone else knows what’s going on aside from Maddy. I’m not saying this is really the case, but throughout the entire book you can’t really be sure who is actually trustworthy and that adds to the whole sense of foreboding and unease.

Speaking of unease, I have to give Amo Jones credit for creating this completely disconcerting atmosphere. You constantly feel as though the main character is in danger, you’re just never really sure why or from who exactly. And because of that you HAVE to keep reading. I’ve already purchased book #2, Broken Puppet for $2.99 and I’ve started reading other books since finishing this one a few days ago, but I think I may actually have to set those aside for the moment so that I can continue on this journey with Maddy and get my questions answered!!

So overall it was an addicting and exciting read, the only downsides for me being the struggle with the Bishop/Maddie dynamic that I’m still trying to understand-and the fact that he became a softer version of himself towards the end of the book which was hard to swallow as being a realistic transformation, after being built up as a robotic asshole for most of the book-and the bits of writing that bothered me here and there. But those are small issues that won’t keep me from continuing the series.

The Wife Between Us: 4 Stars

Author: Greer Hendricks/Sarah Pekkanen
Length: 346 pgs.

OMG That ending! So many twists and turns that I honestly did not see coming! This book totally messes with your head and I loved every minute of it.

It starts off uneventful enough, taking us through the daily routine of both an ex-wife and a newly engaged young woman. There's only small indications that trouble might be brewing, but nothing to really set off any alarm bells. However, this book is like an onion, slowly peeling back layer by layer to reveal the truth at its center. There is a giant twist 2/3 of the way through the book, which concludes Part 1. Another twist concludes part 2. And at the end, there is yet another little nugget of a shocker thrown at us to wrap it all up.

The synopsis itself promises that we will be surprised:

"When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.

Assume nothing.

And though I tried to keep an open mind and figure out what exactly I was assuming that might be incorrect, the first twist still caught me completely off-guard. And when I went back and checked certain parts after I had this new information, it all added up to the picture that was slowly being shown to me.

It's hard to really review this book without spoiling anything, so if you're interested in reading it stop here.

I loved that the authors fucked with my head; not once, not twice, but 3 or 4 BIG times-and also sprinkled a handful of small occurrences throughout the book that we view in a new light once we learn the truth.

They created a truly frightening, scheming, twisted, manipulative individual in Richard (not to mention his sister Maureen) and perfectly painted him as a somewhat controlling but non-threatening trophy husband, whose insane true self is only shown to us at first in bits and pieces.

It's no small feat to trick an audience, especially in written form when we can re-read passages and re-check things at our leisure. But The Wife Between Us really threw me for a loop. Even as I tried to stay ahead of the curve, I never really knew what I was in for.

That Night: 4 Stars

Author: Chevy Stevens
Length: 400 pgs.
This is my second Chevy Stevens book in less than a month, and that is no accident. Coincidentally, I read both books while I was home sick from work and finished them in 2 days. Yes, I had extra time on my hands for being at home sick BUT her books are such consistent page turners!! That Night is no different. I picked up a used paperback copy from Goodwill books online and it was in great condition and cost less than $2.

This book was more of a mystery than the other two of hers I’ve read (Still Missing and Those Girls were more suspense/thrillers). This is still a definite thriller, but the main question-who really killed Nicole?-isn’t answered until the very end.

Nicole is the sister of the main character, Toni. When we first meet Toni she’s being released from prison after serving 15 years for her sister’s murder. The book goes back and forth between the events leading up to the night of the murder, and present day where Toni’s trying to get her life back together while out on parole. This book was especially stressful to read just hearing about everything Toni has gone through/is going through. What first stands out to me is her relationship with her mother. Pre-prison, she and her mother do not get along. Toni is the black sheep compared to Nicole’s role in the family as the sweet daughter. She can’t seem to do anything right, and when she meets and begins a long-term relationship with Ryan, things only go downhill. Her mom tends to blame everything negative on the relationship, which pushes Toni further into Ryan’s arms and farther away from the daughter her mother wishes she would be.

Her mom is realistically written in that she’s completely unlikable, short-tempered and flustered (I’m taking notes on how not to treat or talk to my girls when they reach the dreaded teen years). Toni doesn’t make it any easier on herself however, mouthing off and/or completely ignoring her mom when asked to do something. This is where Nicole knows how to play the game- she may be the “good” daughter in that she puts on a sweet face and does what’s asked of her, but she’s calculating in her own way. She knows what she’s doing and she knows how to play the innocent in the eyes of her parents. Toni acts solely on emotion, coming off as frustrated and annoyed in every conversation with her mother.

Unfortunately, outside of her relationship with Ryan, Toni doesn’t find much relief in her school/personal life. Chevy Stevens has created one of the most hateful villains ever with the heinous literal creation of Shauna McKinney. Man I hated that bitch! The sad thing is that I think so many of us know a Shauna McKinney in one form or another. She starts off initially as Toni’s friend-as these bitches often do-but unsurprisingly morphs into SuperBitch for one spiteful reason or another. Have I mentioned this chick’s a total beeyotch?

To say she’s a bitch is actually putting it mildly. Throughout the rest of her high school career Toni is tortured by Shauna and her pathetic group of hangers-on. Her life is made miserable and since her mother constantly pushes her away for one reason or another (her room’s not clean enough, she has a bad attitude), Toni can only go to Ryan for comfort. Things get worse when Shauna drafts Nicole as her newest friend, and then suddenly Nicole’s part of the group that’s making Toni’s life a living hell.

This part was a little bit of a stretch for me. I know that popularity rules all when you’re in school, but the idea that you’d abandon a sibling to the clutches of mean girls just to be categorized as “cool” yourself was somewhat unbelievable. With my kids we teach them that family is first and everyone else can suck it (at least that’s the abbreviated version) so it was super frustrating to see Nicole getting away with this type of behavior. When Toni tries to make her parents aware of what’s going on, all it takes is a little nice-girl act from Shauna for Toni’s mother to give her a lecture about forgiveness and getting along with everyone. No one believes Toni or takes her at her word and that’s exasperating.

This all serves to lead up to that fateful night in the book’s title where Nicole is brutally murdered. We learn the chain of events that put Toni and Ryan behind bars. We see Toni’s mother lose all trust for her surviving daughter and basically abandon her to the legal system. If I haven’t mentioned Toni’s father before now, it’s because his character is useless. He gives half-ass excuses for his wife’s behavior all while pushing Toni farther and farther away. It’s sad to learn that Toni’s most supportive relationships will be built with fellow prison inmates, instead of the friends and family who should’ve been there for her in the first place.

Found guilty of Nicole’s murder (thanks to some helpful testimony from Shauna and crew), Ryan and Toni are separated and sent to prison for their respective sentences. Even after Toni’s finally released, she can’t seem to find any peace. She’s an ex-con out on parole with nowhere to stay, no job, and the stigma of being known as a sister-murderer in her hometown. She quickly runs into one of the girls who testified against her, and later she runs into Shauna herself, who proves that she still has power to make Toni’s life a living hell. In fact the constant, lingering fear of Toni’s being sent back to prison sits like a knot in the reader’s stomach. Nothing is easy for this girl. You’d think finally getting out of jail after serving time on a bullshit murder charge would relieve some stress, but for Toni-when she decides once and for all that she’s going to solve her sister’s murder-it’s like the trouble’s just beginning.

The fast-paced nature of the book only added to the tension building. By the end of the book I was DYING to know what was going to happen, and if more bad things were going to happen to my sweet little ex-con Toni, if she was going to get her dog Captain back, and if anyone was ever going to punch Shauna and/or Toni’s mom in the face.

I won’t answer those questions for you, but I was happy with how everything went down in the end. This was another unputdownable read for me from Chevy Stevens.

Those Girls: 4 Stars

Author: Chevy Stevens
Length: 385 pgs.

It’s been a while since I read Chevy Steven’s debut novel Still Missing, and I still remember how creepy and disturbing it was. I saw Those Girls on sale for 2.99 and immediately picked it up. It did not disappoint!

The book focuses on three sisters: Jess, Courtney and Dani. Their dad is an abusive, neglectful alcoholic and they mostly have to fend for themselves. One night their dad comes home drunk yet again and things quickly turn from bad to worse. The girls find themselves on the run.

It was hard, at that point, to read about how the girls had been living: no money, little to no groceries, working on a their landlord's farm to try to make up for the rent that their father was paying late again. Their mother died a few years before, and since then things had deteriorated to the point where they had to take care of themselves, feed themselves breakfast/lunch/dinner (assuming there was enough food in the house to do so), tuck themselves in at night...any mom's heart would break at the thought. Their memories and feelings are visceral, told from Jess's (the youngest sister) point of view, so it's easy to bond with them.

Despite how bad they have it at home, it doesn't get any better once they hit the road. There’s not much assistance to be had for three underage females with no money, unable to go to the police and without any additional family. Their truck ends up breaking down and they’re lucky (?) enough to be offered help by a few people who are passing by. Like one of those eerie movies that takes place in a remote area, the tension slowly builds until we’re convinced-as the girls are-that something terrible is about to happen, something worse than what they’re running from.

Their worst fears are realized-and, after putting themselves in even more danger to get to safety, they find themselves on the run yet again. This time they seek immediate shelter and change their names.

The book then takes an unexpected time jump about 16 years or so in the future. We see how each girl moved on-or didn’t-from their horrifying shared experience. There’s a new character introduced, one who will force the women to face the very real and scary demons from their past. And here is where the second roller coaster begins. The reader’s barely recovered from everything that happened in the first half of the book when our sisters are plunged into danger once again.

I liked the different personalities each sister had and how those contributed to the story. They each carry the weight of their secrets differently.

Steven fosters a masterfully creepy environment, creating a small town I sure as hell wouldn’t want to break down in. The people who live there aren’t any better and the whole thing just gives me the shivers. I had the thought "Get out of there!!!" pop into my head on more than one occasion.

I wasn’t sure how things were going to go, having only read one book by Stevens before this, so I didn’t know if I should anticipate a happy ending or if the characters’ lives were going to continue the pattern of tragedy. I cried with the characters and bit my nails at the events that unfolded over the second half of the book. Like the sisters in the beginning, you KNOW something bad is going to happen, you just aren’t sure how or when.

This was a definite page turner for me. I read it when I was home sick for 4 days and it was the silver lining of a crappy week. And this time I won't wait so long before reading the next Chevy Stevens book!