This is a debut novel and kudos to
Mary Kubica for pulling off the multiple point of view/dual time-line story.
(She’s since written two more psychological thrillers, and I cannot wait to
read them.)
Here the focus is on the search for missing Mia Dennett, a young
woman whose father disapproves of the way she lives her life and whose mother
flagellates herself for not being more of a nurturer. The story is told from
several different angles, including Mia’s mother Eve and Detective Gabe
Hoffman, who finds himself drawn to Eve as he searches for clues to her missing
daughter.
The more we know about Mia, the more we sympathize with her and that’s
also true of Gabe, who starts out being a somewhat generic wise-cracking cop
but develops into a man whose compassion extends beyond the family of the
victim in the case he’s investigating. The twists and turns are nicely handled,
and even fans of the genre may find themselves surprised by the end.Yes, yes, the comparisons to Gone Girl and Girl on the Train are more than justified.
