What a fabulous high-paced debut by Clémence Michallon. I devoured this book in three days time. The story is about a kidnapper/serial killer, Aidan, and the points of view of three women in his life, his daughter, a stolen woman, and one who is melting at the seams for the alluring newly widowed town hero. Also, it sneaks in some *spoiler* chapters.
The novel is well written and definitely falls into the psych/thriller trope. It has tinges of physical abuse, mental abuse, and suspense. I would not classify this as a horror, as it does not contain gore, but you truly feel for the female main character. A lot of her personal decisions are agonizing and you just want to reach your hands into the pages to help her on more than once occasion. She’s sharp, alert, but it really makes you question, what would you do in her situation?
The one gripe I had about the novel was the lack of motives. How did Aidan choose his victims and what happened to those who he previously murdered? Why was Rachel a different piece of the puzzle and why did she not fit into Aidan’s designed plan?
Overall, the book is amazingly detailed enough so that I can feel myself in a scene with Rachel. Aidan was a sick individual who made choices which I am unaware of, but was also the town’s hero. It really makes you question who may be the tenant next door.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
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