Scrappymags 3-word review: Solid, entertaining mystery

Genre: Adult contemporary mystery. A touch more on the chick-lit side since the central relationship is two women, but tough for me to judge. Guys should give it a whirl. And let me know!

Shortest summary ever: Starting over in a small rural town after a huge work problem in her former career as a Boston reporter, Leah Stevens thinks she’s found a safe place to land. Along with her old college pal Emmy, they’ve rented a secluded house and begun new lives… and then (insert scary music) a girl is assaulted.

A girl that looks an awful lot… like Leah.

Then Emmy disappears and Leah is left holding bags, wait – LUGGAGE bags of questions, including if “Emmy” was even a real person. What’s the true story? And who IS “Emmy”? (dun dun dun…)

What’s good under the hood: This is my second review of a Megan Miranda book, the first being All The Missing Girls,  and not to sound too McDonald’s (I’m hungry) but I’m lovin’ it! (Squeeeeee I’m a fan!)  I wasn’t AS in love with this book as I was Missing Girls, because of the reverse narrative in THAT novel I was truly wowed. But this solid follow up is 4-star worthy – an enjoyable, driven, advancing story that kept my interest. I love a surprising plot – one that doesn’t follow a cliché, which is tough to do when nearly everything is cliché. What I just said was so cliché. See? It’s a solid follow-up. Intrigue, enough characterization and description without being plodding, and a multitude of turns that kept the pages turning like a hamster wheel.

What’s bad or made me mad: there were a few choices in plot toward the end that didn’t seem viable ( no spoilers) or didn’t seem consistent with what an educated sensible person would do, thus why it’s a four-star.

Recommend to:

• Best-seller type mystery fans. Not a cozy mystery, but not a Jack-the-Ripper scene.
• Probably a bit more chick-lit-mystery.
• Book clubs would enjoy the friendship angle in discussions.

Do Not Recommend to:

• If you can’t suspend a little disbelief. Avoid.
• If you’re looking for the unusual like Miranda’s first book you’ll likely be let down.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster books  for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and Megan Miranda for a lively day of reading!