When Jo Sharpe’s mother disappeared, any chance at a normal childhood evaporated
Now, years later as she returns to her home town of Arthurville, her mother’s disappearance is still very much a mystery, and her father is still as bitter as ever.
As Jo begins to reconnect with old friends and tries to find a new direction for her life, she discovers clues her mother left behind and must dig deep into her memory to figure out the truth.
What I Liked
This book felt like a mashup of literary fiction and mystery/thriller. There is such good character development. You really can’t help but root for Jo. You want her to find the answers she needs. You want her father to have a chance to heal. And you definitely want to see where the relationship with a certain, attractive old friend leads.
Pacing was spot on and there are elements of family drama, betrayal, and a reminder that sometimes the kindest faces hide the most sinister secrets.
What I Wish Was Different
While all of the loose ends are tied up neatly by the end of the book, the mystery unravels very quickly at end. I might have liked a few more clues sprinkled through the book that hinted at the true villain.
Book Details
Genre: General/Women’s Fiction, Mystery
Release Date: 30 November 2021
Book Blurb:
A homecoming snares a young woman in a dangerous tangle of lies, secrets, and bad blood in this gripping novel by the bestselling author of An Accusation.
Running from a bad relationship, journalist Jo Sharpe heads home to Arthurville, the drought-stricken town she turned her back on years earlier. While some things have changed—her relationship with her ailing, crotchety father, her new job at the community newspaper—Jo finds that her return has rekindled the grief and uncertainty she experienced during her childhood following the inexplicable disappearance of her mother and baby sister.
Returning to Arthurville has its unexpected pleasures, though, as Jo happily reconnects with old friends and makes a few new ones. But she can’t let go of her search for answers to that long-ago mystery. And as she keeps investigating, the splash she’s making begins to ripple outward—far beyond the disappearance of her mother and sister.
Jo is determined to dig as deep as it takes to get answers. But it’s not long before she realises that someone among the familiar faces doesn’t want her picking through the debris of the past. And they’ll go to any lengths to silence the little bird before she sings the truth.