I read the first installment over a year ago, and diving into the second book left me feeling pretty lost. There was little to no recap of the previous book, making it hard to understand where Sarah was in her life or how she got to this point in the story. Once I finally found my footing and adjusted to the book’s new direction, I encountered another hurdle… the audiobook narrators. Whether it was their delivery or the way the characters were written, I just couldn’t connect with Bob or Deputy Marcus.

As the story progressed, I found myself more interested in the side plots, particularly the case of a missing woman, than in the main storyline. These subplots actually pulled me in more than Sarah’s relationship to Bob or the main mystery between their divorce. That said, I did appreciate the continued tension and distrust between Sarah and her husband, a thread carried over effectively from the first book. And despite the bumpy road getting there, I really enjoyed the ending, and the final twist was layered and cleverly executed.

Overall, while there were parts that stood out and a satisfying conclusion, this sequel was a bit of a struggle to fully engage with.