the first book of 2025 and it was such a banger!!! I absolutely love gillian’s creative writing & how everything just ties together so well by the end! 🤯

the “missing spouse” trope is so overdone, but the fact that gillian immediately morphed that trope into a hostage situation blew my ever-loving thriller mind!! this plot had my heart racing as I wanted to read faster and faster to see what the resolution was!

flipping POVs between the confused and devastated spouse who just learned her husband is involved in a hostage crisis & the hostage detective on the case … was an absolutely brilliant move! it kept the pace active and moving without having a dull middle section

and that conclusion, while albeit a bit predictable, was incredible! even though I did guess a part of the twist, seeing all the puzzle pieces click together was so satisfying 🫨🫨🫨

a fantastic thriller to start off 2025! thank you william morrow and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay