Thank you @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies. 

My absolute worst nightmare… my son going missing. It’s the not knowing. It’s also the heartbreak that he might think I’m not trying to find him. 

I’m anxious as it is. I overthink absolutely everything. So if one day, my son vanished with no clues, I’d find myself on the very edge.

And that is what Willingham does best in this story. Her execution of Isabelle Drake portrays every mother’s potential: Teetering on the edge of sanity. Not sleeping. An inability to participate in normal life. Constantly demanding updates from police. Taking things into her own hands. Doubting what’s true. 

While I thought the character portrayal was spot on, I had expected a story about a missing baby to feel intense and thrilling. For me, it didn’t. It’s possible that if I’d gone in expecting a mystery, I would have been more engaged. I also found the writing to be a bit too over the top and flowery, which, for me, didn’t quite fit the overall premise. 

But, that unreliable narration will definitely keep you guessing. And that ending was satisfying. 

🎧Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook. She’s quickly become one of my favorites to depict women in thrillers, and her narration kept me hanging on. I’d recommend the audiobook for this one.