This is genuinely one of the worst books I have ever read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I actively hated like 90% of this book. Kelly is a widow who is put on trial for the death of her husband. He died of a shellfish allergy that he didn't know he had when they were out for diner one night. Apparently this meant that obviously Kelly killed him??? Red flag number one.

Obviously, Kelly is acquitted of that change, but not before her terrible for no good reason MIL slanders her all over town and to the jury. Mona is a miserable and horrible human being for, again, literally no good reason.

Then for about 30% of the book, we are just carried along for the rest of Kelly's legal troubles-- the civil suit brought against her by Mona; Mona suing for custody of Kelly's teenager. Like okay yeah, you're showing that life is hard for Kelly and that Mona is awful. But did I really need to sit through 2 1/2 hours of Kelly's legal battles???? Please. spare me.

After this, we are introduced to Kelly's son's girlfriend, Sherry. (Oh yeah, did I mention that her 16 year old is named DAN? Freaking DAN. Like he's a 40 year old dad. Who is dating a teenage girl named SHERRY. Sure, Jan)
Dan and Sherry are madly in love, but like to do risky things like go drinking at a pond over by Mona's house. Sherry's parents are thrilled with their relationship because Dan has antisocial personality disorder (APD) and they think it's only a matter of time before he really hurts Sherry.

Then one night, Sherry goes missing and, of course, Dan is blamed for her disappearance and assumed death. Kelly knows her son though, and she's sure that Dan is innocent. Of course, the town (and Sherry's parents) quickly assume that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and neither Kelly nor Dan is to be trusted. Mona comes out of the woodwork to harass Kelly some more, and then we get to see even MORE of their legal battles (OH JOY). At this point, Kelly decides that SOMETHING has to be done. No matter the cost.

If you couldn't tell that things were bad before all of this, let me just keep telling you more
-Story was slow AF
-"What she witnessed" doesn't happen until like 80% of the way through the book
-Written like the author just used a thesaurus. Examples: when Kelly questions something and then says "what am I to do [about it]"; when something happens and Kelly says the situation is "not idyllic" (instead of ideal); everything is "such as." No one says things "such as this" are bad. That's just lazy writing, bro.
-Boring main character
-Teens are written like adults (and boring ones)
-Mona is evil for no reason?
-Demonization of (suspected) mental illness by Kelly even though her WHOLE SCHTICK is about how her son shouldn't be judged based on his APD diagnosis

Please. PLEASE just put this book down and walk away. It's not worth it.

Spoilers below for those who care:













Kelley decides she has to kill Mona because....???? So she goes to her house at night with a lockpicking kit. But what she sees in the attic window is Sherry. Just... standing by the window apparently. So now Kelly has to break in to save Sherry instead of to kill Mona. Or, I dunno, you could CALL THE POLICE, KELLY.
She breaks in and takes about 100000 years to get to the attic. She's almost caught by Mona once because Mona had to leave her master suite in her mansion to use the bathroom (honestly, the most unrealistic part of this whole book. Obviously Mona would have an en suite).
Kelly FINALLY gets to Sherry and then they sit there and talk for like.... 45 minutes instead of LEAVING THE HOUSE. During this time, Sherry says she hasn't eaten because the food is obviously poisoned, but Mona has been going through all the legal channels to get a gun (cue eyeroll).
Of course, Mona bursts into the attic with a gun and now Kelly has to talk both herself and Sherry out of danger. In the ensuing struggle, the gun goes off and Mona falls down the stairs and dies. Instantly. From a fall. Down a few stairs.
Sherry runs away and Kelly is a bit behind after doing.....??? She finally keeps heading home and Sherry is at her house? With her son? Instead of going back to her parents'???? But don't worry, she called her parents. (again, eyeroll)
Kelly finally calls the police after consulting with her lawyer, and the police come in guns blazing being all like "omg why did you kidnap and try to kill Sherry?? Obviously you have done something bad here." when.... why????

The book (finally, mercifully) ends with Kelly in jail awaiting the trial for her "murder" of Mona and she's like totally happy and chill because at least her perfect angel baby Dan is safe and everyone knows he's not a monster now.