4.5/5

If you like complex and incredibly well written Literary style thrillers this one was really good. This one has depth and is not the kind of book where you’ll want to rush through in one sitting, it’s the kind of book that makes you want to slow down and really take your time with it in order to fully appreciate the story the way the author intended to tell it. It’s not splashy and twisty, it’s deeper than that and is much more about the women affected by a serial killer than the exploitation of his victims and his heinous crimes. The dual timelines were equally intriguing to me and both Pamela and Ruth had such distinct and well developed voices that I was very engaged with them both. There were so many powerful themes here, sisterhood, womanhood in general, societal expectations and stereotypes and painful loss and grief. Everything about this one just felt so thoughtful and that left such an impact on me as a reader, the only other book I read recently that left me with the same feelings and overall impression was On the Savage Side. Highly recommended, there was so much to take from this book.

There’s something about the authors books that keep pulling me back year after year even if my ratings of them aren’t the best. I’m not sure what keeps me coming back exactly but something about her style always ends up speaking to me. Maybe it’s because I know what to expect from her, I know I’ll get unlikable characters that are just fun to read about alongside a plot that is total brain candy, they almost feel like taking a break and provide a much needed escape. This time around you get a family of narcissists who hate each other and they’re taking an overnight luxury cruise together. So the setup was fun, I like a locked room style mystery and the cattiness and drama this family provided was entertaining enough. Things did start to feel repetitive fairly quickly but I was interested to see where it would go and I have to say, I was kind of surprised with the direction it took. If you like dramatic stories about bickering families fighting over power and money this one was decent.