Twenty years ago, four people robbed Welch’s, a local family owned store that rivaled the big box outlets. It was a major haul and the next day, one of the robbers was dead and his supposed accomplice had disappeared. Joe Maxwell was a widow who was down on his luck, struggling with alcohol and barely managing to provide for his two daughters. He was never found and it was just assumed he’d run away with the money, abandoning his family. Lisa Maxwell, the oldest daughter who was in college, took her younger sister, Arden who was only 10-years old, and fled to Houston. Now Arden has returned to the town and their former home, determined to restore the house and maybe find answers to what really happened the night her father disappeared.
The story begins with the immediate aftermath of the robbery but doesn’t identify the individuals by name. In the present day, we get some clarity about who planned the heist and some of the participants but exactly what happened is what unfolds slowly throughout. I went into this blind, which I highly recommend, so I never knew where the story would lead. Even Arden’s history is a mystery and her decision to seek out and hire Ledge Burnet, a local contractor, to restore the house feels predestined. Their instant attraction to each other is clear from the onset and is also a slow burn, adding more tension to the mix.
What makes the mystery work, at least for me, is getting the points of view from a host of involved characters who I wasn’t sure were always reliable in their recounts. Sifting the details required some work and I got completely immersed in the who, what and how of it all as they were always pretty murky. And, it became clear early on that Arden’s return to town stirred the proverbial hornet’s nest. I listened to the story and the narrator delivered a sultry and fine piece of storytelling. He made the slowly developed narrative seem natural and worth the wait, making my reading experience a pleasurable one. While I never really connected with Arden and Ledge’s romance, the mystery hooked me from the beginning and never let go. And, the ending delivered the excitement, twists and surprises I hoped it would.
Book Info
- Release Date: August 25, 2020
- Narrator: Kyf Brewer
- Audio Length: 10 hours, 7 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
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Blue Mood Café 
This sounds excellent, Jonetta. Glad you enjoyed it! Wonderful review. 🙂
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Thank you, Mischenko💜 I had a good time with this story.
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Sounds like this mystery really make you connect the dots. Terrific review, Jo!
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Thank you, Marialyce💜 This was a really tough one! The unreliable narrators always told a part of the truth, which made the “sifting” that much harder.
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Another awesome sounding read. You are making my poor TBR overflow- but that’s never a bad thing ❤️. Wonderful review, Jo!
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Thank you, Tessa💜 Just returning the favor😏
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Excellent review, Jonetta. Glad you enjoyed this one, too!
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Thank you, Kyra💜 It surprised me because of the mixed reviews. Glad to know you felt the same way!
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Fantastic review! I’ve only read one Sandra Brown book but want to read more. It should be easy because they are mostly stand alone but it’s not. There are others like Ruth Ware which are similarly ones I want to read the whole body of work.
Anne – Books of My Heart
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Thank you, Anne💜 I love that she writes primarily standalones, too. I’ve been trying to get to this one for months so I completely understand.
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I’m happy to read how much you enjoyed it, Jonetta, starting on a high note and ending on one, too! Terrific review! ♥️
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Thank you, Jennifer💜 It was such a wonderful surprise.
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I have not read a Sandra Brown book in so long. This one sounds really good and I have come to love Kyf Brewer as a narrator. Great review Jo.
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Thank you, Carla💜 I’m liking her recent books and oh how I love Brewer! Have you heard him do Baldacci’s books?
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Yes, that was where I first heard him and fell in love with his voice.
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I’ve not read any of this author’s books yet even though I always see rave reviews for them. This one sounds really good with the accounts coming from possibly unreliable sources.
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One of the things I like about this author is that she writes mostly standalones. While they’re categorized as romantic suspense, they read more like mysteries with romantic elements, which suits me just fine.
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Great review sounds like a wonderful book! Thank you so much for sharing it.
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Thank you, Diane💜
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Fantastic review, Jonetta! Really glad to hear how much you enjoyed all these different points of view, especially the work you had to put in to figure out the truth! 😀
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