the setup…
It’s been one year since Isabelle Drake’s life shattered. Her son Mason was abducted from his room in the middle of the night, without a trace. Neither she or her then husband heard a thing and relentless searches to find the toddler have been fruitless. But Isabelle has never given up her search, attending true crime conventions, telling her story and tracking the attendees. To make matters worse, she’s plagued by insomnia, existing solely on catnaps and troubled by disturbing memories from her childhood. When she meets a podcaster at one of these events, she agrees to be interviewed. However, Isabelle begins to question the wisdom of that decision.
the heart of the story…
One of the reasons I dragged my feet in starting this story is the insomnia element. It’s really painful being in the mind of someone who’s sleep deprived and Isabelle owns the only point of view, which made her an unreliable narrator. Yes, it was all that I hoped it wouldn’t be but there was much more clarity as well. I didn’t mind the transitions between time frames that ranged from her childhood to when she first met her husband Ben through the present. It was tricky and managed well. But what did drive me crazy was the extensive effort to bog down the story with excessive descriptions of everything to create atmosphere. It weakened a really good story and was a constant distraction.
the narration…
I’m a fan of Karissa Vacker and she delivered a wonderful performance, helping to keep the storytelling element at the forefront despite the weight of all those descriptions of inessential details. She kept the mystery alive.
the bottom line…
There are really good bones to this story and compelled me to stick with it. The circumstances of Isabelle’s childhood certainly loomed over the horror of Mason’s abduction. Losing a child like this is unimaginable and Isabelle’s trauma was well depicted. And the suspicions created around Isabelle, her husband Ben and the podcaster had my imagination running amok. I just wish the magnitude of all those unnecessary words used to describe everything in a scene wasn’t so great as they interfered with the story’s pacing and bogged down the mystery. Without that? This would have been a much better experience. And that ending? Saved the story for me, making it worthwhile in the end.
Book Info
- Release Date: January 10, 2023
- Narrator: Karissa Vacker
- Audio Length: 10 hours
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm
(Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Blue Mood Café 
Fab review Jo! I hate it when you overly descriptive passages with audio as you can’t just skip like with a book, especially with thrillers.I’m glad that Karissa Vacker’s narration was good and that the ending saved it for you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Nicki💜 It’s hard to “skim” with an audiobook and I really wanted to try!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent review! I also enjoy Karissa Vacker.
Anne – Books of My Heart
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Anne💜 She’s one of the best!
LikeLike
An excellent review Jonetta! I love the way you’ve connected the character’s POV through the lens of insomnia. Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jodie💜 She was quite complicated, even with sleep😏
LikeLike
Fab review! I’ve been curious about this one… It’s a shame about the pacing, but I’m probably still reading it at some point.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Yvo💜 I think it’s a solid, interesting read. As much as I loved the audiobook narrator, if I’d had the eBook, I coulda skimmed and been much happier. I believed you’ll enjoy this in that format.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I find that unnecessary wordiness (to create atmosphere) way too often in thrillers. I don’t know why that’s a thing because it really bogs down the story. This one looks so familiar. I could have sworn I read it but I can’t find my review for it. 🤷♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t understand the trend. There’s nothing worse than getting to an important revelation and then you have to wait another minute while they wax on about what the surroundings look like. That was this book!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The overly descriptive elements drove me crazy in this story and sure did ruin it for me. However, you hit all the points that made this a two star book for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, Marialyce, it was maddening because underneath all of that was a pretty good story.
LikeLike
It’s funny how your mood affects your reading. I usually don’t like overly descriptive books, but for some reason, this one worked for me. I liked the mood, but I did listen to it on my long drive home from Florida, so maybe that was it. Anyway, great review, Jo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carla💜 I’ve found that it only really bothers me in this genre. I get irritated with the distraction.
LikeLiked by 1 person