Published by Atria Books Genres: Crime, Fiction, LGBT, Mystery
Format: ARC, eBook
The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.
You’re telling me! The secrets are many and the characters are clinging to their secrets with all that they have.
Seventeen-year-old Abagail (Abi) goes missing after attending a party in the woods of Whistling Ridge. Her best friend, Emma feels tremendous guilt over leaving Abi alone at the party. She wants to know what happened to her friend and searches for the truth. The police, initially believe that Abi ran away but when evidence is found, it changes everything. The Town, the people, the woods all hold secrets and with this discovery those secrets are threatened.
There are many players here and may things that will be unsettling for some. This small town is full of gossip, racists, of bullies, rage, bigotry, hate, the haves and the have nots. The church with its Pastor should be a place of prayer, of rest, of welcoming of safety. But it is place of judgement, homophobia, blame, and so many other horrible things.
This town is full of unlikeable characters who are simply horrible and do terrible things to each other. All the characters introduced have some part to play in the book. As Emma attempts to learn what happened to her friend, she learns that her friends had sad secrets as well.
What happens when you turn a blind eye? What happens when you don’t want to know? What happens when rage is turned loose? What happens to outsiders? What happens when you deny the truth? What happens when you judge others? What happens when you push your children to fulfill your dreams? What happens when you don’t stick up for them? So may what ifs in this book.
This is not a happy-go-lucky book. It’s sad and heartbreaking. Elements of this book will evoke strong emotions in readers. There is the mystery of what happened to Abi, but there are also small mysteries in this book as well. Several characters have questions, but will they get answers?
This book is thought provoking. heartbreaking. well written and bleak. Yet, it was also well done, expertly plotted and captivating. There are some twists along the way which kept things moving nicely – it’s not fast paced but meanders along as it brings the book to the conclusion. Will you figure out what happened? Will you be surprised? Read to find out!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.