Winner of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Award in the Mystery and Thriller category, I figured I would try this book, which I’ve seen on a lot of lists and shelves. It’s light on suspense and definitely not a thriller. But I did find it a little surprising, just not in the way you might think.
Owen Michaels goes missing in the midst of a scandal at work. Attempts to reach him are unsuccessful. He has left a note for his wife Hannah with the simple words “Protect her,” referring to his teenage daughter Bailey. The wife (who is not the child’s mother) is literally left holding the bag. Together Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, but for the step-mother it’s a challenge. What does she do now? Try to find her own answers?… look for her husband?…assume he’s innocent?…assume he’s guilty?… all the while wondering what protection for his daughter even means?
The premise begins a bit ho-hum, ‘same old-same old.’ Person disappears, leaves a note, apparently he was not who everyone thought he was, etc. etc. Halfway through though, it picks up, but not in pace so much as perspective. It wasn’t the plot twists that captured me, but the dilemmas around tough choices, loyalty, trust, and the nature of motherhood, which I found most interesting and saved this from being just another whodunit for me.
The author says she is now adapting the book for an Apple TV limited series starring Jennifer Garner. Dave is also working on a new novel which she describes as a ‘big, messy, evocative family drama.’
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