Synopsis: When the pretty and popular teenagers Piper Hadley and Tash McBain disappear one Sunday morning, the search for them captivates a nation, but the girls aren’t found. Three years later, during the worst blizzard in a century, a husband and wife are brutally killed in the farmhouse where Tash once lived. A suspect is in custody, a troubled young man who hears voices and claims that on the night of the disappearance he saw a girl being chased by a snowman. Convinced that Piper and Tash might still be alive, clinical psychologist Joseph O’Loughlin and former cop Vincent Ruiz persuade the police to reopen the investigation. Soon they’re racing against time to save the girls from someone with an evil, calculating mind.
Mercedes' guest review: 4/5 stars
Though this novel is over 400 pages, I breezed through it in less than a day. I found out after reading that the book is actually book 6 of Robotham’s Joseph O’Loughlin books, but I think it reads perfectly fine as a standalone.
The plot is constantly twisting and turning, as new information is revealed and new people investigated. And at the center of the story are two very likable protagonists—a very empathetic and caring O’Loughlin who we follow throughout the story, and the brave and determined Piper Hadley who speaks to us through her journal entries. Robotham does a great job at making red herring and morally gray characters, so that the reader constantly second guesses every new person they meet.
I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time, and the ending took me completely by surprise—which is exactly how I want to react to suspense or thriller novels. My only problem with the story is how most of the women characters are one-dimensional and only serve a purpose insofar as of being of a certain use to the men. Hadley is only an exception in part, as she is more complex and interesting, but by nature of her position as a victim she is only really useful as a pawn moving the action forward.
However, I went into the novel knowing it was written from a male perspective, and written as a thriller centered around a male character, so I don’t fault Robotham for mostly just sticking to what he knows.
All in all, a pretty good and exciting read, and it inspired me to order another book by Robotham, Life or Death.
Shannon's review:
I picked up this book on a recommendation of my sister, Mercedes (her review above), at first I was skeptical because as much as one can say "Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover".....sometimes you can't help it. It didn't look like the type of book I thought I would enjoy, but I fortunately was proved wrong!
This book is a gripping thriller with more twists and turns than an old country road. It's just over 400 pages, which is on the longer side. But I was grateful for every page, because the author, Robotham, used the length of this book to really create a riveting and suspenseful story. I really enjoyed how the story was told through two different characters. The majority of the story follows Joseph O’Loughlin, a clinical psychologist, who is brought on to help investigate the reopened case of two missing girls. There are also sections told by Piper Hadley, one of the missing girls. We get her perspective through her journal writing and thoughts. I really enjoyed Piper's character, she was very brave and didn't give up through the story, which I loved.
I love a story that keeps me guessing, and this one did just that. While I thought I had it figured out a few times, I was wrong, and didn't find out the true answers till almost the very end. Robotham had a way of intertwining many different characters to keep the story moving and interesting the entire time. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers.
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