Book number 38 for 2024, 5/5 stars
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
While this book kind of got off to a slow start, it dramatically picked up by the end. In fact, I binged about the last third of the book because it got so intense and interesting.
Rooney, our main character, has gotten a temporary job with a catering company, and is working a pretty high-class party. The host’s wife, Kate, is drunk and is about to pass out and embarrass herself. Rooney is called on to help Kate, so she takes Kate upstairs, around a back way, so as to not be seen by other party guests. She is kind to Kate and takes care of her, which gets her points with Kate’s husband, Griffin. Griffin then hires Rooney to look after Kate, at least temporarily. There is much more to this, but I don’t want to give away key plot points.
The thing is, Rooney has an agenda. She has gotten herself into this position on purpose. At the beginning, we are not sure what this agenda is, but we do find out.
Rooney is an enjoyable character. Kate is, at times, but seems very whiny at times, as well. But there is a reason for that, which we don’t learn until late in the book. Griffin is simply a scuzzball. There are flashbacks, as well, which give us back story, mostly into Rooney, to help explain what she is, in fact, up to.
This is a twisting, turning psychological thriller with a twist near the end that I certainly didn’t see coming. The last part of the book (about a third, as I said) is most definitely a “page turner.” I like J.A. Schneider’s writing style. There is a lot of dialogue, and the style is accessible. I think the author does a great job of getting the reader into the heads of the characters. I had several guesses as to what was going on, and was totally wrong with all of them. I like a story that keeps me guessing, and I definitely enjoy surprise twists along the way.
I definitely recommend this story for folks who enjoy psychological thrillers.
TTFN, y’all!
The Constant Reader 