I got this softcover at a local Barnes and Noble. It's a twisty murder mystery unfolding from different viewpoints and in different timelines - a structure I often enjoy, though at times it's a bit too obvious that the author's using the format to cover up what might be a more straightforward solution. In this one, a woman who's close to achieving her dream of being a successful reporter is torn between that goal and her desire to assist her beloved uncle, who's now struggling with early-onset dementia. He's still living in the small town where she lost her best friend to a heinous - and still-unsolved - crime back when they were 6, so she's hoping to combine her caregiving with an investigation into that old crime. But now there's another young girl missing, and all the rumors about the old case are coming back.

We also get the viewpoint of Krissy, the mother of the murdered girl, from her own ambitious teenaged years to the sudden shift to small-town wife and mother after a surprise pregnancy. At this point - well, Krissy is clearly a rather scattered individual, and while her youth may excuse some of her early bad decisions, and her shock and grief the later ones, overall she comes across as a badly-damaged person who self-medicates to escape the life she's landed in. And it's not surprising that many people assume she killed her own child...

That murder bears a lot of resemblance to the real-world tragedy of Jon-Benet Ramsey, with a child who participated in public events in glamorous costumes going missing and eventually found dead, with her parents and young brother all potential suspects, yet with no clear resolution. The fictional version presents its own reasons behind all this, but they unfold in bits and pieces through the asynchronous segments, with lots and lots of red herrings.

I did empathize with Margot, the reporter-turned-caregiver, who's having a lot of trouble managing her own life - she's easily distracted, and keeps dropping the ball, whether regarding her job or the demands of her uncle. His dementia comes and goes, and can make him very touchy and even violent - but Margot's in denial as to how serious this is. [I did get the impression that she's not as good at her job as she thinks she is, but perhaps the emotional strain she's under explains her many missteps.]

As for the plot itself - eep! The zigs and zags did hold my interest, but the story ends with a rather dramatic cliffhanger that left me baffled. Might have made an effective (if wildly frustrating) fade-to-black in a film version, but in the book it felt more as if somebody left out a final chapter {rueful grin}.

I left this book in this new-to-me Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

Released for:

** 2024 April Showers/May Flowers challenge, for the author's name **