Trigger Warnings: dementia, mention of death by suicide, domestic abuse, violence, kidnapping, miscarriage, murder, death of a child and sexual assault

i can’t wait to see what ashley did with this book!! she’s such a great podcaster. literally PRAYING i get this arc 😭😭 i am not above begging I am never a fan of a plot with an elaborate cover-up for an accident, something that happens in many books. Tragic accidents happen and unless it’s something like a DUI, people rarely get thrown in prison for them.Journalist Margot Davies is tired of reporting meaningless stories. One night, she stumbles upon a clue in the most infamous crime in her hometown’s history: the unsolved murder of six-year-old January. Another girl has disappeared and only reporter Margot Davies sees a connection. 20 years prior, her childhood friend January was taken and murdered. Now - another girl taken, a new haunting message on a wall, clandestine warnings - all pulling Margot deeper into the story. But Margot has problems - she’s losing everything, including her uncle with early dementia and she keeps seeing a strange red-haired woman everywhere, all while Margot is side-eyeing everyone she knows from this small town, including those closest to her. Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. The police think Krissy died by suicide based on the note she left (which was actually part of a letter to Jase.) Dave/Luke had another opportunity to be like “hey, wtf” when Krissy died in 2009 on the very day Dave/Luke and Krissy spoke about the twins’ parentage. AGAIN Dave/Luke didn’t say anything to the police. Dave/Luke, what is up with that? According to Margot, his dementia is recent, so he can’t blame that.

In the book, January’s father Billy, in a fit of rage over discovering that he’s not the biological father of January or her brother, means to harm his wife, but injures his daughter instead. A man named Elliot Wallace killed Polly and Natalie, along with a number of other young girls. He was finally caught by a tip sent to the police by Margot.This tension between appearances and the sometimes ugly truth behind them is the driving force of this thriller. As the plot unfolds, we see just how much the tragic events of the past and present are influenced by this need to conform to an unspoken community standard. On the flip side, Wakarusa’s commitment to knowing their neighbour’s business also means that everyone knows something — a fact that is helpful for Margot’s mission to uncover the truth. A Compelling Main Character I don’t have an easy answer. Perhaps it depends on which characters we are rooting for – and, if we are satisfied with the outcome. Luke (Dave) Davies: Margot’s uncle. He is his fifties, a widower suffering from early onset dementia. Biological father of January and Jase Jacobs.