Classic Stacy Willingham– an extremely lucky FMC, a haunting setting, a slow build up and a twisty end.
Claire is disheartened when she misses out on a promotion to her best friend Ryan. She leaves NYC and her journalism career somewhat impulsively to return to her Southern small town to spend time with her mom. We learn early on that her older sister Natalie was killed years ago as a high school senior by her secret older boyfriend and that Claire carries guilt about this. Claire doesn’t have a lot of responsibilities and no health care, so she fortuitously goes to work at a grape farm 45 minutes away with no cell service or WiFi.
Ryan and Claire’s mom work as good plot devices to advance the plot and help Claire solve this mystery. The setting is great and well paced, I really enjoyed the setting, the side characters are creepy and the reveals are surprising. If you suspend disbelief at some of the “right place at the right time” moments and give in to the thriller, you will enjoy it.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published August 26, 2025.
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