A thriller that actually thrills from beginning to end? Yesss, sign me up!
College student Matt Pine receives the most devastating news: almost his entire family has perished on what should've been a fun-filled spring break trip to Mexico. Now the only remaining person left in his family is his brother Danny, who did not go because he is serving a life sentence for killing his girlfriend seven years ago. At first, their family's death is ruled an accident, but soon clues emerge that make it look ever more suspicious.
This book grabbed me from the very first page. It was action packed and masterfully paced. It felt like the plot was propelled forward by every chapter, and there was no waste or dillydallying just to stretch the fluff or fill the pages. The story is told from a few different characters' perspectives, their narratives interweaving until we see it all coming together in one explosive ending. The short chapters kept me turning the pages, wanting to read just a little bit more.
There were so many awesome characters in here. Almost everyone is likable and worthy of our admiration. In particular, Agent Keller really shined. She was quick on the uptake, competent, levelheaded, and compassionate... in other words, a complete badass! Likable characters aren't a must for me, but they do make the reading experience so much more pleasant and enjoyable.
In terms of the mystery itself, I found the twists to be fun and the ending satisfying. Because of the taut pacing, I was immersed in the story and didn't really think much along the way. And that's how I like my thrillers to be. I'm not huge on slowly paced ones, because my mind wanders and then I start pondering the mystery and before you know it, I've figured out enough to have ruined it for myself. This story just sucked me in and kept me riveted until the very end.
What an impressive debut from Alex Finlay. I read so many thrillers that I often feel jaded. But this one made me remember how much sheer fun a great one of this genre can still be. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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