Warning - This review contains spoilers.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book which started off stronger than it finished. The first section of the book was thrilling and culminated in a shocking twist which the reader didn’t see coming. Zoe is trapped in a loveless marriage with the controlling and abusive Daniel. Whilst much of Daniel’s backstory goes untold (save a quick reference to a neglectful childhood) this portion of the book borders on the believable and creates a sense of genuine fear and unease in the reader. The chapters jump between the past and present, slowing revealing how Zoe ended up where she was. When Zoe finds out she is pregnant she knows the time has come when she has to escape and begins to make a plan. The story rapidly shifts perspectives as Daniel is informed his wife has died in a sudden fire at the family home just as he is about to leave on a Business trip. It is soon revealed that Daniel had arranged the hit on Zoe, after discovering that she was having an affair with his business partner. I felt that Daniel’s paranoia and need to control Zoe by any means necessary was understandable, however I found it hard to believe that Zoe would have slept with Josh, knowing the risk this would pose to her if Daniel was to find out.
The remainder of the book felt confused and disappointing; after escaping her husband by nothing more than a twist of fate, Zoe finds herself a prisoner once more. Locked in a remote cabin in the woods, Zoe is kept captive by her overprotective step-brother which results in several repetitive and unsuccessful attempts to escape. Having killed both Daniel and Josh, Gabriel insists that Zoe must stay hidden in order to protect herself. Having lost both his wife and young daughter in a house fire, the ex-sniper turned hitman is driven by a twisted desire to protect Zoe and replace the family he once lost. Zoe eventually manages to escape by setting fire to the cabin and stealing a car, running Gabriel over in the process. After driving to the nearest hospital, Zoe recounts the story to the police who are happy to believe she had no involvement with the killings and inform her that Gabriel has yet to be found. Zoe gives birth to a daughter and proceeds to start a life on the run, fearful that one day Gabriel will catch up with her.
I found the ending rather unsatisfactory and the switch from Daniel to Gabriel as the ‘bad-guy’ felt strange and unnatural. After the initial twist the plot continues at a slow place and there is little character development or growth and whilst I wasn’t necessarily expecting a happy ending for Zoe it seemed odd that after all she had been through she would end up running from the one man she thought she could trust, who may not even be alive. I didn’t understand why Zoe would turn to her step-brother when she already had a plan in place to escape with her ex-best-friend Lizzie, or why the author didn’t just have Daniel go crazy and drag Zoe off to the woods himself. I love a far-fetched thriller as much as the next reader, however this one went a bit too far for my liking and I was ultimately left disappointed.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book which started off stronger than it finished. The first section of the book was thrilling and culminated in a shocking twist which the reader didn’t see coming. Zoe is trapped in a loveless marriage with the controlling and abusive Daniel. Whilst much of Daniel’s backstory goes untold (save a quick reference to a neglectful childhood) this portion of the book borders on the believable and creates a sense of genuine fear and unease in the reader. The chapters jump between the past and present, slowing revealing how Zoe ended up where she was. When Zoe finds out she is pregnant she knows the time has come when she has to escape and begins to make a plan. The story rapidly shifts perspectives as Daniel is informed his wife has died in a sudden fire at the family home just as he is about to leave on a Business trip. It is soon revealed that Daniel had arranged the hit on Zoe, after discovering that she was having an affair with his business partner. I felt that Daniel’s paranoia and need to control Zoe by any means necessary was understandable, however I found it hard to believe that Zoe would have slept with Josh, knowing the risk this would pose to her if Daniel was to find out.
The remainder of the book felt confused and disappointing; after escaping her husband by nothing more than a twist of fate, Zoe finds herself a prisoner once more. Locked in a remote cabin in the woods, Zoe is kept captive by her overprotective step-brother which results in several repetitive and unsuccessful attempts to escape. Having killed both Daniel and Josh, Gabriel insists that Zoe must stay hidden in order to protect herself. Having lost both his wife and young daughter in a house fire, the ex-sniper turned hitman is driven by a twisted desire to protect Zoe and replace the family he once lost. Zoe eventually manages to escape by setting fire to the cabin and stealing a car, running Gabriel over in the process. After driving to the nearest hospital, Zoe recounts the story to the police who are happy to believe she had no involvement with the killings and inform her that Gabriel has yet to be found. Zoe gives birth to a daughter and proceeds to start a life on the run, fearful that one day Gabriel will catch up with her.
I found the ending rather unsatisfactory and the switch from Daniel to Gabriel as the ‘bad-guy’ felt strange and unnatural. After the initial twist the plot continues at a slow place and there is little character development or growth and whilst I wasn’t necessarily expecting a happy ending for Zoe it seemed odd that after all she had been through she would end up running from the one man she thought she could trust, who may not even be alive. I didn’t understand why Zoe would turn to her step-brother when she already had a plan in place to escape with her ex-best-friend Lizzie, or why the author didn’t just have Daniel go crazy and drag Zoe off to the woods himself. I love a far-fetched thriller as much as the next reader, however this one went a bit too far for my liking and I was ultimately left disappointed.