Social media influencer Natalie didn't tell anyone where she was going before she left for the remote seaside town of Shanamore. That's why no one knows that she's missing until it's too late...
Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Cottages doesn't know who killed his only guest, and even more frighteningly for him, how they knew that there was a hidden camera in the bedroom, recording everything.
Audrey works for a hipster online tabloid, and is desperate to move up into proper journalism. When she is given the opportunity to write a piece on the missing social media star, she is ready to do whatever it takes to make this the story of her career.
I have to be honest, when I first picked up this book I didn't think that I was going to keep reading. The opening scene describes a grisly and frightening murder, and I was surprised by the way it just jumped straight in without any prelude. I don't mind violence and shocker-moments in books or film, but the cold cut direct approach to the start of this book put me off, and made me think it was going to be a gratuitous melee of tasteless gore.
However, I gave it another few chapters before throwing in the towel, and I am so glad that I did! Very quickly I discovered a twisty and intelligent tale of mistrust and blackmail, which switches between past and present adeptly, giving you a well rounded story.
The quick pace of this murder mystery is very enjoyable, and the search for Natalie will have you thinking hard and putting together the different pieces of the puzzle alongside the local policeman and Audrey the journalist. The small village setting is beautifully described, giving the story life and credence.
Something I found fascinating about this book is the way that you have at least two villains, in a sense. The way that it explores Andrew's story, even though we know from the start that he can't be the killer since he saw it happen, shows the inner workings of a deeply depraved and distorted man, which is normally a theme we would be exploring in the mind of the killer. I liked knowing that he didn't commit this crime, even as we found out about the horrible things he had actually done, it made the story more three dimensional, and the story more intriguing.
There are very mature themes throughout this book, and even though the opening scene is the most gratuitous passage of the book, I would still not recommend this book to the faint of heart.
After my initial reaction, I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller. The twists were brilliantly thought out, and the characters were each intriguing in their own ways. The switch between present and past tense gave the book dimension, and the foreknowledge that gave made it even more exciting to try and figure out what was going on. I would recommend this book to fans of Hannibal, Top of the Lake, and intense murder mysteries.
Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Cottages doesn't know who killed his only guest, and even more frighteningly for him, how they knew that there was a hidden camera in the bedroom, recording everything.
Audrey works for a hipster online tabloid, and is desperate to move up into proper journalism. When she is given the opportunity to write a piece on the missing social media star, she is ready to do whatever it takes to make this the story of her career.
I have to be honest, when I first picked up this book I didn't think that I was going to keep reading. The opening scene describes a grisly and frightening murder, and I was surprised by the way it just jumped straight in without any prelude. I don't mind violence and shocker-moments in books or film, but the cold cut direct approach to the start of this book put me off, and made me think it was going to be a gratuitous melee of tasteless gore.
However, I gave it another few chapters before throwing in the towel, and I am so glad that I did! Very quickly I discovered a twisty and intelligent tale of mistrust and blackmail, which switches between past and present adeptly, giving you a well rounded story.
The quick pace of this murder mystery is very enjoyable, and the search for Natalie will have you thinking hard and putting together the different pieces of the puzzle alongside the local policeman and Audrey the journalist. The small village setting is beautifully described, giving the story life and credence.
Something I found fascinating about this book is the way that you have at least two villains, in a sense. The way that it explores Andrew's story, even though we know from the start that he can't be the killer since he saw it happen, shows the inner workings of a deeply depraved and distorted man, which is normally a theme we would be exploring in the mind of the killer. I liked knowing that he didn't commit this crime, even as we found out about the horrible things he had actually done, it made the story more three dimensional, and the story more intriguing.
There are very mature themes throughout this book, and even though the opening scene is the most gratuitous passage of the book, I would still not recommend this book to the faint of heart.
After my initial reaction, I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller. The twists were brilliantly thought out, and the characters were each intriguing in their own ways. The switch between present and past tense gave the book dimension, and the foreknowledge that gave made it even more exciting to try and figure out what was going on. I would recommend this book to fans of Hannibal, Top of the Lake, and intense murder mysteries.