Kim Deister
This book is one of the most sinister and chilling books I’ve ever read, a psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very first page.
The structure this book was so different yet incredibly powerful. The story is told through the multiple perspectives of a serial killer’s daughter, his girlfriend, and his sole surviving victim. Most of the narratives are told in the first person, but one is told in the second, which makes for an interesting angle to the story. The progression of the novel is slower, and the content is often disturbing, but these things really just add to the atmosphere and suspense of the storyline.
The characterization in this book were truly masterful. Each of the women sees and knows Aiden in a different way. He is a chameleon, capable of disguising himself as a good man, a devoted father who’s grieving the recent loss of his wife. But beneath that is a much darker man, cunning and manipulative, dangerous. To Cecelia, his daughter, he is a good and caring father, if a tad overprotective and demanding. To Emily, he’s the object of her affection, enticing her to become his puppet as he repeatedly manipulates and gaslights her. But to Rachel, he’s a captor. She’s not Aiden’s first victim but his ninth, and the only one still alive, largely due to her own wiles and cleverness. It is that cleverness that helps her convince Aiden to keep her alive, to move her with him and Cecelia when they are forced to relocate, her only chance at survival.
The pace is slow, but it perfectly adds to the tension of the story. The book is deep, intense, and gripping, a story that digs deep into your soul. It’s very unique and thought-provoking, a story that won’t let you go even after the last page.