- Katherine Langley wakes on New Year’s Day to find her brother’s girlfriend Emma missing and a single set of footprints leading to the dock on the lake. Farley then takes us back to when Katherine “Kitty” and her brother Ben met Emma. We spent most of our time learning about Emma and her impact on them as we move towards the footprints in the snow.
- The whole time you are reading you will be pondering the question, “Is Emma missing, dead or kidnapped?” It added suspense and every character becomes a possible suspect. Did they do something to Emma? Farley takes us from campus to the Langley’s summer home giving us a glimpse into their lives with delightful detail.
- Farley weaved in siblings, their friends and family. We witness the strains Emma puts on these relationships, the manipulation and the lies. All of it was realistic and kept me connected. From Kitty’s strained relationship with her mother to the protectiveness of her brother, Farley fleshed out each character without over the top drama. Emma is a vivid character who will evoke strong feelings from the reader and none of them pleasant. Motive isn't hard to understand and we quickly assume foul play.
- We see relationships in many stages and not just of the romantic variety. We do see the siblings develop romances but these are side stories and weave in and out of the main mystery thread. Little side threads dealing with friends and loss had substance and Farley weaved them into the tale in a clever way. She touches on drug use, teenage alcoholism, bullying, parental issues and suicide adding some depth.
- Twists and turns made the tale exciting leading up to the footprints and disappearance. The second half of the book ended up being more telling than showing, which was disappointing. While Farley wraps things up, I would have liked to see things unfold a little more slowly. However, Saving Ben was a refreshing mystery and something we need more of in the new adult genre.
Copy gifted by author. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer