Title: The Dead Girl in 2A
Author: Carter Wilson
Published: July 2019, Sourcebooks Landmark
Format: ARC E-copy, 334 pages
Source: Netgalley via Publisher
Summary:
Jake Buchannan knows
the woman sitting next to him on his business flight to Denver—he just
can’t figure out how he knows her. Clara Stowe isn’t in Jake’s line of
work and didn’t go to college with him. They have nearly nothing in
common apart from a deep and shared certainty that they’ve met before.
Despite their best efforts over a probing conversation, both struggle to
figure out what circumstances could possibly have brought them
together. Then, in a revelation that sends Jake reeling, Clara admits
she’s traveling to the Colorado mountains to kill herself, and
disappears into the crowded airport immediately after landing.
The
Dead Girl in 2A is the story of what happens to Jake and Clara after
they get off that plane, and the manipulative figure who has brought
them together decades after they first met.
My thoughts: I first discovered Carter Wilson when I read Mister Tender’s Girl last year, which I absolutely loved!!! I knew after reading that one, that I would be reading anything he wrote and so as soon as I saw he had a new book coming out, I requested it on Netgalley and I was not disappointed. It’s different than his last book, but I loved the uniqueness of this one.
This book kept me glued to the pages, intrigued as to what was going on right from the start. This psychological thriller will really keep you guessing, and at times get under your skin. It really is quite a puzzle. I’m always fascinated when an author explores memory loss and the way Carter Wilson uses it in this book is really quite clever – almost in a sci-fi way that is quite scary. When you add in manipulation and anguish, it’s hard to not be sucked in to the story.
The characters were well drawn and I loved that way it alternated between Jake and Clara’s point’s of view. Both are deeply flawed characters and you can’t help but want to know as much as possible about them to know how they got themselves into the situations they are in.
The deeper I got into this story, the more invested I became with the characters. I couldn’t stop thinking about them and couldn’t stop coming up with theories about what was going to happen. Of course, I never guessed what ultimately happened – but let me tell you, it was the best reveal possible at just the right time. The tension had been building all along and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it and it was so good!
I love Carter Wilson’s writing and now, as I wait for whatever comes next from him, I need to read his earlier books. This guy has a cleverly wicked, devious mind and it is wildly entertaining and thrilling. Have you read any of his books yet?
Hello Kristin, you've made me really excited to read this book. I love thrillers and how in the beginning everything seems to not make sense an in the end it fits together and makes a brilliant story. Based on your review, this book looks as though the author had written the book exactly as I love it, so I'll probably love this book. I look forward to reading this story and I'll definitely write about it on my blog. Feel free to check it out, it's lisiethebookworm.blogspot.com. P.S. I love how you described the book, your writing style is excellent.
This was a puzzle and I could not figure out what was going to happen!