Publisher: Montlake
Published: June 1, 2021
Source: Publisher
Summary:
A true crime podcast yields new revelations about a shocking murder in a riveting novel of suspense by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.
True crime podcaster Trinity Scott is chasing breakout success, and her brand-new serial may get her there. Her subject is Clayton Jay Pelley. More than two decades ago, the respected family man and guidance counselor confessed to the brutal murder of teenage student Leena Rai. But why he killed her has always been a mystery.
In a series of exclusive interviews from prison, Clayton discloses to Trinity the truth about what happened that night beneath Devil’s Bridge. It’s not what anyone in the Pacific Northwest town of Twin Falls expects. Clayton says he didn’t do it. Was he lying then? Or now?
As her listeners increase and ratings skyrocket, Trinity is missing a key player in the story: Rachel Walczak, the retired detective who exposed Pelley’s twisted urges and put him behind bars. She’s not interested in playing Clayton’s game – until Trinity digs deeper and the podcast’s reverb widens. Then Rachel begins to question everything she thinks she knows about the past.
With each of Clayton’s teasing reveals, one thing is clear: he’s not the only one in Twin Falls with a secret.
My thoughts:
This is the second book I’ve read by Loreth Anne White, having only read my first of her books just last year. I’m not really sure how that happened as her writing is insanely good as both last year’s book, In the Deep, and this newest one prove!
This book grabbed me right from the start and never let up. And there were so many little twists and turns that I did not see coming. This all added to the overall suspense and tension and it kept me guessing as to where things were ultimately heading. It was so cleverly plotted that every single time I thought I had things worked out, something new would come to light to show I wasn’t even close. I love books like this!
I loved how the podcast element was woven into this story. It’s become one of my favorite elements used lately in crime books and it is so effective here. It’s only used sparingly and I think that works well as when the interviews are played, usually there are some pretty interesting revelations discovered.
There are a lot of characters in this book which might be a little overwhelming at first, however, as the book moves forward, it becomes clear that each and every one has an important role to play and they really all have such unique qualities that they end up standing out. I really had no issues keeping everyone separate in my mind. Also, the book moves back and forth in time, and I loved how this all comes together to give us an accurate picture of what really happened. It also gives us more background on some of the characters and helps us to understand some of the secrets that later come into play.
I cannot recommend this book enough. But, word of caution…this book is dark and disturbing at times. If you can get past that, then this book is the perfect summer read – it’s totally addicting and binge-worthy!
