Publisher: Thomas & Mercer / Brilliance Audio
Published: September 1, 2021
Source: Print – Finished copy via Amazon Publishing / Audio – ALC via Brilliance Audio
Summary:
A dead woman’s cherished trinkets become pieces to a terrifying puzzle.
Mickie Lambert creates “digital scrapbooks” for clients, ensuring that precious souvenirs aren’t forgotten or lost. When her latest client, Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman’s last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d’art. A music box, a hair clip, a key chain―twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia, who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country.
But these tokens mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been receiving threatening messages to leave Nadia’s past alone.
It’s becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Discovering the truth means crossing paths with a long-dormant serial killer and navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One that might, Mickie fears, be inescapably entwined with her own.
My thoughts:
Last year I discovered Rachel Howzell Hall when I read And Now She’s Gone, which I really enjoyed. I knew after reading that one that I would be reading more of this author and I was thrilled to be able to get my hands on her latest book…and it did not disappoint!
I loved the concept behind this one…and I loved just how quickly I was pulled into the story. While this is a slow-burning mystery, it still kept me engaged throughout as I was just as determined as Mickie to figure out just what was going on. A serial killer, some stalking, and a cold case are all elements I love in a mystery thriller and these all combined to give us quite an addicting read!
There is so much originality to this story and I think that is where this book shines. It’s definitely not the same old story we’ve heard many times before. This is unique and wholly original and I loved it. I also loved that I found everyone to be suspicious, which just made for a more exciting read. The twists and turns really kept me on edge and I found that even though it wasn’t a fast-paced read, I couldn’t put the book down once I started it – and that goes for the audio, too.
I definitely recommend picking this one up…it’s such a great read. And it’s clearly a no brainer that Rachel Howzell Hall is now on my must-read list. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
Audio thoughts:
I loved listening to this one…the narrator, Susan Dalian, did such a great job bringing this story to life. I had such a hard time putting this one down that I ended up listening to it in two days! Her pacing was great and she really did a nice job with the voices.
