Title: In Her Bones
Author: Kate Moretti
Published: September 2018, Atria Books
Format: ARC E-copy, 320 pages
Source: Netgalley via Publisher
Summary:
Fifteen years ago,
Lilith Wade was arrested for the brutal murder of six women. After a
death row conviction, media frenzy, and the release of an unauthorized
biography, her thirty-year-old daughter Edie Beckett is just trying to
survive out of the spotlight. She’s a recovering alcoholic with a
dead-end city job and an unhealthy codependent relationship with her
brother.
Edie also has a disturbing secret: a growing obsession
with the families of Lilith’s victims. She’s desperate to see how
they’ve managed—or failed—to move on. While her escalating fixation is a
problem, she’s careful to keep her distance. That is, until she crosses
a line and a man is found murdered.
Edie quickly becomes the
prime suspect—and while she can’t remember everything that happened the
night of the murder, she’d surely remember killing someone. With the
detective who arrested her mother hot on her trail, Edie goes into
hiding. She’s must get to the truth of what happened that night before
the police—or the real killer—find her.
Unless, of course, she has more in common with her mother than she’s willing to admit…
Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, In Her Bones features Moretti’s “riveting and insightful” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) prose and “chillingly satisfying” (Publishers Weekly) twists, and will leave you questioning the nature of guilt, obsession, and the toxicity of familial ties.
My thoughts: This is the third book I’ve read by Kate Moretti and I have to say…I’m a fan! She can sure write a twisted, thrilling story that leaves you turning those pages, not sure where it is all heading.
I love a good serial killer story, and this one gives us a slight twist on that by having our main protagonist be the daughter of a famous serial killer. Edie Beckett’s mom killed six women when Edie was a child. Luckily for Edie, her name was kept out of the media and now, as an adult, she is living her own life, except for one slight little thing…she has this unhealthy obsession with the families of her mom’s victims. It’s all good until one ends up dead…and she becomes a suspect.
I liked the way this story was told. Most of the story is from Edie’s point of view, though there are also chapters from Gil Brandt’s point of view, the detective on the case from when Lilith, Edie’s mom was first arrested. He is still a detective and helps Edie when she is a suspect in the current murder. And then there are excerpts from the unauthorized biography about Edie’s mom…I love the whole concept of a book within a book. This is where we really learn a lot about Lilith and the crimes she committed.
Edie is such an interesting character. She is complex and yet there is something about her that makes you wonder if she is completely reliable. You want to trust her but then some of her choices make you wonder if you should. And yet when you look at her family history, you can’t help feel bad for her. She makes a compelling character either way and you do end up wanting to root for her…you just can’t help it.
This book is cleverly crafted and suspenseful. The twists and turns keep you guessing as to where it is heading and let me tell you – I certainly did not see that ending coming! It’s such a good sign when I am totally floored like that. I definitely recommend picking this one up, especially if you enjoy darker, thrilling reads, without all the gore.
About the author: Kate Moretti
is the New York Times bestselling author of The Blackbird Season, The Vanishing Year, Thought I Knew You, and Binds That Tie. She lives in eastern Pennsylvania
with her husband and kids.
Authors Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
In Your Bones by Kate Moretti
Atria Books
September 4, 2018
Atria Paperback | ISBN: 9781501166471| 320 pages | $16.00
Atria eBook | ISBN: 9781501166488 | 320 pages | $11.99
Atria Hardcover | ISBN: 9781982104672| 320 pages | $28.00
So many good thrillers around. Each day turns up something very good.