I loved the first 70% or so. It was atmospheric, suspenseful, and fascinating to learn about the past and everyone’s secrets. But the rushed, high action ending was meh for me. 

 

Energy: Engaging. Serious. Menacing. 

 

🐕 Growls: The sudden high-stakes thriller style, rushed action, and frantic confrontations. The main character’s sudden questionable decision making and stupidity to make the end work, when they were so solid and discerning until then. 

 

🐕 Howls: Withholding of key information felt excessively drawn out by the 50-60% mark (that, ‘omg just TELL us’ thing where characters keep eluding to some event that we STILL don’t know about). 

 

🐩 Tail Wags: The dual timelines and perspectives. Sense of foreboding. The tension and mysteries. 

 

Scene: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Cardiff Bay and Littledean, Wales

Perspectives (2): A 30-year-old estranged from their family, who is set up on a date by friends with a person who hosts a dark tourism website. Their 14-year-old sibling three months ago leading up to the disappearance of the family. 

Timeline: 2018 to 2019 (September to February)

🔥 Fuel: Why is their father so strict? Why is the entire family estranged from Hanna? Is Sasha’ new friendship toxic, dangerous, or supportive? What did Hanna do that caused the entire town to turn on her? Where is the family now? Who is sending threats? 

📖 Cred: Plausible-ish to suspended disbelief 

 

Christmas card. Dark tourism. Computer room. Facebook messages. Burner phone. Police station. 

 

Content Heads-Up: Abduction. Adult/minor relationship (teen-young adult). Alcohol (recreational). Bullying (high school; gossip, rejection, teasing, threats). False accusations. Hit and run (very brief mention; off page). Home invasion. Infidelity. Loneliness (as teen). Loss of family (as child). Murder. Online threats. Parental abandonment (as baby; as child). Parental rejection (as teen, adult; estranged). Strict, overprotective parent. Suicide (off page). Toxic parent. Violence, physical attack.

 

Rep: Welsh. Cis. Hetero. 

 

📚 Format: Paperback