This new release is the latest novel from bestselling author Stacy Willingham, a former copywriter and marketing brand strategist.
Margot has just finished a difficult freshman year at a liberal arts school in South Carolina and is still processing the sudden death of her best friend Eliza from the summer before. Suddenly Lucy Sharpe, a bold personality on campus, invites Margot to live with her and her housemates, Sloan and Nicole, for the summer and following year. Margot doesn’t hesitate to say yes, and soon her life is completely different and filled with frat boys, late-night drinking, and Lucy’s manipulative games. Margot and Lucy become close friends and share some of their darkest secrets. But soon into the new year, one of the fraternity boys is found murdered after a night partying on the beach, and Lucy suddenly goes missing. What follows is a series of twists and revelations that Margot is not prepared for!
The novel is a dual timeline storyline, toggling back-and-forth between “Then,” which includes Margot’s story from meeting Lucy until the fraternity boy’s death, and “Now,” which includes the investigation of Lucy’s disappearance by the police. It takes a while for the story to become a page-turner, as most of the thrills and twists come in the second half. In spite of this, the twists are well worth the wait and will have listeners quite surprised.
Narrator Karissa Vacker, one of the most talented and highly sought-after narrators around, delivers another excellent performance. Her portrayal of Margot is spot on, full of emotion and well-placed dramatic flair. The narration is also expertly paced for an extremely easy listen. Overall, this may not be the most captivating or original thriller you’ll listen to this year, but the entertaining narrative coupled with the clever twists definitely make the audiobook version a worthy option!
