This is Audiobook Fanatic’s first listen from Sarah Pekkanen, best known for her co-author collaborations with Greer Hendricks.
Catherine Sterling has lived in close quarters with her mother her whole life, moving from town to town. Now she’s ready to become independent and move to Baltimore for a new job, but her mother, Ruth, is suddenly showing signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s. In truth, Ruth Sterling is harbouring many secrets about her past and true identity and will stop at nothing to protect her daughter. When Ruth’s desperate attempts to keep her daughter by her side begin to unravel, Catherine begins her own quest to discover her mother’s true identity.
The storyline is more of a drama than a thriller for most of the novel. In the latter part of the story, when the twists and thrills unfold, the plot unfortunately becomes flawed and implausible.
Narrator Kate Mara switches seamlessly between Catherine and Ruth, giving listeners very distinct views of the mother-daughter relationship and their motives while keeping listeners fully engaged with all the tension. If you haven’t read any of Pekkanen’s work before or if you enjoy suspenseful family dramas, give this one a listen!