Call Off the Dark

by Hallie Shepherd

A haunting, atmospheric debut thriller with a love story at its heart, following a feisty young woman caught between her husband and a mysterious stranger who disturbs their off-grid life in rural Washington.

Helen and Tyler were soulmates, a couple with a storybook beginning and an enduring bond, until Tyler’s sudden murder shattered her world. Numb with grief and desperate for escape, Helen impulsively marries Wade—a near stranger—and goes off-grid with him to a farmhouse in rural Washington, far from her polished Seattle existence.

By day, Helen, who definitely wasn’t built for canning food and sewing dresses, contemplates setting her garden on fire. By night, she faces down insomnia and PTSD with her collection of poems by Plath and Poe—and daydreaming about her past with Tyler. But the routine of her “trad wife” life is broken when an unexpected traveler Isaac, Wade’s broodingly mysterious brother.

Wade is stunned—Isaac died in a horrific farm accident years ago—and he quietly insists to Helen they are in danger. Helen isn’t sure what to believe. Has Isaac truly come back from the dead? Is Wade manipulating her fragile grip on reality? Or is her mind turning against her? As her suspicions close in from every side, Helen must navigate a maze of secrets, grief, and uncertainty—where trusting the wrong person could be fatal.

A stunningly original debut, Call Off the Dark blends a heart-piercing love story, immersive psychological drama, and spine-tingling thriller, resulting in a multilayered, transportive narrative that reminds us of the magic in human connection and that our truest partners in life can keep us tethered to the world, even from the grave.

Genres: Horror, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Mystery

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

Hallie Shepherd is an author, screenwriter, actor, and producer. Her debut novel, Call Off the Dark, blends psychological suspense, gothic tension, and a deeply felt love story.

Originally from a tiny town in the Pacific Northwest, Hallie grew up running around in the woods, shooting “short films” with her friends on a video camera, and writing a weekly column for the county newspaper.

Her background in film and television influences her love of cinematic novels that balance pacing and atmosphere, as well as storytelling that moves between genres rather than staying inside a single box. Her favorite books are those with gray-area complexity that reveal both darkness and light.

Hallie now lives in Los Angeles with her filmmaker husband, where she continues writing stories for both page and screen.

Hallie’s Website
Follow Hallie on Instagram

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ I have read a lot of thrillers and a lot of romance novels. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the two combined but I loved it. The author did a great job exploring the blurred line between fear and lust. I felt so trapped in the house with Helen for a majority of the book and understood why she chose her personal methods of escapism, even if risky on many levels. There were also deep themes of friendship, love, trauma, regret, and insanity. Very well done!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

[Trisha]

oooh this one sounds good!! Pub date: 09/2026

** ARC REC"D THANK YOU! **

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Gabby Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Hallie Shepherd for gifting me with this ARC to review. Despite me taking a minute to get into the story, I really ended up liking it!

Liked:

-Helen is a very painful ball of grief. I felt so bad for what she had to go through with witnessing Tyler die and watching the future she’d planned with him die too. Despite me not losing a significant other, I did lose my dad as a teenager and I related so much to the pain, anger, emptiness, and sadness that Helen was going through. I’m glad that she’s now able to fully process her grief and start letting go so she can learn to live again.

-supernatural elements are our friends. I always enjoy a good mystery with some supernatural elements thrown in the mix. I think the author added the right amount of it in the story. If it leaned more towards supernatural I don’t think it would’ve worked well with the whole story of Helen processing her grief funny enough.

-flashback moments. I truly did love seeing Helen and Tyler’s love story bloom. Sometimes you just find the right person and it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to you. They deserved so much more time with each other, but I think it really does reinforce the idea of living everyday like it’s your last, because we don’t know when death is going to come for us in the end.

Disliked:

-it was a slower start. I don’t mind that typically as long as there is at least some interest in dialogue or something going on between characters. Wade and Helen were really like two people living around each other, not with, if that makes sense. Until Issac showed up I didn’t know if I was going to end of liking this story as much as I did.

[Jenn]

DNF. The publisher sent it to me, so I gave it a go. It's just not my thing.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Helen's husband, Tyler, is murdered, it feels like she desperately needs something to distract her and to take her away from that part of her life. She finds that in Wade, who quickly brings her out to the wilderness, where she spends her days sewing, cooking, dealing with worms in her garden, and thinking about Tyler. When Wade's mysterious brother, Isaac, shows up, Helen begins to question everything going on around her.

This book is marketed as haunting, atmospheric, and a thriller. In truth, I personally felt that it only delivered on one of these elements. Shepherd's description of the woods Helen and Wade live in, from the enormous trees to the coyotes stalking the land, certainly felt atmospheric and foreboding. Here, the writing really shined, and I would have enjoyed more of this throughout the book. But, while Helen did desperately want her first husband to haunt her and perhaps she felt haunted by his memory, I didn't get a sense of 'haunting' on the page.

And, for me, this never delivered as a thriller. When Wade's brother, Isaac shows up and Wade begins to share the secrets of his past, I expected this book to really pick up. But, instead, there are weirdly long sex scenes (truly, some of the longest scenes in the present day sections of the book) and pages upon pages dedicated to telling Helen and Tyler's love story (including a tsunami threat on their wedding day that just left me wishing for it to be over). A lot of the present day sections felt like Helen just recounting the two men leaving to go work in the woods and then returning home, expecting to find dinner on the table.

As of writing my review, this book is certainly working for a lot of readers, and I am in the minority in my thoughts. I do think this book will work for many readers who are looking for a new author in this genre, and are interested in a book that is a bit more of a character study than a thriller. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eArc of this book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really imagined multiple genres like this blending so well. This book had a lot of different genres sprinkled into it (thriller, romance, horror, supernatural, and drama being the main ones). I thought everything flowed together beautifully, and the author did a really good job combining genres.

Helen was a city girl with a normal office job. One day she bumped into Tyler on the work elevator going to a different floor in the same building. The two immediately hit it off and shared a strong bond immediately. They inevitably ended up getting married. Tyler ends up getting murdered in a home (or apartment in their case) invasion gone wrong, and it absolutely destroys Helen's world. She's basically going through the motions rather than actually living anymore. Desperate for escape and something completely different, Helen ends up remarrying a man named Wade and goes completely off grid. The drastic change from city life to running off a generator on a farm, sewing her own dresses, canning her own food, etc. was something Helen had needed. Then one day Wade's brother, Isaac, who Helen had no idea existed, shows up out of nowhere. Wade informs Helen that his brother died and he has no idea who the man that looks like his brother is in their house.

Everything starts spiraling from there, and I wasn't really sure who had the grip on reality anymore. I loved the dual timeline of past and present Helen. I felt like it accurately portrayed the grief and desperation that would be felt when losing a spouse. Overall, it was very well written, and I couldn't wait to see where the story was going. A fantastic debut novel, and I can't wait to see what this author puts out in the future.

The only negative thing I have to say is the ending felt a little lengthy. Just a chapter or so too long that I felt wasn't necessary at the end.

Thank you Hallie Shepherd, William Morrow & NetGalley for the ARC of this book! ❤️

[Steve Edholm · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I am honest, I requested this because it was in Horror and no one writes about Washington state, I had to see what Hallie said about our great PNW.

The book follows Helen as she is trying to run from her past to the safety of the woods hours from Seattle. It is here that the simple life she claims to have wanted is interrupted by her new husband’s brother which she didn’t know existed. A brother in which Wade claims is dead. Is Issac dead or is Wade manipulating her? And will Tyler ever show her a sign from beyond the grave?

It’s been days since I finished this one and I am still not fully sure what I think of this book. I really loved the flashbacks to Helen’s time with Tyler. It’s a stark and jarring contrast to the life Helen has with Wade. I feel like the horror/thriller aspect of this book took too long to get going. There was a sprinkling of stuff early on, but until Wade finally opens up about things, I just didn’t like the main story.

I think the story gets better as it gets going, but the slow start didn’t help me. I think part of me not knowing where the town was and questioning if the author knew about Washington took some of it out of me (honestly until they get to Bellingham I wasn’t sure about the Washington knowledge, but shout out for dropping knowledge on WWU, GO VIKINGS!).

I think overall it was a good book, not one I would ever pick up again, but it’s not just my style really. I was the wrong audience for this sadly.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

A solid 2.5 read that ultimately flat after trying its hand at half a dozen genres and plot devices without once going all out or committing to one.

Admittedly, I am not the target audience for this novel which I'm sure many readers will find thrilling and romantic and spooky. I found it to be a sign that the trad wife lit bubble might finally have burst. "Call Off the Dark" wasn't effortless or pulpy enough to capture the addictive quality of The Housemaid series nor vicious or literary enough to garner YesterYear levels of shock and conversation. I was bored by Helen, her dead perfect husband, and her living imperfect husband. The grief on the page felt poignant, but the rage that the reader is assured Helen is feeling was never captured. Instead, we get a kind of supernatural "The Notebook" with a dual timeline that attempts to add gravitas to a muddled and bloodless (despite the stabbing) story. Although I take personal offense to the inclusion of Keats and Fanny Brawne (they deserve better), it is clear the author has compelling ideas and deeply planted literary roots. I just wish the path she'd chosen to take felt less well-trod. Give me weirder SPOILER ALERT ghost sex, more haunting apparitions, and gorier gore. Instead, we get a protagonist who doesn't even unleash her primal scream of grief and loss until the last act is nearly over.

Make-Likes: Trad Wife: A Novel by Sarasota Schaefer, Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton, Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist, Accumulation by Aimee Pokwatka,

[vlm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call Off the Dark by Hallie Shepherd is a haunting, atmospheric debut that blends psychological suspense with a deeply emotional love story. From the opening loss, the novel immerses you in Helen’s grief and disorientation, making her impulsive decision to marry Wade and disappear into an off grid life feel both unsettling and believable.

The rural Washington setting is vividly drawn and adds a constant sense of isolation that amplifies the tension. Helen’s discomfort with her new life brings moments of dark humor, but it also underscores how unmoored she is. The emotional core of the story lies in her memories of Tyler, which are tender and compelling, giving the book real heart beneath the suspense.

When Isaac appears, the story shifts into a gripping psychological mystery. The ambiguity is one of the book’s greatest strengths, keeping you questioning what is real and who can be trusted. Shepherd maintains that tension throughout, even when the pacing slows in the middle to focus on Helen’s internal struggle.

While the introspection can feel a bit drawn out at times, it ultimately deepens the impact of the final twists. This is a strong debut that will appeal to readers who enjoy slow burn thrillers with rich atmosphere, emotional depth, and an undercurrent of unease that lingers after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Tara Dawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 (seriously Goodreads give us half stars)
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and all opinions are 100% my own.

Going into this story I expected a pretty straightforward domestic suspense/thriller but this book ended up being so much more. It’s a beautiful exploration of grief and loss but there are also very strong horror elements. I read a lot of horror and it takes a lot for a scene in a book to creep me out but there were a few scenes in this one that really did. The author also did a good job with keeping me guessing as to what was real, was someone crazy/imagining things or was it more straight forward.

I think the timeline flashbacks were also incredibly effective and helped us to understand Helen and her loss more, it also resolved certain thriller avenues the book could have taken by showing us Tyler’s murder and the after of it.

As for the reasons this didn’t get a five, I felt the pacing was a little slow near the beginning (I wanted Isaac to show up a little sooner) and I would have liked a little more of a flash forward at the end to show us Helen a year or two down the line. But these are mainly small quibbles and overall I will strongly be recommending this book.

[Britney Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call of the Dark

Following the devastating loss of Tyler, Helen makes a radical choice, abandoning the vibrant city life she once cherished to join Wade in a secluded, remote location—a place intentionally detached from the rhythm of the world. For months, she exists in near-total isolation, seeing no one but Wade. Yet, the ghost of her past remains; her heart still aches for Tyler, sending silent, desperate pleas for a sign of his return.

The delicate balance of their isolated existence is shattered with the sudden arrival of Issac, Wade's brother. His presence acts as a catalyst, forcing Helen to confront the life she has chosen and the desires she has repressed. As her grip on reality begins to fray, she questions her sanity and, in turn, the stability of Wade's own mind. The narrative expertly builds a suffocating tension, blurring the lines between grief, isolation, and paranoia. The emotional intensity escalates until a final, unexpected twist fundamentally reshapes the entire story. This pivotal moment elevates the novel, cementing its status as a compelling five-star read.

Highly recommended for readers who appreciate deeply psychological thrillers and character-driven suspense.

[Nicole Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivated from the first atmospheric scene. I was pulled into a story layered with emotion, intrigue, and a quiet urgency that made me need to know what happened next.

At its core is a deep, consuming love, written with a kind of raw realism that feels rare. A book with romance that isn’t a “romance” novel. It also isn’t just a mystery…it’s something more layered, something that lingers, that blurs the line between what’s seen and what’s felt.

While it’s not traditional horror, don’t be fooled, it absolutely had me spooked at times. Reading it alone at night? I had chills down my spine.

The characters are complex, the relationships messy and real, and the mystery kept me guessing the entire time. Murder, retribution, and the constant question of what or who to believe had me changing my mind again and again.

But what truly stayed with me was the writing itself. Lines that made me stop, reread, highlight. It felt like poetry I could actually understand—beautiful, but grounded. I connected to this book in a way that’s hard to put into words, and I genuinely didn’t want it to end.

This is the kind of novel people will be talking about all year. Easily one of the standout reads of 2026, and I’ll be first in line for whatever this author writes next.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC courtesy of my local bookstore, Wild Geese Bookshop.

I’ll first start by saying that I 100% judge a book by its title and cover. This is not a cover or title that would’ve grabbed me and drawn me to it BUT The blurb on the back had me hooked and itching to read it.

The girls at the bookshop said that when they received the book, they knew it would be one that I would love and they were so right!!

Call Off The Dark bounces between 10 years ago when Helen and Tyler met and present day where Helen is living off grid with her husband Wade.

10 years ago, We get to see Helen and Tyler meet and fall in love and then find out what drove her to living in seclusion and off the grid.

During the Present day we learn of her life off grid, we see the darkness and the things that hide within. We meet a stranger, who shows up suddenly and unannounced. And we see just how far the darkness can push you.

This book will have you on the edge of your seat. It will have you second guessing everything you know. You will laugh, you will feel, your soul will be filled and then your heart will be crushed. You’ll be running through the forest looking over your shoulder and wondering who is there and is this even real?

I couldn’t put this book down!

[Katie Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
After her husband was murdered, Helen attempts to run away from her grief and avoid living by going off grid with a new husband she just met. As her mental state deteriorates, you begin to question reality. What is truly real and how far will she go to see her first husband Tyler?

This is a story of losing your true love and feeling trapped in grief. If you have watched Mike Flanagan's The Fall of the House of Usher and The Haunting of Hill House, you will understand the connection as you read this book.

It took me awhile to get into the story mainly because of the shift between past and present. I really enjoyed the retelling of Helen's life with Tyler. It was truly beautiful. At times, I struggled with the present. It was confusing and jarring to read the emotional turmoil she was experiencing especially after the arrival of Issac. It had a foreboding quality I enjoyed. I had to get to the ending and discover fact from fiction.

***Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.***

[Rebecca Knight sasek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced copy from NetGalley.

This story is a haunting blend of grief, isolation, and the unsettling ways the past refuses to stay buried.

Helen’s life shatters when she loses the love of her life, and the novel doesn’t shy away from the rawness of that grief. In her desperation for stability, she clings to Wade—a man who offers comfort but not necessarily understanding. Their quick remarriage feels less like a fresh start and more like a fragile patch over a deep wound.

From that moment, the narrative shifts into a slow, creeping dread. The remote setting amplifies every shadow, every whisper, every doubt. The supernatural element doesn’t overwhelm the story—it deepens it, revealing how grief can distort judgment and how loneliness can invite danger.

This is a good solid 4 for me.

[Wine + Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from chapter one! Helen is such a well-crafted character—relatable and grounded!

The author does a fantastic job switching between timelines, balancing Helen’s past with Tyler, and her present life with Wade. The timeline switching was done at the perfect times to help progress the story by showing Helen's love with Tyler, and how it brought her to be with Wade.

As the story unfolds, the tension builds—especially once Wade’s brother enters the picture. It creates this constant sense of unease where you’re questioning everything: Is something supernatural happening? Is Helen unraveling? Or is Wade manipulating both her?

Overall, the writing is beautiful—filled with vivid metaphors and subtle nods to Poe that add a poetic, eerie layer to the story. A compelling, well-written read that keeps you guessing.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

[Kaylee Spotts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!!

I loved this book. Solid 4.5 stars for me. It was unnerving, unsettling, and deeply rooted in grief. If you have experienced grief this book is sure to resonate with you. The plot was so interesting and if I had the time I would have finished this in one sitting. This being a debut novel is insane to me, I am excited to follow Hallie Shepherd's work going forward.

Not to mention, there were moments so freaky that I had to turn my phone's flashlight on and check the dark corners of my room while reading this at night. This is a refreshing blend of writing that speaks to you but fits into a horror/thriller genre. The main character is relatable if you've experienced grief and you're kept guessing the entire time. Definitely recommend this book!

[Trish Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great mix of suspense and love story, and I loved it! It’s something my book club will want to read because it has beautiful writing and a lot of emotional depth, but also good mystery too. All of the characters were interesting, but the heroine Helen was especially unique and sympathetic.

I loved the eerie setting in the woods, but every time it went back to the earlier timeline in the city, I was also so invested in Helen’s first love. Somehow these contrasting sections felt perfectly connected—one added to the other.

Overall this book is a quite a mix! Deep love, a bit of steamy lust triangle (or quadrangle?), an intriguing thriller that kept me guessing, emotional grief story, and some psychological horror-esque elements. By the end, I was so emotional, and it truly left me thinking!

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen marries Wade after losing her first husband. Helen and Wade move off grid, but Helen isn’t cut out for that lifestyle. Helen is still struggling with PTSD and grief of the loss of her first husband. A stranger shows up to their home saying he’s Wade’s brother, who died in a farming accident years ago. Helen doesn’t know who to believe because she doesn’t know if she can trust herself or either of the men.

This book was a good mix of character and plot driven. I liked Helen and was invested in her story from the beginning. This was a solid mystery thriller with some good twists. I highly recommend this book. It’s great for a debut and this is an author I’ll look out for in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Dayana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and all opinions are 100% my own.

This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a surprise of deep character dynamics and unexpected horror or paranormal elements.

The narrative unfolds from one narrator’s perspective across various non-linear timelines, creating a seamless and captivating reading experience.

Initially, I found myself considering not reading the whole Book; the writing was quirky and sentence structures different from what I normally
Read.

It also had me questioning the reliability of the narrator and the reality of the events. However, I persevered, and I’m glad I did because the story truly picks up after a while. It was a great read!

[Sarah Harney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to William Morrow for an ARC of Call Off the Dark via NetGalley.

I devoured this book in 24 hours and honestly cannot believe it is a debut! The writing was sharp and beautiful, and the pace of the story really kept me on my toes. GoodReads, the blurb, and many of the other early reviews classify this book as a thriller...IT ISN'T! This book is a bit of mystery, a bit of horror, a lot of paranormal, and more than anything a case study in grief. Readers who go into the book expecting a thriller may end up disappointed, but I think anyone who can go in open-minded in terms of genre will be wowed like I was. I'll be on the lookout for more titles from this author!

4.5 stars rounded up.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I went into this totally blind and had no idea what to expect and I am so glad that I did.

This is a tragic and twisted thriller about a young woman, Helen and her overall life. What you will find is a lot of twists and turns, an amazing main character in Helen, and some of the best nail biting anticipation of what may happen next.

Helen is such a unique main character, she really was not what I expected when you first meet her to where she ends in the finale. I found her mind to be a fascinating protagonist in the story, it really was a character in itself with her experiences and thoughts. Overall this was a great thriller that kept me on my toes.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am never going to mentally recover from this book.

This debut from @hallie.shepherd was one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.

It was so easy to devour every page. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was definitely a "just one more chapter" read and before I knew it, it was 3am.

It was spooky, it was thrilling, it was emotional. At the heart of it there was a love story. I found my self so wrapped up in the story and characters, I was the one who felt crazy at times. It makes you think who's real and who's not. The writing will suck you in and make you feel like you're part of their world.

A huge thank you to @hallie.shepherd @netgalley and @harpercollins for this arc copy!

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did feel like this book has a little bit of everything.

This is a book with lots of complicated characters that are going through some dramatic and complicated situations.

I did expect to enjoy this book more, it sounded super fascinating and fast-paced to me.

I think the thing that threw me off was that the spookiness took quite a while to get started. I was expecting more from the start. And the start was a bit slow too, so that added to this.

I really like this cover. There's something really intriguing and striking about it to me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honst review!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So grateful to get a physical ARC. Thank you to the publisher and author.
4.5 ⭐️
What I enjoyed:
This was a different style horror, incorporating romance. I was not sure if I would like this, but it worked for me.
I enjoyed the flashbacks to Helen's past life and the contrast to her present day. It is very atmospheric and gave me unsettling, creepy vibes.
If you like a slow pace, character driven story with supernatural elements I would add this to your upcoming TBR.
Great debut!

Knocked off a half star
It took me a bit to get invested in as the book starts slow.

[Mary Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am kind of torn on this book. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. Helen was married to Tyler and had a great marriage. Tyler was killed in a burglary. She met Wade and after a short time they were married. Wade and Helen moved off grid. Tyler's brother Isaac shows up at their house one day. According to Wade, Isaac is dead. He was killed in a farm accident. The book was based on Helen's point of view. Many memories of her great marriage with Tyler compared to her marriage now. This book was from Net Galley.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Call Off the Dark, by Hallie Shepherd, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Helen had it all with Tyler, and then he unexpectedly passed away. Moving on way to fast, she marries Wade, and goes out of town with him, a near stranger. This women makes great choices. prefer books that stay on one time line and dont go back and forth over multiple years. This book had to much sex and not enough haunting or thrills.

[Georgia Meagher · Rating 2 out of 5]

52 book challenge for featuring a natural disaster (very briefly).

This did not work for me. Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy! The dual timeline made no real sense and went in circles that made my brain hurt.

TW for cheating and general violence. Misogyny. Animal gore. Intense sexual scenes with a demon/ghost supernatural creature.

[TheDorkSide13 📖📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Rounded up for characters and a debut author.

The characters immediately draw you in, making it difficult to decide which storyline you’re more invested in; the past or the present. Both timelines are intriguing in their own way, and the way they unfold keeps you curious about how everything will ultimately connect. The narrative does a good job of building interest early on, pulling the reader into the characters’ lives and motivations.

While I didn’t completely love the overall story, I did appreciate how it kept me questioning the plot and wondering where things were headed. The author slowly reveals pieces of the mystery, encouraging the reader to keep turning the pages to uncover the truth. Even when I wasn’t fully invested in the direction of the story, the sense of curiosity remained strong enough to keep me engaged.

I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this book as a thriller. Instead, it feels more like a mystery with moments of suspense woven throughout. The tension is more subtle than intense, focusing on uncovering secrets and understanding the characters rather than delivering constant high-stakes action. Readers who enjoy character driven mysteries with dual timelines may find this an engaging and thought-provoking read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.