So much potential, thrown away because the author decided to turn the heroine into a complete moron 70% of the way through the book. Clare is a married solicitor who lives with her husband, two young daughters, and Mom in the home she grew up in. Pretty happy life, except for one thing, when she was little, her Dad took her younger sister Alice away to America for good, against the will of the Mom, and, after years of searching, Clare and her Mom finally hear from Alice, and the family is quickly reunited. But, of course, all is not what it seems.
Here's the thing, the mystery here isn't that hard to figure out, it's actually pretty basic Lifetime movie plot. However, I think the author did a good enough job building the story and characters in a way that made me want to continue reading, to see the story carried out to the end. While not a page-turner, I genuinely was interested to see the plot fully realized, and enjoyed reading it....
Until about 70% of the way in, where Clare turns into an imbecile. I'll get more specific below, but let's just say, Clare is supposed to be a smart lawyer, yet she had multiple opportunities to gather solid proof to prove her case, but instead goes about asking questions, while overlooking the most obvious things. Long analogy here, but it's like in the movies/TV when someone finds out a secret, and in the process of trying to tell that secret to someone else who doesn't want to hear it, they decide, instead of just blurting out what they know like a normal person, to waste time arguing w/the other person that they have something really important to say, and just keep repeating that, pleading to be listened to while the other person refuses to listen, leaving without ever hearing the big news. All the time you, the frustrated viewer, are screaming at the screen, "Just friggin say it!" But of course, they never do, because it's a cheap plot device to drag out the secret and build tension. Those are Clare's actions (or inactions) the last 25% to 30% of this book. A cheap plot device.
Plus, if I'm really honest, she was starting to get on my nerves before then for how she responded to her husband, Mom, friends, boss, and Alice. She behaved like an overly emotional child instead of the rational thinker she should be in her line of business. And why do people in books so easily doubt themselves? Sorry, but pretty sure I'd remember committing a very violent act. You'd have to be pretty insecure to be so easily convinced against yourself, no matter how emotional you are. And don't get me started on her husband. All marriages are based on trust, for him to turn on her so quickly and thoroughly, especially after being skeptical initially...I would have thrown his butt to the curb. Her ready forgiveness, to me, made her look even more dumb. At least make him grovel.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Here are my big gripes with this book:
- again, she lets her family, boss, friends walk all over her. Stand up for yourself. How do you let your husband convince you that you violently attacked a painting, or think you made things up you KNOW you saw? I can be convinced, in my stress, that I forgot to send an email I thought I did, or pick something up from the grocery store I swear I did. But knife a painting???
- she's a lawyer who doesn't know how to build a case or properly collect evidence. She writes down a list of questions, but instead of meticulously gathering proof just yells out random accusations, even though it was so easy to gather obvious evidence. She put herself in a position to let Alice get the better of her. She was too easily manipulated.
-Trip to America: she was already suspicious of the picture due to the clock (and sorry, but dyslexia explained for mixing up an image? Maybe I'm uneducated, but red flag,) yet it never occurs to her to show the picture to the neighbor, waitress, or Roma? She never asks Roma about the dyslexia? She doesn't share her suspicions with the woman who could be her witness that Alice was not who she said she was? She had three people who KNEW Alice and/or Martha, but doesn't ask them to back her up?
-Luke: so she lost her evidence, but, again, hello, tell them to call Roma or the neighbor. What about the eye color. She could have told Luke, in a rational way, what she learned, but she behaves so irrationally, pleading with him not to leave. Plot device.
-Tom: seriously never occurred to her she was drugged in college? 3-day "hangover?"
-The cliche plot device where the main character decides to confront the bad guy at a time/place that leaves them completely vulnerable. Why, when he went to get the wine, and she heard the first 30 seconds on the call, did she not just grab it & run, before he got back?
-the nudes pics: what was the point of those? And her 1st thought when she sees Leonard is to worry about him seeing the pics? Huh? How about being rescued???
-There's more, but you get the point. If Clare had been written better, this could have been 4 stars...