The Imposter by Marin Montgomery
Pub date March 9, 2021 by Thomas & Mercer
This was the first book I’ve read by Marin Montgomery, so I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was a wild ride that kept me guessing until the very end. The book features two narrators, Deborah, the mother, and Sibley, her adult daughter. They have been estranged for 14 years, since the time that Sibley’s father died in an accident on their farm that was considered suspicious by some in their small town. It was always suspected by local gossips that Deborah was having an affair at the time, and in some way helped to cause the accident, but there was never any proof to back up this blame. Shortly after the accident, Sibley graduated from high school, packed up and left for good. She worked her way through college and law school, became a successful attorney and got married, all with very limited contact with her mother. In the present day, Sibley is struggling with depression and an alcohol addiction and seems to be suffering from blackouts when drinking – she sometimes can’t remember where she’s been or what she’s done. She is accused of sleeping with a client, and her law firm puts her on probation until she completes rehab. After a heart-to-heart talk with a friend, she can’t shake the gnawing feeling that she needs to resolve her issues at home with her mother before she can move on and heal. She crosses the country and shows up unannounced at her mom’s house, who still lives on the farm where Sibley grew up. Deborah is also struggling. Her relationship with her husband was not what Sibley always thought, and she is dealing with her own depression, anxiety and guilt over events surrounding her husband’s death years ago. To make matters worth, she suffers an attack one dark night outside her home which has long lasting physical and mental impacts. She has finally decided to start seeing a psychiatrist to work through some of her issues when Sibley arrives home. It becomes clear that both mother and daughter have been keeping secrets from each other for years. Together, they slowly begin to unravel the mysteries of their family.
I liked this book. It was entertaining. Both narrators were unreliable and confused at times, so it really kept the reader guessing about what had happened in the past and what was happening in the present. I liked the part when Deborah saw a strange man sitting in her living room – that really got my attention and had me wondering – is it a ghost or is she hallucinating? How serious are her mental issues? There were several interesting twists that I didn’t guess, and the ending was satisfying – the loose ends were tied up and questions were resolved. I gave this book 3 ½ stars – rounded up to 4.
It was a good, solid domestic thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.