carolesrandomlife

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I thought that this was a rather interesting book. I have had this one in my review pile for some time but hadn't yet worked it into my reading schedule for one reason or another. I decided to grab the audio and give it a try. I was initially drawn to the book by its description and the mysterious cover. I did enjoy the story and am glad that I finally had the chance to read it.

Nate is at the center of this story and while I liked his character, I was never quite sure if he should be trusted. We see Nate as both a teenager and an adult. As an adult, Nate is a pediatric oncologist and a husband and father. His life seems very upstanding but as I worked my way through the book, it seemed that he had a few things that he might be hiding.

As a child, Nate's family were in an accident at the lake which left his parents and sibling dead. He grew up with his grandmother after the accident and grew close to a group of friends which included his girlfriend, Lucy Bennett. This was one of those books that the more you read the more connected the events in the story seemed to become. Everything seemed to be tied together in one way or another.

As an adult, Nate returns to town when Lucy's remains are found and events from the past are brought to the forefront. The story did keep me guessing and I was never quite sure which direction things might end up going. I really liked the way that the story was laid out giving the reader just enough of both the present and the past to really keep the story moving.

I thought that Jon Lindstrom did a fantastic job with the narration. I believe that this was my first experience with this narration and I have no complaints at all. He did a wonderful job with all of the character voices and I thought that the dialogue flowed nicely. He had a very pleasant voice and I thought that he was able to bring a lot of excitement to the story. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to his work again in the future.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a well-done mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. It was interesting to see how interconnected the events in the book were and how everything came together in the end. I look forward to reading more of Brendan Duffy.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House - Ballantine Books via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

Initial Thoughts
Maybe 3.5 stars but I am rounding up for now. It was interesting how the events from the past intersected with the present. Nate was an interesting character and I wasn't ever completely sure that I should trust him. There were a few good twists and things that kept me guessing. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with the narration.