Pages: 430
Published: 2nd April 2024
Genre: Mystery
Content warnings: Gaslighting, references to domestic abuse and kidnap
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.
But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead…
This is a story expertly woven together with the help of an impeccable attention to detail and a very well executed concept. With irresistible questions presented to us right from the start and proceeding to multiply at a steady rate throughout, a captivating mystery both surprises and blindsides the reader with its delightful unpredictability, along with a set of twists that nearly always hit the spot.
Just seeing the title of this book is enough to fill you with intrigue. It not only tells you a lot about the premise, but it promises a lot too, and thankfully it delivers as Holly Jackson again showcases her talent for writing stirring, high-octane young adult crime fiction with more than a dash of intricate plotting. There is a huge level of ambition here that you do not fully appreciate until the mystery untangles itself towards the end, where the revelations just keep on coming.
Perhaps the most common trend in crime fiction at present is to use a fictional true crime television show or podcast as a plot device to spin the central mystery around, putting you in the shoes of a viewer or listener and asking you to try and connect the pieces before the characters do. As a result this could easily have felt unoriginal, but unlike other examples this one is much more character driven with emphasis much more on Bel’s investigation and her suspicions towards Rachel, so as a variation on a theme it works well.
That is not to say that the documentary plays an insignificant part – indeed a lot of the questions which arise both early on and with the circumstances of Rachel’s sudden return, are related to it in one way or another. It also allows you to see members of the Price family in a different light, with some reacting more uncomfortably or even suspiciously when under the glare of the camera.
The mystery is extremely well thought out, both with how she originally disappeared and then the many curious events that take place after she comes back. There are reasons to question several characters and their motives as we learn more about them, and although it forever feels like a really difficult puzzle to solve, there are minute clues disguised as throwaway lines, so it is important to take note of every piece of information.
What the concept also creates is a fascinating set of character dynamics. The story focuses on Bel in the third person perspective, and the inherent distrust and resentment she shows towards Rachel does play a part in shaping the views of the reader. Bel has a totally unique point of view, and an enjoyably unexpected one, as a daughter who is desperate to try and prove that her recently returned mother, long presumed dead, is lying about absolutely everything.
It must be pointed out that although it is easy to appreciate the reasons why, Bel is not an especially likeable character. She is often abrasive and sometimes downright rude, fiercely protective as she is of her livelihood and protecting the status quo of the close relationship she has with her father Charlie. When Rachel appears out of nowhere it is like she is an unwelcome intruder upon her life, come to disrupt the peace.
Bel is also someone who sticks stubbornly to her guns, and that side of her is also brought out during her gradual romance with Ash. He is very loyal but always gives it back to Bel any time when she speaks to him with a hint of attitude – which to be fair is almost all of the time, but he becomes more a voice of reason and acts as a good counter to her intense personality.
To be honest, Rachel does come across as very shifty and her inability to call Bel by her preferred name is rather grating for the reader. It certainly grows evident though that Rachel – regardless of whether she is being truthful about her abduction – is a character with questionable morals and a survival instinct, who is capable of going to extreme lengths. She is hard to fully trust at any point, but equally questions also start to hang over the likes of Charlie, Jeff, and Sherie. You also wonder if Ramsey and the production team for the documentary know more than they are letting on.
Ultimately, the reveal about what happened to Rachel takes place over the course of two thrilling twists in quick succession. The first one is a bit of a jaw-dropper and leaves you in a brief state of shock as you simultaneously try to enjoy the coolness of other popular book titles being mentioned in the next scene. The second is interesting, as despite it being the most obvious resolution at the beginning, it is not disappointing in the least because the directions the mystery had taken no longer made it seem so obvious.
The book is always quite frenetic, in part because of Bel’s restlessness and irritability, but the action increases even more for the final scenes during some really tense stand-offs. Much of the ending is done well, however aspects of it were a little disappointing in regards to Bel’s cousin Carter – her best friend and possibly the most endearing character of all. The way Carter’s story ends up playing out does stretch credibility as it relies on her having to draw some unlikely conclusions.
For some reason Holly Jackson likes to set her stories in the United States these days, but the rural, hazy American town where Bel lives is neatly depicted. It feels like a landscape where everything is spread out yet while at the same time everyone knows everyone else’s business, which makes it seem fairly hostile early on when Bel is followed by the media and is angered by the watchful eyes of her neighbour.
The parts involving the documentary are also good. Perhaps surprisingly, there is no multimedia save for a webpage and a handwritten diagram of Bel’s family tree right at the beginning, but the quality of the writing makes up for that. Some of the more interesting moments come when Bel struggled to talk about Rachel’s disappearance to the camera, and the amount of scene dressing that takes place when participants are interviewed, just to convey a particular mood. It gives these scenes an authentic touch.
Overall, it is clear to see how much work went into making such a complex plot work, but the rewards are plentiful and they belong to the reader. You will have such fun coming up with theories and being led down different paths, and despite not being the easiest to warm to, Bel’s perspective succeeds on being out of the ordinary. The payoff is mostly great too, making what is an addictive read feel all the more worth it.
I really enjoyed reading this one, so hooked was I by the mystery. I was also genuinely surprised by some of the twists and had great fun trying to work things out.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Stephen Reads Books 