03 Aug 2010 00:14:38
Set in an insular New York town where everyone knows everyone, this unexpectedly introspective story from thriller-writer Unger starts in a seemingly peaceful place. Yet in a town where generation after generation grows up and stays, it's difficult to have any sense of privacy, and harder still to leave the security of a close-knit community.
Unger takes a microscope to the town and uncovers secrets, examining missed opportunities and the hope of finding something better somewhere else when a teenage girl goes missing.
Jones and Maggie have a marriage that's not perfect, but it's good enough for them to stay together and care for their son, Ricky. Ateenage boy filled with raging hormones and rebellion, he adores his girlfriend, Charlene. When she disappears, he becomes the immediate suspect as the jealous boyfriend.
Maggie cannot accept that her son is growing up, and his father, a member of local law enforcement, has a difficult time connecting with the boy he loves. Now he worries that his son may be responsible for Charlene's disappearance.
As the town searches for answers, a tragic event from 20 years ago that was supposedly forgotten returns with a vengeance when parallels to that earlier night and Charlene's disappearance reveal themselves.
Unger specializes in thrillers involving family life, and she steps back from her suspense roots this time to tell a slow, simmering, tragic tale. Fans of authors like Jodi Picoult will want to read this one in a nice comfortable chair.
Unger takes a microscope to the town and uncovers secrets, examining missed opportunities and the hope of finding something better somewhere else when a teenage girl goes missing.
Jones and Maggie have a marriage that's not perfect, but it's good enough for them to stay together and care for their son, Ricky. Ateenage boy filled with raging hormones and rebellion, he adores his girlfriend, Charlene. When she disappears, he becomes the immediate suspect as the jealous boyfriend.
Maggie cannot accept that her son is growing up, and his father, a member of local law enforcement, has a difficult time connecting with the boy he loves. Now he worries that his son may be responsible for Charlene's disappearance.
As the town searches for answers, a tragic event from 20 years ago that was supposedly forgotten returns with a vengeance when parallels to that earlier night and Charlene's disappearance reveal themselves.
Unger specializes in thrillers involving family life, and she steps back from her suspense roots this time to tell a slow, simmering, tragic tale. Fans of authors like Jodi Picoult will want to read this one in a nice comfortable chair.
