I'm going to differ to the original synopsis here on this one, because I have typed and backspaced multiple times and keep staring at my screen trying to figure out what I can say that will not qualify as a spoiler. This is one of those novels that the twists and turns and lies start to unravel fairly quickly in the beginnings of the plot, making it tricky when someone asks you "hey, what was that book about?". Just trust me. It's a great read!

In a snapshot-- Harry's father has passed away. Death looks like accident but detectives suspect foul play. Harry's stepmother is grieving and super needy and a little too flirtatious. Harry's starting to learn a lot about his father and isn't sure why everyone around him seems to be lying. 

★  ☆  ★  ☆ ★  ☆ ★  ☆ ★  ☆ ★  ☆ ★  ☆ ★  ☆ ★  ☆ 

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It is told through multiple perspectives, both in a current (now) and previous (then) timeline. The past timeline follow's Alice's story, and the current timeline largely focuses on Harry's POV, but we get an assortment of other characters mixed in as well. There's an over-arching theme throughout the novel in regards to romantic and sexual relationships with very large age differences. I like that it gives perspectives from multiple POVs, making you almost sympathize with the creepy relations at certain points and then cringe that you ever thought that when it shifts to a different POV. It's a very interesting juxtaposition of character viewpoints.

Now, I will be up-front. I did figure out the main/major 'plot twist'. I make connections early on and was not proven wrong. I was really hoping that I was going to be incorrect and be completely taken by surprise, but it fell short in that area. However.. if I predicted the plot twist and the book still gets a strong, solid four stars, then it must be awesome and absolutely worth the read. 

This book has a 'second ending' of sorts and it was completely unpredictable, twisty, and quite dark... which really helped make up for that predictable twist, in my opinion. Swanson has this way of making you both love and hate (at the same time) the darkest and nastiest characters, so at the close of this novel I was feeling all the conflicting emotions.. I really wasn't sure how to feel, other than utterly satisfied with another of Swanson's fantastic endings.



Thank you to Peter Swanson and William Morrow providing me with a DRC of this title via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

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