Publishers Weekly
05/11/2020
At the start of this pedestrian thriller from Thompson (Just a Breath Away), 19-year-old Vanessa Everly and her 15-year-old sister, Roxanne, are heading back after a midnight swim to the family mansion outside Everly Cliffs, Ore., when Vanessa is struck on the head. As she lies incapacitated, she hears “her sister’s desperate screams fading down the lonely beach.” Eight years later, Vanessa, now a TV actor in Los Angeles, remains haunted by her sister’s kidnapping. No trace of Roxanne has ever been found, nor has a suspect been arrested. Then Vanessa receives a call from the Everly Cliffs sheriff, who informs her that Roxanne has turned up—“thin, scratched, dirty, and unconscious”—on the front porch of their family home. Vanessa races back to Everly Cliffs, where she soon becomes immersed in a melodramatic quagmire of murder and romance. Awkward prose doesn’t help (“She needed to work out more, she thought as she tried to keep her mouth shut although she wanted to pant”). Those looking for surprises will be disappointed. Agent: Pamela Ahern, Ahern Agency. (July)
From the Publisher
An excellent read... Those looking for romantic thriller nirvana will find it in this standalone from Thompson Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Can't Find My Way Home
Readers are likely to leave the lights on and the doors locked after finishing this suspenseful blend of horror and thriller genres Booklist on Can't Find My Way Home
Kirkus Reviews
2020-04-13
A young woman is devastated when her sister is kidnapped, but her real problems begin when the sister returns.
Vanessa Everly was just 19 when she and her 14-year old sister, Roxanne, went swimming late one night. Vanessa was attacked, and when she came to, she realized Roxanne was gone—and despite massive efforts by the law and her family, the girl was never found. Vanessa ended her relationship with medical student Christian Montgomery because Christian’s brother was a prime suspect. Now, eight years later, Vanessa is a successful Hollywood actress when she gets a call that Roxanne is back home in Oregon, claiming she had been abducted and abused. Family members react in strange ways, Vanessa gets bizarre phone calls, and a murder takes place. On top of that, Vanessa realizes she still has feelings for Christian. This amateurish effort is marred by obvious plotting but especially by unrealistic dialogue that is used to introduce facts: “No. I’ve wanted to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts since I was twelve and I’ve been lucky enough to be accepted” might be the way a person would talk to a stranger, but not to her sister.
Clichéd characters and clunky dialogue.
