I thought this latest book was better than Unger’s previous book (Last Girl Ghosted) but it still had a few issues. Warning, spoilers ahead about this book. If you don’t want to know what happens in this book, then stop reading now!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.
About the Book:
What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’ll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.
But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.
A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep.
How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?
Spoilers Below! You’ve Been Warned!
This book starts with two separate threads:
Henry is a child in the beginning, living and moving around with his strange mom Alice. She says his father is a sperm donor. Alice dies.
As an adult, Henry goes looking for his dad after a DNA test shows he has many half siblings. Dad’s sister and some of the half siblings start to die under mysterious circumstances. He meets his half-sister Cat, who he joins forces with to try to figure out who his dad is. After a while, Henry realizes that Cat is the one killing them. Their bio dad was a rapist/murderer who died in prison. Cat is cleansing the world.
Thread two is the group At the Cabin:
Hannah is married to Bruce, they have left their young daughter Gigi at home for the first time. Hannah’s brother is “Mako”. Bruce consults for Mako’s business and is being very secretive. Tells Hannah in confidence that he wants out. Hannah is suspicious.
Mako is married to Liza. He is a tech magnate. Liza is a yoga instructor who has had an affair and thinks she is pregnant with that man’s baby. At this past Christmas, Mako and Hannah (and the rest of their family) received DNA tests from a mystery person. Mako’s show that the man he thinks is his father is not really his father.
Joshua and Cricket are the third couple, they are dating. Cricket is Hannah’s BFF, she used to date Mako and now they just have sex occasionally. Joshua disappears from the cabin and then reappears.
Bracken is the weird owner of the house. He is spying on everyone via multiple hidden cameras.
Trina is Mako’s former assistant. She has been stalking him and follows him to the cabin. It turns out that she is working with Joshua. Liza is lured to the guest house and Trina stabs her.
As It Turns Out…
Trina = Cat (from the beginning). She, Joshua, and Mako are half-siblings from the same bio-dad as Henry.
Mako is a bad guy. His new game is a cover-up for child porn, he also embezzles and launders money.
Bruce is working with the FBI to take Mako down.
Joshua was stealing from his clients, which is what Cat uses to blackmail him into helping her.
The FBI swoops in.
Cricket kills Cat/Trina
Liza survives her injuries.
Bracken’s storyline turns out to be a total throwaway non-issue.
My Review:
Decently told mystery with a few extraneous threads and some very OTT moments towards the end. Overall worth reading.
Unger’s books are hit or miss for me. This one fell mostly in between. There are some good surprises, and I loved the isolated “locked room” premise, however I felt like there were so many secrets held by the characters aimed at misdirection that the plot got a bit too muddled.
There are two storylines. One is of a group of six adults who are going for a weekend away to a remote home in the woods. Another is an exploration of the life of a person named Henry. The two storylines eventually come together, but the way it happened was surprising and one of the best reveals of the book. I really liked Henry’s storyline and thought it was very well developed and I was so invested in him and finding out how he fit into everything.
There are some throwaway storylines/characters that go nowhere, and the fact that there are a large number of characters in the first place makes it frustrating at times to keep them all straight. This is a book that is best experienced on paper, I think the audiobook would be massively confusing. I also didn’t care for the big “wrap up” at the end, because if you’re paying attention, you should have figured it all out from the narrative and won’t need it dumbed down and explained to you like the end of a television show.
This is a decent book, a bit over the top, but definitely fast paced and will capture your attention.
And there you have it! Should you want to read this book, just click below to purchase:
This one has been everywhere the past few months! I need to see what all the hype’s about. Great review!
Thanks Carlie! It definitely has its pros and cons.