I Found You

I can’t believe my first reaction when I finished the final page was ‘well wasn’t that a nice thriller’ and I meant that in the most literal sense. When I closed the book, I felt content and calm, with that satisfying feeling that everything had been resolved. It’s not usually how I finish a thriller, usually my heart is still racing until the last sentence and I’m left wondering what the hell just happened. Not only did this book have a ‘happy ending’, it was also remarkably relaxing the whole of the way through…. and it was such a stark difference to the previous thriller I’d read (Behind Her Eyes) that I couldn’t help but revel in how varied and refreshing each authors’ techniques can be! 

When Alice invites a strange man with no memory into her house, she has no idea what she’s letting herself get in to. When Lily’s husband doesn’t return home and the police begin to look into his disappearance, she has no idea that the man she married isn’t who he says he is. When we flash back to 1993, something terrible is about to happen. It’s all connected… but how?

Nicknamed ‘Frank’; Alice, her kids and her dogs (!!) try to prompt his memory by walking him around the local area. Frank begins to have flashbacks but what’s unclear is whether he’s a good man or a bad man. A news article from 1993 is the break they’ve needed – a terrible thing happened… people died and only one supposedly survived.

This story was beautifully put together. It had three branches to begin with: Alice and Frank searching for his memory, Lily searching for her missing husband and a family holiday in 1993. As the plot deepened, the branches combined into a chunky complex trunk destined to find its roots.

I loved the ending, I loved the beginning and I loved all of the chapters in between – the mystery was there but without being creepy. It felt real – Alice’s chaotic life grounded this story and gave it a ‘homely’ feel.

This is well worth a read if you’re looking for a refreshing change in the thriller genre. Have any of my fellow bloggers given this one a go? I’d be interested to hear if this writing style went down well with you all!

Until next time, Chloé x