In 1993, Stella’s family left Evergreen Island abruptly and during a storm. It made no sense – why leave? – Stella loved living on the island.
In present time Stella is a relationship counsellor, helping families in all shapes and sizes to work through their differences and understand each other. The irony of Stella’s job vs her own family life was not lost on me. With her brother estranged, her father riddled with dementia and her sister’s moods; I admired Stella’s constant love for them all, albeit it did feel as if she was burying her head in the sand a lot.
And then a news story shakes her to the core. A body has been found in Evergreen, practically in their old back garden. Stella’s childhood now seems tarnished. Denial seeks through her, has she remembered those summers wrong?
As the plot develops, Perks explores how other characters’ felt/feel about being on the remote island and it’s clear it wasn’t and still isn’t all rosy. Secrets are beginning to surface and the tension between the residents is mounting.
With the dramatic prologue – the quick escape – it felt like Perks had geared it up for me to fully doubt The Harveys. Danny’s curious behaviour, Bonnie’s strong thoughts on friendship, Maria’s doubts about newcomers and David’s over friendly nature, made it feel like Stella was on a fast track journey to heartbreak as she travels to the island to find out more.
On the island, she discovers that her neighbours’ behaviours aren’t quite what she remembered, and the feeling of danger begins to mount. Just as the suspect list increases, someone comes forward and confesses, but did they actually do it?
The police don’t think they’ve got the right person and so the investigation continues…
This plot just kept on giving, Perks’ writing style is gripping from the get go and continues to play mind games with the reader from the very start to the final pages.
The secrets are slowly revealed, letting you spin off scenarios in your head by the dozen, and have you ruling each one out as you turn another page… to discover another secret that flaws your latest hunch.
As main characters go, Stella is fascinating. Her curiosity to discover the truth is a passion many of us can relate to, her loyalty to her family tugged at my heart strings and I found her personality some what endearing. The characters are very different to the ones we see in Now You See Her, showing Heidi’s imagination is going to continue to provide unique and diverse plots – something I adore!
As psychological thrillers go, Perks is already on the way to becoming an icon in this genre. Her plots stand out and ooze tension.
Can you discover the truth before the end? You can grab Come Back For Me on Thursday in hardback and eBook versions from Century. Want to find out more about it before then? Check out all the other blog posts on the tour:
Thanks to Rachel for organising an amazing tour and for sending me a hardback copy of the book to review!
Until next time, Chloé x
Reviews by Chloé 