While not a fast-paced, in-your-face thriller, this was a satisfying suspense novel set in the Appalachian Mountains.
Cooper and his daughter Finch live in isolation at a remote, off-the-grid cabin, and Jake, Cooper’s friend, and Scotland, a hermit living nearby, are the only people who know they are there, which is the way Cooper wants it. For the last eight years, Jake has brought Cooper and Finch much needed supplies once a year, but this year, Jake never arrives. Instead, Cooper and Finch cross paths with two strangers – one, Jake’s sister, who now owns the cabin, and a young female photographer, who Finch is transfixed by and whose unexpected disappearance puts them all at risk.
I was really fascinated by the story and these characters. Between Finch’s approaching adolescence, Cooper’s troubled past, and Scotland’s secrets, it was clear that even without the missing photographer, these characters were approaching a build-up to something life-changing no matter what. For eight years, Finch has gone along with what her father wants – staying away from strangers, being able to hide herself in the cellar at a moment’s notice, and following every rule – but as she gets older, it’s clear that she is not naturally a recluse and yearns for the attention and companionship of others. While she’s only eight, it’s clear that changes are coming, and I liked how the author wove this in to all the other things that were going wrong all at once.
Without giving anything away, the ending was a bit easy, but also made a lot of sense for how these characters developed.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.