I have never read any books by Diane Chamberlain before, so I wasn’t very sure what to expect from this book when I started on it. The blurb at the back of the book made it sound like a thriller, and since I am always a sucker for some chills and thrills, I expected to enjoy it very much.
Susanna Miller loses custody of her eleven-month-old son, Tyler, but rather than turning the little boy over to her ex-husband and his new wife, she goes on the run.
She dyes her hair, changes her name and escapes from Boulder, Colorado, leaving behind everyone she knows including Linc Sebastian, the man who has been her best friend since childhood and who knows her better than anyone.
Susanna lands in Annapolis, Maryland, alone, frightened, and always looking over her shoulder for someone who might recognize her.
Just as she’s beginning to feel safe in her new surroundings, she stumbles across information that could save the lives of many people if she’s willing to take it to the police. But going to the authorities means revealing her identity, admitting her guilt and, worst of all, losing her son.
~ Synopsis from the back of the book
This was a really easy to read book. I took it with me to the park to read while supervising the kids at play, and I found it fairly easy to concentrate on the plot, while at the same time keeping an eye on the kids. So, yes, real easy-to-read, and I highly recommend it for those times when you need a nicely plotted, but not too taxing a book.
The plot is fairly straightforward, there is some element of mystery, but it’s not an important part of the book, and so don’t read it for the thrills, read it for the fantastic characters and the sweet love story between Susanna and Linc, and for the sweetest mom-son relationship between Susanna and Tyler.
The plot is also fairly fast-moving and gripping. I started and finished this book in a couple of marathon sessions over the weekend – something I don’t do very often these days.
There were a couple of things that felt a little off about this book. And that is the timelines of some of the events in the book. There was just too much going on in a very short span of time, making some of what happened feel a little rushed. I really feel this book would have read better if the events had taken place over a longer time period.
Another thing that felt odd, was just how terribly dated the book sounded when it comes to technology. But as I read on, I realized this is one of her very early books that have come into print now. It isn’t possible to update the technology without making significant changes to the plot, so it seems to have been published as is. Once I accepted that fact, I was able to settle into this book quite nicely.
Overall, I think it’s a fantastic read that will appeal to most anyone who reads it. I am now quite interested in Diane Chamberlain and will be sure to keep her in mind the next time I visit the library.
Huge thanks to Pan MacMillan India for sending me a copy of this book for review consideration.
