I didn't find this book nearly as good as I expected it to be. For such an intriguing concept, it disappoints. I almost didn't want to slog through it, but I did, hoping it might get better as it went on. No. The main character Blanche isn't likeable or sympathetic and I didn't find myself caring at all what happened to her - a major problem in a story like this. She's not a damaged traumatized woman she's just an angry condescending jerk towards everyone. How dare anyone bring up her past - gasp!- to her face! Ugh.

There was barely any action or mystery to the plot, either, besides figuring out who is trying to reignite the legacy of the cult and if that person will be stopped in time. But it didn't seem like there was a sense of urgency with that, either. I don't understand the praise for this story or the author, and based on the fact that people think this is better than his previous work, I certainly won't be reading any more by him.

Blanche Potter never expected to face her past again—but she can’t escape it.

Blanche, an up-and-coming filmmaker, has distanced herself in every way she can from her father, the notorious killer and cult leader, Chuck Varner. In 1996, when she was a small child, he went on a shooting spree before turning the gun on himself.


Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Nathan Ripley’s debut thriller didn’t really wow me. I don’t actually remember the fine details, but a revisit of my original review suggested that it was heavy on unrealized potential and the plotting wasn’t as good as the writing. But it entertained. It entertained enough to download Ripley’s sophomore effort without even reading a plot summary. Although to be honest, had I read the plot summary, it would have had me at cults. So yeah, either way I would have read it. And I’m very happy to report that, unlike so many thriller authors out there that find their comfort level and plateau there indefinitely, Ripley has in fact improved on every level. Your Life is Mine is good, very good actually. At last the plotting has gotten to the level of the writing and the writing has actually been stepped up too. This was a genuinely thrilling thriller and a genuinely exciting dramatic work of psychological fiction. Are you familiar by chance with tv show The Following? It was about a cult of murder started by a debonair English professor and novelist, wherein they glorified random violence and took a creative Poe inspired approach to arranging their murders. Well, this is essentially a white trash version of that. Your Life is Mine is a concept and a cult led by the appropriately named Chuck Varner, who in 1996 takes a gun to the mall to commit a crime that has since become as American as apple pie, obesity and arrogance. Which is to say he kills a bunch of random individuals. In front of his young daughter, who he has been grooming to become the cult’s future. Neither that traumatic event nor the subsequent decade of brainwashing by her mother has done the trick. The girl gets away, changes her name, grows up to have a fairly normal (if somewhat emotionally stunted life) as a documentary maker, specializing in true crime stories. And just as her career is taking off, she is found and dragged back into the past only to find out that the cult’s ideas (as murky and ignorant as they were, mainly utilizing themes of chaos and violence) are very much alive and have followers, who are getting ready to unleash a new wave of murders. There are some are so desperate for message and purpose that even a barely coherent mildly charismatic trailer trash prophet will do. And that’s what Blanche is up against. Even putting aside my fascination with all things cult related, this was still a very compelling read. The suspense was sustained throughout, what surprises were there…did surprise. It wasn’t as formulaic as most thrillers tend to be, the narrative was mainly present time, with Blanche as the main narrator and she made for a strong complex engaging narrator. Her best friend/business partner was somewhat underdeveloped, her main specialty seemed to be ultimatums as in tell me the truth or we’re done…but then again when she does find out the truth, it’s a whopper. So maybe that was the set up all along. But the players here were interesting and multilayered and the overall mood was (appropriately) pervasively dark and the writing and the characterizations were uniformly very good. This was definitely a standout among the overpopulated genre. Very entertaining, very atmospheric, very dynamic. Such a good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I only read about 15 % of the book because I didn't care for the subject matter and found it difficult to understand. I didn't want to read about a murderous cult leader (this seemed to be a take off on Charles Manson) and his young daughter and wife living under his noteriety.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.