Victoria is a newly empty nester, still reeling from the disappearance of her husband, Robert, seven years ago.

Now, having to care for her mother with signs of Alzheimer's, and her youngest son leaving for the school where her missing husband was head of the History Department, Victoria still has wounds to heal.

I think the plot got a bit lost along the way, and somewhat convoluted, but glad to see that disappearance was cleared up.

3 Stars
NOTE: I received early access from NetGalley, for this manuscript, in exchange for writing an impartial review. Completed on 6/11/2022.
Pros and cons from my own perspective.

Cons
Throughout a large portion of the novel, it's very sparse on supposed plot line and the mysterious details regarding the disappearance of her husband. So many other trivial day to day events are dealt with instead. Her mother, her love life, her rather selfish, self-contained BFF, her side businesses, etc.

Some may see this and the next one as spoilers, but she never pursues the lead of the young woman and the photos, and the mysterious key, after the young woman is swept away by the head master of the school. Doesn't even show concern that she may possibly be in danger, especially given the way the young woman seems to be sneaking around to get her this info, and the sudden appearance and reaction of the head master at their meeting place.

Calls and leaves a message for the ex-boyfriend, "in case anything happens", and then when he shows up after something happens, she's surprised.

Pros
I really did enjoy the flow of the book for the most part. It was a bit light on the mystery aspect, until the end, but it still held my interest. The writing style carried me along at a good pace, and held my interest enough to complete the book. There was never a time that I felt like abandoning the novel, even if I didn't always agree with the author's chosen formatting of laying the storyline out.

The final wrap-up was worth sticking it out. Much more involved then what I had been anticipating.

The 2 pros alone, made my rating of this very difficult. I vacillated between 2 and 4 stars, and had to put some time and distance between the end, and my final rating.
I ended up going with 3 Stars, which I consider average, because it was a light, entertaining read, of which it provided me with more than a few hours of gratifying recreation.

Gripping and tense right from the very start, it was a compelling read taht was fast paced and atmospheric. Twisty and unpredictable and kept me guessing until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I realized shortly after I picked up this ARC that I haven’t quite read a book like this before. Gotejen does an amazing job at painting her imagery throughout the novel but can fall a bit short when it comes to plot clarity. While I may have found myself confused at times throughout the book, I overall I thought this was a solid read with an interesting story line.

Fast paced thriller that will leave you reeling. I absolutely enjoy the plot and really loved the characters as well. Anyone who loves a thriller will love this book!

Penny Goetjen's storyline is excellent and the novel was well written. Victoria Sand's husband has been missing for seven years with no clues to his whereabouts. Although involved romantically with other men during her grief, Victoria cannot move past the loss of her husband Robert. The plot is constructed cleverly and connects in a way that keeps you glued to the pages. There are moments of tension and suspense with some unexpected twists and discoveries as the story unfolds. The novel is worthy of five (5) stars.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Secret Harbor Press, LLC and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I didn’t put it down. Vivid imagery, suspenseful and thrilling. Kudos to Penny Goetjen.