by Leah Konen
SYNOPSIS
When her husband Harry walks out after just six months, a girls' weekend away with two friends seems like just what Sam needs.
But they aren't even halfway to their destination when things start to go wrong: car trouble that just happens to leave them stranded in the town where Harry lives.
And that's only the beginning.
Because there are three things Sam doesn't yet know:
One of her friends is lying about what happened.
One is lying about who she is.
And one of them will never make it home . . .
REVIEW
When her marriage breaks down after only six months, Sam turns to her friends Margaret and Diana for support. The three friends have all recently had their share of heartbreak and decide that a weekend away will give them a much needed boost. Unfortunately their trip gets off to a bad start when they lose the car keys and end up having to spend the night in the small town where they are now stranded...which just happens to be the town where Sam's ex-husband Harry is now living.
Determined to make the most of their time away, the friends decide to go out to the local bar and have some fun. A few too many drinks later, the night takes a surprising turn - there are some unexpected encounters, a few home truths are discovered and then one of the three women disappears.
Left trying to put together the pieces of a blurry night out, the two remaining friends begin to realise that maybe they don't know each other as well as they thought. It turns out that there is no such thing as a coincidence, all three have been keeping secrets from each other and finding out the truth could put them in real danger.
The format of the book is really successful, with short, snappy chapters told from the different perspectives of the main characters. Each time the story switches to a different person we learn more about their history and the secrets they are keeping from the other two women. These revelations gradually build throughout the book and (despite several twists and shocking turns along the way) we finally find out how all of the pieces fit together.
This is a complex and unpredictable story which keeps you guessing all the way through. I especially liked the way the relationship between the three friends began to crumble as each of the lies and revelations came to light - who do you turn to when you find out that the people you trust the most have been lying to you? The Perfect Escape is a fast-paced popcorn thriller and a really entertaining read which I would recommend for fans of Alice Feeney and Lisa Unger.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Konen is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and English literature. She lives in Brooklyn and Saugerties, NY, with her husband and their dog, Farley. Find her online at leahkonen.com or on Twitter and Instagram @leahkonen
Thanks to @MichaelJBooks and Leah Konen @leahkonen for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Psychological Thriller / Mystery
Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph
ISBN: 978-1405944892
Pages: 384pp
Comments