GRABTOWN

Two sisters discover a startling manuscript in their late mother’s house that has devastating ties to their present in Blanchard’s thriller.

Cassie Bousquet has been estranged from her mother, Marla, and her twin sister, Ana, for years, ever since her marriage to Marsh, a wealthy California businessman. After her mother’s death, she returns to rural Connecticut to help her sister settle their mother’s affairs. While cleaning Marla’s house, they find a manuscript left for them written by their mother’s best friend, AJ Porter, about the unsolved murder of their mother’s distant cousin—the killing occurred in 1985, the year the twins were born. As they read the story, both sisters learn shocking secrets about the mother they thought they knew and begin to repair their relationship (“We need to sort this out, okay? This thing between us”). Cassie questions her marriage, finding something horrifying on a storage drive that her husband gave her; it transpires that she and Ana are in danger, and their family’s dark past is coming full circle. Blanchard’s novel is a masterfully constructed work, balancing the story within the story with excellent pacing. The connection between Cassie’s adult life and her mother’s past is a little far-fetched, but it effectively brings the plotlines together for a nail-biting showdown. Marla and AJ are vividly brought to life in the flashback section; the twin sisters are less distinctive. After all the years Cassie spent floundering in an abusive marriage, only to have her world upended by two massive lies, she seems a bit too together at the end. Ana also seems one-note—she’s initially presented as the ‘good’ twin, and the story makes no effort to subvert that trope. Marsh is too obviously villainous at first, but his portrayal ultimately strikes a perfect balance between menace and craven vulnerability. Any weaknesses in the characterizations are forgivable in light of the satisfying conclusion.

A dark, satisfying thriller perfect for readers who love family drama and scandalous secrets.