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Both an examination of the intensity of the trials of new motherhood, and a Martha-Vineyards-based mystery, this book only partially scores on both fronts.

Brynn Nelson, our third person POV (and somewhat unreliable) narrator, is in her early thirties, and has not quite felt like herself since the birth of three-month-old Lucas. A traumatic birth, (followed by what looks to the reader like a severe case of postpartum depression), is proving harrowing for Brynn, who is feeling lost, alienated and alone, particularly as she has also felt her husband, Ross, pulling away from her since Lucas’s birth, and has confusingly completely failed to bond with her new son.

When the body of a young woman turns up on Norton beach, hints of Ross’s potential involvement opens doors wider, for Brynn, to a nightmarish tale of whodunit, made more complex by the emotive wandering and questioning of Brynn’s fragile state of mind, her loss of ability to trust those around her, and most of all, her loss of her own mental confidence and sense of self.

Suspenseful in parts, with a great, atmospheric setting, this reader found the pacing of this story a little too slow, and the characters either too unlikable (Brynn and Ross’s entire family), or not developed enough (Ross, and Brynn’s trio of close friends) for a truly awesome reading experience.

With an ending that, although predictable, satisfied this reader, overall this is an enjoyable story, that just missed the mark characteristic of a stellar read.

A great big thank you to #Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this story. All thoughts presented are my own.