Enough action keeps happening to move the story along without lots of repetition. The beginning gives several stories of a serial killer's actions which gets confusing on whether the details are important. Susan becomes more annoying as a female who seems intelligent in the beginning but then just does one stupid action after another. There are enough clues to make the reader wonder how many bad guys are there. Good interaction between the teens Jordan and Leo and Moira as they question their friendship. ( )

Oh, this was one fantastic wild ride that I didn’t want to end, but did want it to to know what would happen. Kevin O’Brien never disappoints.
Susan has finally moved on from the tragedy that killed her son and husband and is now engaged to Allen. While it isn’t really a whirlwind relationship, it is comfortable and she’s ready to move on with him and her son Mattie to become a family. After their engagement, Allen has an idea for a family getaway for the three of them at a cabin on a lake, and even renting a sailboat for the duration of their stay. Shortly after their arrival, Allen disappears. Meanwhile, down the road, lots of interesting events are happening all over the place. My head was spinning, in a good way; with a roller coaster of twists and turns.
This book kept me guessing, I never knew who to trust. I couldn’t tell who was good and who was evil. Do you really know the people you love? Your friends? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? People that are supposed to protect you?
While I loved the book, I did think Susan didn’t always make the best decisions for her or her son but saying that, it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the book, I just wanted to slap some sense into her at times.
Kevin O’Brien consistently writes delightful thrillers, with lots of action, suspense, some a little creepier than others; but always a book you don’t want to put down. His way of storytelling keeps you reading. I haven’t made my way through all of them yet, but like to savour them; I will be sad when my pile is done but fortunately he is still pumping one out every year. Definitely he is one of my favourite authors. ( )

This book was addictive. It tells the story of several characters who come together in a small Washington lake community. Tragic personal histories and the threat of a serial killer on the loose make for quite a ride. We have Susan and her son, Matthew, who meet with her fiance for a last minute vacation. But Allen goes to get sunscreen and never returns. Meanwhile a trio of teens has come to a cabin to celebrate a birthday only to have horrible memories take the place of the fun they had planned. There were so many twists and turns in this story, it kept me on the edge of my seat. And unlike many books about serial killers, we did not spend too much time in the killer's head nor did it dwell on the murders themselves. I will definitely try more books by O'Brien. ( )