Jack and Syd are "The New Neighbors" in their community. Their new house is full of the previous owner's stuff, records, music, papers, and books. Jack and Syd could simply get rid of everything and start fresh, but they're delighting in unearthing treasures in each room. But their delight soon turns to frustration, to despair, and eventually fear.
This house is full of secrets.
Secrets from the past.
Secrets that destroy Jack and Syd's relationship.
Secrets that could cost Jack and Syd their freedom--literally and figuratively.
It all starts with a smell. A rancid smell coming from the attic. Jack finds more than just the source of the smell, he also finds a shoebox. A shoebox filled with relics from Syd's past. Relics that could cause deep emotional pain for Syd. Rather than be honest about what he found, Jack chooses to keep it a secret.
Yes, secrets are a recurring theme in this book.
While Jack is struggling with his recent discovery, Syd is struggling with her own demons. Her abusive childhood is never far from her memory. Those memories come to the forefront when Syd takes a liking to her teenage neighbor, Elsie. Syd sees so much of herself in Elsie. For years Syd tried to hid or rationalize her father's repeated physical and emotional abuse, and now she's afraid Elsie is doing the exact same thing. Elsie does her best to deny anything is wrong, but Syd can see the sadness and fear in her eyes. Elsie's father warns both Syd and Jack to stay away from his daughter, but it's not something either one of them can do. As a social worker, it's Jack's duty to report suspected cases of abuse. But even if he wasn't a social worker, Jack would still want to help. It's in his DNA, it's apart of his humanity to help. Syd can't just sit on the sidelines either. Syd ran away from her abusive household and started a new life for herself, but it came at a steep price. She left her little sister, Jessica, behind to face their father's wrath. What will happen to Elsie if Syd does nothing?
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that a murder occurs. The hows and whys of that murder serve as a catalyst for the entire book. The story is told in Jack and Syd's alternating perspectives. It reads like a long stream of consciousness. Jack and Syd are reacting to everything in the moment; how they felt each step of the way and what they did. You feel like you're inside their heads. So much so, it's hard to know what to believe. Jack is a suspect in the murder, and things he's said along the way certainly made me think he was capable. But it's too obvious for him to be the murderer. But what about Syd? She comes across as so emotionally fragile, I didn't think she was capable of murder. When push comes to shove, Syd struggles with just about everything. This book definitely kept me guessing from end to end. Just when I thought I had it all figured it out, I really didn't. When all is revealed, I realized the signs/clues to the murderer were there the whole time. I'm not always a fan of books with so many twists and turns, but it worked here! I highly recommend diving into this book!
Rating: Superb
Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Berkley) in exchange for an honest review.
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