Synopsis

For two sisters, confronting the past could come at a terrible price in a riveting novel about a family tragedy―and family secrets―perfect for fans of Showtime’s Yellowjackets.

Fiona and Violet Seng were just children when their family’s Cessna crash-landed in the Washington wilderness, claiming the lives of their parents. For twelve harrowing weeks, the girls fended for themselves before being rescued.

Twenty-five years later, they’re still trying to move on from the trauma. Fiona repurposes it into controversial works of art. Violet has battled addiction and failed relationships to finally progress toward normalcy as a writer. The estranged sisters never speak about what they call their Alone Time in the wild. They wouldn’t dare―until they become the subject of a documentary that renews public fascination with the “girl survivors” and questions their version of the events.

When disturbing details about the Seng family are exposed, a strange woman claims to know the crash was deliberate. Fiona and Violet must come together to face the horrifying truth of what happened out there and what they learned about their parents and themselves. Before any other secrets emerge from the woods.

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Review

This thriller had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

There are many things to like and dislike about this book. The basic storyline of a family lost in the wilderness for 3 months is intriguing, well, at least two younger children. Something has happened to the parents, which we learn about at various times in the book. But the reader is left wondering how this will all come together in the end. Tidbits of the truth are dribbled into the story, tiny bits at a time. We hear the story primarily from Fiona and Violet’s POV, but then also from the mother and father, Janet and Henry, during the flashbacks to the crash. It is hard to guess what the truth might be since we don’t know who is telling the truth or who is lying.

There are a few unlikable characters in the story that are forcing Fiona and Violet to relive this tragedy from twenty-five years ago. It seems odd that an ex-lover would wait twenty-five years to come forward with details about the relationship. There is also a documentarian, Daley, who is seeking the truth and will do anything to get it. I won’t spoil anything, but it takes a twisted turn at the end with Daley at the forefront.

Just when I thought I might have a grasp on what really happened all those years ago, new information would be revealed and alter my thought process. Even the ending throws a new kink into the works.

While the book held my interest, I did question some of the facts that came up in the book. GoFundMe wasn’t around twenty-five years ago. Maybe that was a newer way the girls received money, but I took it that they received funds that way from the beginning. I was surprised that it took so long to find the downed plane. I think they might have been off course, but I thought they would have been found sooner. There are certain things that are not explained. I could go into detail, but in case you want to read the book, I don’t want to spoil anything. Another reader might interpret things differently.

Overall, I enjoyed following the story and wondering how this was going to resolve itself.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Fiona

Art is never more than a reflection of an artist’s twisted mind. The twigs that I harvested from the forested park that sits at the edge of my property seem to prove that idea, refusing to behave in my latest sculpture. Instead of a three-dimensional re-creation of a mountaintop, the one I can’t seem to shake from my dreams, the piece resembles more of a pincushion. Leaves, tiny branches, feathers, and an errant pine cone I stepped on during a walk last week each seem in opposition to my increasingly knobby fingers.

Something falls in my kitchen, scattering to the hardwood. “Marshall, stop going through the trash, buddy. Darleen is going to be here any minute.”

I stomp into the kitchen, all bark and no bite, then wag a finger at my Great Dane. “Jeez, look at this. You don’t even like tomato.”

Sweeping the remnants from yesterday’s BLT back into the plastic bag, I right the bin against the wall. With Marshall’s big brown eyes trained on me in fleeting remorse, I stack a cookbook on the lid. “No more of that.”

Normally, I hate wasting food. But when the BLT I ordered to go from San Diego’s hottest rooftop bar and restaurant contained a long human hair, I spat it out and then threw the whole thing away. Some people would do the same, but no one shares the same reasons as me. Except for Violet.
“Knock knock,” a voice calls through my screen door. “In the kitchen.”
Shuffling footsteps pass the dining table, and then my art dealer, Darleen Hallow, appears in the doorway. Marshall follows close behind, reaching her elbow. “Is that a new piece you’re working on back there? Love the pine cone.”

Fading red hair is artfully cut in a lob that lands on Darleen’s rounded shoulders. She could be a relative for the sharp hazel eyes we share, but that’s where any resemblance stops. Her creamy skin that seems impossible under San Diego’s consistent sunshine glows in the dim lighting of my home. A light bulb flickers above my sink—one of the endless household tasks I can’t seem to focus on when manifesting a new idea. Nothing else can grasp my attention while I’m in the thick of creativity—not for long at least. Laundry piles up, dishes multiply on counters, and take-out boxes dwarf my recycling bin. Considering I still need to create another half dozen pieces for the art gallery exhibition slated for next month, I might need help hurdling over pizza boxes to exit my house by then.

Since the Alone Time, I’ve had trouble multitasking. A therapist might say it’s a residual effect of my trauma—of being stranded in the wilderness with my family. In reality, it’s emerging from the wild without all of them that continues to haunt me.

About the Author

Elle Marr is the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Family Bones, Strangers We Know, Lies We Bury, and The Missing Sister. Originally from Sacramento, Elle graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris. She now lives and writes in Oregon with her family.

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