Review – Behind These Four Walls by Yasmin Angoe
Synopsis
From the author of Not What She Seems, Yasmin Angoe’s thriller explores revenge, morality, corruption, and wealth as a woman sets out to uncover the truth behind her friend’s disappearance and expose the powerful family behind it.
Isla Thorne had a rough start in life. Orphaned young, she spent her formative years in a group home where she met her best friend, Eden Galloway. At sixteen, they decide to run away to LA…but Eden never makes it.
It’s been ten years since Eden vanished. And Isla’s determined to find her.
She begins at the last place Eden visited: the Corrigan mansion in Virginia. Eden claimed to have unfinished business there. Posing as an aspiring journalist, Isla insinuates herself into the wealthy family’s home and begins searching for the truth.
The more she digs, the more Isla discovers Eden isn’t who she thought she was. Was she even a victim, or did Eden plan this all along? Desperate for answers and to keep her identity hidden, Isla finds an ally in one of the Corrigan sons. But as she wades deeper into this power-hungry family’s secrets and lies, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a bloodline that’s more lethal than loyal.
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Review
Don’t mess with the best friend.
Ten years have passed since Isla’s friend, Eden, failed to return. There are secrets in this town, and Isla dedicates her time with this family to uncovering the truth. What ensues is insanity (in the best way possible) and righting wrongs.
This novel moves at a fairly consistent pace, not too fast, and not too slow. However, the truth takes time to emerge, and Isla is at the crux of it. It is incredible how much information and how many tasks she is able to handle with the help of some friends. Lord knows I could never break into a safe, and I have never learned to pick locks.
I found the characters to be intriguing. They acted as I expected those in or associated with a powerful family to act. However, there are some surprises. I think my favorite character might have been Victor. Yes, he was the head of this family and could be ruthless, but at the same time, the love he expressed for his daughter Eden could not be denied. It also shows that not everyone kept him in the loop; if they had, nefarious plans would have been revealed and potentially led to a different outcome.
This book reminds me that no family is perfect, and someone is always fighting to get to the top, even if they don’t deserve it.
We give this book 4 paws up.
About the Author
Yasmin Angoe is the Anthony Award-nominated author of the critically acclaimed Nena Knight Series, including Her Name is Knight, They Come at Knight, and It Ends with Knight. Yasmin’s Knight Series have been featured in The New York Times, Oprah Daily, The Guardian, PopSugar, and the Woman’s World book club, and the series is currently in development for TV by Ink Factory & Fifth Season. Not What She Seems, Angoe’s first work of domestic psychological suspense, was a #1 Amazon Chart bestseller and was featured in Publishers Weekly, The Root, Kirkus Reviews, and Writers Digest.
Yasmin is the recipient of the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color, has been nominated for the Anthony Awards, the Goodreads Choice Awards, and is a finalist for the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Award. She serves on the Board of Sisters in Crime and is a member of several prestigious organizations such as the Author’s Guild and Crime Writers of Color.
Hailing from Northern Virginia, Yasmin Angoe is a first-generation Ghanaian American an educator, teaching middle and high school English, and served as an instructional coach for virtual teachers. She’s now fulfilling her lifelong dream, writing fulltime and freelancing as a development editor for other writers. Wanting to pay it forward, she enjoys traveling to conferences to teach elements of the writing craft, editing, and sharing her experiences and process to help make the pathways for aspiring writers, especially writers from marginalized communities, more attainable. Yasmin currently lives in South Carolina with her family.
