Monday, May 12, 2014

Stay With Me

Title: Stay With Me
Author: Alison Gaylin
Publisher: June 24th 2014 by Harper
Format: ARC Paperback
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Source: Amazon Vine
Series: Brenna Spector

Alison Gaylin is an underappreciated author. I do not think that she get the recognition that she deserves for the phenomenal Brenna Spector series that she writes. Usually, an author falls apart by book three, but ‘Stay With Me’ is by far one of her best books.

From the first paragraph to the startling conclusion, Ms. Gaylin holds the reader with a steady concentrated rhythm that never lets you down. Building upon her previous books (And She Was and Into the Dark) this author builds upon the intensity of the disappearance of Brenna’s sister three decades prior. What Brenna remembers from that day is her sister getting into the passenger seat of a blue car and driving away. From that day on, Brenna has been afflicted with Hyperthymestic Syndrome, which gives her perfect autobiographical memory – every word, every moment, and every detail of everyday of her life since Clea’s disappearance.

Through the last three books, the search for Clea has intensified. Individuals come forward with information that only Clea could know. Tidbits from her diary and a bag of her clothing are taking center stage. Suddenly there is an even more desperate situation - Brenna’s daughter, Maya, is missing. Why her? Why today?

As Brenna and her ex-husband and his current wife search for Maya, all points in this very desperate story come to a culmination. Lies are revealed, old truths are exposed and as everyone is cut to their bloody core the last chapter is finally revealed.

I did not see this coming. How I did not see it, I do not know; there were so many prior false leads and now it is all laid bare.

I do not know where Alison Gaylin will go with this series, but I am in for the long haul. Where she wants to take me I am willing to go and I will drag every reader who loves excellent thrillers and suspense with me.

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