Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bush's romantic thriller centered on a reunion gone wrong is disappointingly bland. A reunion of high school friends ends as such events often do: in a drunken haze. When party girl Diana Conger wakes, she's shocked once to find former high school heartthrob Nick Radnor in her bed, and again when she sees that he's dead. While the rest of the gang-a parade of stick-figure clichés-are quick to place blame on Diana when the autopsy of Nick reveals a heroin overdose, Nick's stepsister, Kerry, and their former classmate, police officer Cole Sheffield, set out to uncover the truth, revealing a series of events that beg the platitude of learning who your real friends are. In the background of the suspense plot, Kerry and Cole develop a thin romantic link. Though Bush provides consistent tone, the massive cast, complicated relationships, and even more complicated personal conflicts create a soap opera feel rather than suspense. The story moves quickly, but the payoff is buried under inconsequential details, and forced character drama makes the happy ending feel hollow . Neither romance readers nor suspense fans will get much out of this. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
When Kerry Monaghan's stepbrother Nick returns home to Edwards Bay, WA, from his life in Palo Alto, CA, he ends up dead of a drug overdose--and he didn't do drugs--and Kerry knows it wasn't an accident. Also, there's no way Nick would have killed himself. Getting answers won't be easy, but Kerry isn't the only one with suspicions. Police Chief Cole Sheffield, her high school crush, has questions as well--questions that only mount as more of their schoolmates end up dead. A festering secret, a tragic suicide, and a vibrant assortment of characters--good, flawed, and totally rotten--keep the pot boiling in this guilt-ridden tale enhanced by a realistic Puget Sound setting. VERDICT The high school past returns with a vengeance in this twisted tale that dangles false leads aplenty and keeps most of its mysteries until the very end. Bush (Jealousy) lives in Lake Oswego, OR.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A string of connected murders in a small town reunites two former sweethearts in this romantic thriller.A reunion between former high school friends known as the A-Team ends up in a mysterious death and sends Edwards Bay into a tailspin of gossip, rumors, and even violence. Kerry Monaghan is awoken in the middle of the night by a frantic phone call from Diana Conger. Kerry's stepbrother, Nick, is dead. A night of partying led to disastrous consequences, with Diana being painted as a killer, but that theory quickly loses steam once Diana is found dead, strangled in her apartment. As bodies start piling up, secrets come to light about the A-Team: their affairs, their vices, and so much more. Local cop Cole Sheffield suddenly has his hands full. The suspense is at the forefront, with great focus given to outlining all of the complex dynamics between friends, lovers, and family. Kerry and Cole's romance feels lackluster when compared to the attention and detail given to the escalating number of murders. Dramatic and tense, the book delivers as a thriller with dark hometown secrets filled with drugs, sex, and lies, but the weak romance negates a believable happy ending for Kerry and Cole. Those hoping for an emotional payoff amid all the jealousy and backstabbing might be left underwhelmed, as there is no complement or balance to the onslaught of drama plaguing a rather large cast of characters. Not Bush's (Jealousy, 2018, etc.) best. Longtime fans might insist on reading this one, but newcomers to romantic suspense should give it a pass.A salacious mystery with a middling romance. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
