Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This engrossing tale of psychological suspense from Shemilt (The Patient) centers on Sofie, a Greek girl living on the island of Paxos, and Julia, the daughter of a wealthy English couple who own a vacation home there. Sofie and her family are caretakers serving the needs (and whims) of Paxos homeowners and their guests. In the summer of 2003, while Julia's family is vacationing on the island, 13-year-old Sofie is assaulted on the beach. Twenty years later, Julia is the apparently perfect yet deeply unhappy wife of James Grenville, headmaster of an exclusive English boarding school, having traded her dignity and independence for the financial security he offers her and their daughter. At a school event one evening, Julia meets Laurel, a therapist with links to her past that Julia can hardly imagine. Laurel senses Julia's displeasure and promises to help her find fulfillment. Shemilt alternates Sofie's perspective in 2003 with Julia's in 2023, keeping the suspense at a steady simmer that gradually builds to a roiling boil by the conclusion. This tale of revenge and rebirth rivets. Agent: Eve White, Eve White Agency. (Dec.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Told in alternating points of view to correspond with the dual timelines, Shemilt's latest (after All Her Secrets) finds its rhythm in the second act and never looks back. In 2003, everything changes for 13-year-old Sofie when she is violently assaulted by some guests of the Greek island home she cares for with her family. Nineteen-year-old Julia's father owns the house, but Julia had left her family and guests early and didn't know what happened to the shy young girl. In 2023, Julia is living in London with a husband she doesn't love, but he provides for her and her daughter. Increasingly dissatisfied with her situation, she begins confiding in a therapist. Julia's seeing positive personal results and returns to visit the Greek house, where she discovers what happened 20 years ago. That truth collides with her present in a gripping race that jeopardizes the life she thought she had. While the reveals are easily guessed, the finale is surprising and ultimately satisfying, if a little too neat. VERDICT Best for deep collections that serve a high demand for psychological thrillers.--Sarah Sullivan
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