This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.
This week’s Summer Reads pick comes out tomorrow, August 12th and I’m so excited to finally share a bit about it! I’m a fan of Sommerville’s first book, If I l Lose Her and had high hopes for this one. I was NOT disappointed!
From the publisher:
Truth hides where the past refuses to stay buried.
Recently fired and adrift, Charlotte Boyd agrees to oversee renovations on her parents’ small-town summer home that holds a tragic past. After discovering an enthralling diary hidden amidst junk the previous owners left behind, Charlotte connects with the author—a troubled teen named Lark Peters who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago.
When an unsettling incident forces Charlotte to seek refuge at the local pub, regulars, including the police, warn her of Lark’s older brother, Darryl, who has become a recluse since Lark’s death, and may know more than he’s letting on. But Charlotte sees a side of Darryl others don’t, being an outsider herself.
In a search to uncover the truth, Charlotte must question those closest to Lark and reconcile her own past trauma. Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte’s own backyard.
I LOVED this book! It’s two stories in one, beautifully woven together, told from dual POV – Lark’s diary and Charlotte’s present-day quest to find out the truth behind the teenager’s suicide 16 years earlier. Set for the most part in a small town, it has a touch of the closed-room scenario about it as Charlotte contends with the claustrophobic setting where everyone knows everyone/ thing… Or thinks they do…
As well as working her way through Lark’s complicated story, Charlotte has her own trauma to deal with that is revealed over the course of the novel. I initially found Charlotte a challenging character to like – she is lost at the start but finds her purpose through pursuing Lark’s story and grows up considerably over the course of the book. There are a lot of twists I didn’t see coming (the ending!!!) and, while the story feels like a slow burn, the pace moves along quite rapidly because of these twists, and I found it an unputdownable page turner. While it was, at times, quite dark, the ending felt lighter, hopeful with some closure for both Lark and Charlotte’s storylines.
Small town secrets? Check.
Slow burn suspense? Check.
Compelling dual timelines? Check.
Two vastly different POV that blend seamlessly? Check.
Suspense and psychological twisty bits? Check.
An ending you won’t see coming? Check.
An EXCELLENT summer read!
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Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am not receiving any compensation for reviewing the book. Neither the publicist nor the publisher reviewed this post prior to publication. All opinions are my own.
Buy What She Left Behind on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country).
For free worldwide shipping, find What She Left Behind on Blackwell’s.
Support your local Indie bookstore and purchase What She Left Behind on Bookshop.org.
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Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post also contains affiliate links for Blackwell’s and Bookshop.org. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
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Buy my books! In the French kitchen with kids and French Food for Everyone: le goûter (after school snacks), le dîner (dinner) and le petit déjeuner (breakfast) are out now! Click here for details and how to order!
Bound to be a movie on a streaming platform in due course.
I hope so!