Traces of Her by Amanda Brittany
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 19th November 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 25th October 2019)
★★★★★ 5 stars
WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Where do I even start? This book was, simply put, mind blowing!
I was hooked from the beginning and simply could not stop reading, devouring TRACES OF HER in two sittings! I loved the alternating narratives and timelines between Rose and Ava and just had to keep turning pages to find out what truly happened 18 years before.
The story opens with a Prologue that sets the tone instantly with a chilling sense of foreboding that is so haunting it will give you goosebumps. From this point on, I was completely drawn in...and couldn't turn those pages quick enough! I would have devoured it in one sitting had I not required sleep...lol
When Rose doesn't hear from her stepsister Willow for a month, she wasn't particularly worried as Willow has always been unreliable and has often taken off on a whim in the past. But this time is different. When she suddenly receives a call from Willow, she is surprised to hear that she is in Cornwall and begs Rose to join her, pleading with her in desperation. Rose has always been soft where her stepsister is concerned and knew she would concede in the end so promises to make the five hour drive down on the weekend.
A couple of days later, Rose receives a mysterious package from Willow with photos of four suspects relating to a cold case in which two sisters died 18 years before. One of them was Willow's birth mother, Ava. And now she is obsessed with uncovering the truth about what really happened to Ava and her sister, Gail.
The news comes as a shock to Rose, who didn't even know Willow was adopted. She confronted her stepmother Eleanor who confirmed that Willow's mother had been murdered by her sister Gail, who then committed suicide. Eleanor was a case worker for the family and after the deaths, the girls' mother was incapable of looking after her granddaughter and relinquished custody, afterwhich Eleanor adopted her.
Armed with this new information, Rose and her 14 year old daughter Becky made the long journey to Cornwall but upon arrival find the cottage in which Willow is supposedly staying to be empty. Her luggage, clothes and any sign that she was ever hear has gone. All that remains is her jacket laying in one of the bedrooms...the only sign that Willow had even been here. Rose knows that she wouldn't have just upped and left, knowing that Rose was on her way to her. So where was she?
Rose then begins by asking locals at the pub and in the shop about the men in the photographs, hoping it will lead her to Willow, and to gauge their reactions. Asking if they remembered the Ava Millar murder, she soon learns that Ava was full of secrets with a history of numerous relationships with different men...or rather, boys. Justin (Willow's father), Peter and Maxen - making all them appear suspects. She hopes that the more she can find out about Ava and her murder, the closer she will get to finding Willow.
But someone doesn't want her digging up the past. On more than one occasion, Rose receives messages to LEAVE, and becomes fearful when she has the sense of being watched. Who is trying to drive her out of town? Who doesn't want the truth uncovered? And what really happened on the beach that night? The night of Ava's sister's wedding.
There are plenty of characters you will love to hate and others that is easy to sympathise with. I am unsure how I feel about Rose because she seemed to defer to her daughter an awful lot, and given that she is just 14, I thought that was a little unrealistic. Considering Becky had Rose slightly wrapped around her finger, she didn't seem to be completely ruined...which was a surprise. But I did find myself questioning just who was the adult in this relationship at times. We didn't see much of Willow as an adult but more as a precocious 2 year old when Ava was still alive, so it was hard to really have much of an opinion of her. Rory, Gail, Jeanette, Justin...could not stand any of them. As for the many other characters...most I didn't like all that much, basically because I didn't trust them.
Told through the alternating chapters between Rose in the present and Ava in the past, as well as the addition of a unknown narrative titled YOU, TRACES OF HER is a well-plotted, intriguing tale of two sisters across two timelines - Rose and Willow, and Ava and Gail - and the fate that awaits them. There are suspects aplenty as the mystery deepens. What really happened to Ava? And why was she so brutally killed? And where is Willow now?
Despite the triple narrative over dual timelines, TRACES OF HER is very easy to follow and will have you enthralled throughout. With many twists and turns, you may figure out the killer or you may not. I had my suspicions throughout most of the story of two major factors which turned out to be correct...which I only questioned when something occurred in the past to make me wonder "what if?" To me, it was so out of left field I thought that it would be mind-blowing twist that readers (except me) would never guess and it seems I was on the same wavelength as the author. And it never detracts from my enjoyment of the book if my suspicions prove to be correct. I find it a kind of challenge...to see if I can work it out.
There are many secrets and lies in this deftly crafted thriller with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Its fast pace did not let up throughout and by the time it ended, I was left breathless.
Overall, a brilliant read from a new author to me. I have not read Amanda Brittany before and, if this book is anything to go by, it won't be my last. I do have to question if the author is a fan of the Australian soap "Home and Away" with the characters such as Justin, Willow and Ava...with the female characters roles reversed? lol
TRACES OF HER is just brilliant. Just mind-blowing. I cannot express just how much I loved this book, despite some of its loathsome characters. I just hope I was able to do such a brilliant book justice with my review.
If you love a good psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming at the end (although now you will...lol), then grab yourself a copy of TRACES OF HER! You will love it, I'm sure!
I would like to thank #AmandaBrittany, #NetGalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TracesOfHer in exchange for an honest review.
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