“To him, and to Russell, it seemed the person I’d caught glimpses of simply didn’t exist.”
The Guilty Mother, Sam Vickery
I can’t resist a mystery with two viewpoints, and thought I was pretty used to the subgenre. However, this was my first experience with neighbors as the narrators, and I loved it! Lisa is the ideal stay-at-home mom, spending her days taking care of her family, and enjoying her life. Victoria is her childless neighbor, catering to her husband’s every need. The story starts with Lisa being arrested in relation to a hit-and-run that killed Victoria’s husband. But Victoria seems convinced Lisa had nothing to do with his death. We get an intimate feel into how Lisa and Victoria feel about each other, their husbands, and their small community as they each grapple with changes in their lives.
I really enjoyed this story, with wonderfully written relationship dynamics, a compelling and quickly-paced plot, and descriptive phrasing that made me feel like I was perched on the fence between the families’ yards. The only thing that felt slightly off was the internal pacing for Victoria. Her motivations were completely aligned with her character in the beginning and the ending. But in the middle, it felt like her motivation was being changed quickly to push the plot without allowing the character to catch up. However, both Victoria and Lisa are such complete and irresistible characters that even the pacing couldn’t deter my interest in them.
Ready for my full review (with spoilers)? Continue reading here!
Overall, this book was engaging and twisted. I read it in one afternoon, and felt like I hadn’t taken a breath since I read the first page. The dual viewpoints are well-executed and give you a connection to both narrators. The visual language made me feel like a detective, picking up on clues the narrators didn’t address. And the ending gave me the right amount of satisfaction. Not everything is perfectly tied up with a bow, the complex issues haven’t been magically solved, and each character is still facing the consequences of their actions, but I have had all my questions answered.
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