A young author becomes the object of a fan’s desire―and rage―in the gripping new thriller by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Hidden Nature.
He showed up at Arden Bowie’s debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that.
Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake…
An introvert at heart, Arden had long craved solitude―but now, after a harrowing assault, she finds herself hiding behind locked doors and startling at every sound. And her relief at his imprisonment is tempered by anxiety when Dustin’s wealthy mother helps to get him a paltry five-year sentence at a psychiatric facility.
Arden decides to write a new story for herself, moving to a tiny Oregon town and befriending Gideon, an ex-LAPD detective. But while she learns to thrive, Dustin remains his delusional, twisted self, as fixated as ever and now seething with anger. He still believes Arden's purpose on earth is to serve and please him. And his job is to protect her. But who will protect her from him?
Arden and Gideon are both central to the story and also one of the dimensions of a well constructed story that deals with grief, loss, tragedy, survival, family, and friendship. The blurb tells the reader what to expect at the beginning, but it's still intense in the way that even things you are warned about can hit hard.
While this was intense (and that's putting it mildly) it was balanced so no single part of the story overpowered other parts. The romance was solid, which I appreciated as there was enough going on without Gideon being a steady presence for Arden and the reader, which was an excellent choice for all involved.
The view into the mind, into the life of Dustin, was a chilling choice and the juxtaposition of what he was doing in comparison to the lives of the others made it impossible to forget about him, to fully put him out of your mind while living in other parts of the story, something that worked really well to add to the psychological aspect of the story.
There were twists I didn't see coming and definitely moments that left me gasping or frantically turning pages to see what happens next.
I also really liked the resolution of the story and the way it handled any potential loose ends or curiosities about what may happen next.
