This was a really interesting book. Eliza is a stay-at-home mom and wife that has just recently relocated with her family to Maryland, near where she grew up. This move home brings memories of the year she was 15 forefront in her mind and in the minds of others.
When she was 15, Elizabeth Lerner was abducted and kept by Walter Bowman for close to 40 days. The whole relationship between Elizabeth and Walter is strange complex and a little weird. Elizabeth finally was found when they were pulled over by a state trooper for driving too slow.
Now that she is a mother herself she constantly worries about her children and how to make them feel safe. They have a security system that they religiously use, they never sleep with windows open and she constantly knows where they are. They have no idea what happened to their mother when she was 15 and Eliza would like to keep it that way.
However, Walter finds her and thinks Elizabeth may be his one way to avoid the death penalty, because his third appointment with death is quickly approaching and he will do anything to be spared his life. He finds Elizabeth and makes contact with her. Eliza responds because she knows Walter only gets more dangerous when he is ignored and she doesn't want her new identity/story exposed.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but there were some parts where I just think it was a little 'eh.' The build up for what Eliza remembers that night makes you think something HUUUGE and then you get to that part and you are like, uhhh what? Yeah, that was a bit of a disappointment. However, it was fascinating to see how they communicated and how Elizabeth has a 15 year old knew how to handle Walter to keep her safe. But it also made you wonder why she never ran away and why she was a little too forgiving and a little too willing to let Walter re-enter her life. But then again, she didn't want her children or her life to be disturbed.
This is definitely a book for those who like a little suspense but really isn't 'just a mystery' it shows how the characters are impacted by crime. You learn little back stories about secondary characters and even if they weren't a main player in the crime how they were affected.
What's the last book you read that was slightly related to real events?
I received this book from Crazy Book Tours, but all opinions/thoughts are mine.
3 comments:
I don' think I've ever read a book that was inspired/based up on real evens..
American Wife was right? haha.
Anyway, this book sounds interesting. This is the kind of weird stuff I find fascinating haha.
I haven't read one lately, but I do have the latest Wally Lamb book, The Hour I First Believed. It is loosely based on the Columbine school shooting....
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