Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Paula McLain. 5 stars for a wonderfully-written, thought-provoking book!
While this author is most known for her historical fiction, this book goes back only to 1993. Its setting is Mendocino, CA, and weaves the real-life kidnapping of Polly Klaas into this story. Anna Hart is escaping her present life drama by leaving San Francisco and heading to the small town where she lived with her foster parents years ago. In San Francisco, Anna is a detective working on missing person cases and the day she arrives back in Mendocino, a young girl is kidnapped and Anna becomes obsessed with finding her.
Expertly weaving Anna's past into her present, this book takes you back to a time before cellphones, Amber Alerts, national crime databases and the internet's instant access. This book is about trauma and its far-reaching effects, which when coupled with real-life statistics is staggering to comprehend. Be sure to read the author's note at the end to see what a deeply personal book this is for her. But beyond the taut thriller, it also provides a glimmer of hope in the way that people can learn to trust again and come together when tragedy strikes. Not to be missed - this book proves that Paula McClain can write any genre.
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