Seventeen-year-old Kelly Michelle Lund shot and killed director John McFadden at a party 30 years ago. Kelly is now living with her husband, Shane Marshall, after being released from prison five years earlier. But then her father-in-law gets shot in the same way as John McFadden was shot and the public and the police seem to think that Kelly is the one behind the murder.

I was instantly captivated by the story when I started to read the book. I liked that as we follow Kelly in present time we also get flashbacks to the past, to 1980 when she was just a young girl who had lost a sister and felt outside in school. As the story progress in the present time, it also progresses in the past as we slowly learn what really happened 30 years ago when John McFadden was killed. Nothing is as it appears. Everyone seems to have dark secrets. I was surprised to find out who killed Sterling Marshall. I had my thoughts set on another person, to be honest. But the ending was really good.

There are a lot of twists in the story, some easier to figure out than others. To be honest, there weren't really any big surprises in the story, but that didn't make the book less interesting to read. On the contrary, it was satisfying to be able to figure things out before it happened, to have one's suspicions proven right. It's like a jigsaw and all the pieces are falling into place. I loved the fact that the story took place in Hollywood among actors and directors. A privileged world, but among all the glitter and fame are there people with dark secrets...

This is the first book I have read written by Alison Gaylin, but I will keep an eye out for other books by her. I enjoyed reading this book very much and if you like thrillers is this a book for you.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review. ( )

Kindle

I thought that this book was really well done. I have had this book for years but somehow never got around to reading it until now. I thought that story was really interesting and I couldn’t wait to see how things would work out. I am so glad that I finally decided to make this book a priority.

There are really two main mysteries in this book. As a teenager, Kelly Lund shot and killed a famous Hollywood director. She went to jail for twenty-five years and has been free for the past five years when her father-in-law is found dead. Kelly is immediately a suspect in the new murder but there are questions about what really happened when she was a teen. It was really interesting to go back and see what happened in the past and its impact on everyone connected to the events.

I think that the two timelines worked really well to tell this story. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the book. I wanted to know all of the secrets that this group of characters were keeping from each other and I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened to both of the men that were murdered. There were a lot of layers to the story and smaller questions to be answered that kept things really interesting.

I believe that this was the first time that I have listened to Ann Marie Lee’s narration work. It did take me just a bit to adjust to her reading but I ended up really enjoying her narration. I thought that she brought a lot to the story and handled the voices of the different characters very well. I feel like her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story and wouldn’t hesitate to listen to her work again in the future.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a rather complex mystery that captured my attention early on and never let go. I definitely plan to read more of Alison Gaylin’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow via Edelweiss and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library. ( )

a dive into the dark side of Hollywood and the early 80s. A ripping good read. ( )

A tense thriller with many twists set in the glitzy world of movies. Told between 2010 and 30 years earlier in 1980, it is the story of accused murderer Kelly Lund, and the people that shaped her life. ( )