This was a well-crafted thriller that kept my interest all the way through. The back of the book said that the author is known for “international thrillers” and this certainly fit the bill, with several European destinations besides Portugal. There is a lot about America, too – so I think it was a good balance for most readers to enjoy.
There is a lot behind this story. At first it is about the kidnapping of an American businessman, but as the author bleeds in bits of the main character’s backstory we start to see the bigger picture. I thought the revealing of backstory felt a bit unfair to the reader. I understand that the writer needs to hide some information, but it felt weird that we had access to some of the main character’s thinking during the “two nights” but not all of it.
There is a lot of social commentary in here, mainly about American politics, the perils of social media dependence, the emptiness of the ridiculously wealthy, and the unfair burden put on sexually abused women throughout their lives. All of these topics are worth exploring, but it felt like in this book the were overtly placed into view, like the author was checking off some boxes. I prefer a more nuanced view of these kinds of topics, however it may be a little too much to ask for that in a book classified as an “international thriller”.
I enjoyed this book – at first it felt like a female Jack Reacher – but with a bit more depth. This was a good read.
Next I am reading Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark.
