.jpg)
The Dixon family house was once a crown jewel of the White Mountains. Perched on a cliff with breathtaking views, it promised summer adventures, winter skiing, and family gatherings around a roaring log fire.
Until late one August night, when both parents and their four children vanished, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints, and a mystery that has endured for generations.
Thirty years later, the grand mansion is stirring back to life. For Raquel and Theo Collins, restoring their new home represents a fresh start after a terrible tragedy.
For Amanda Grady, the recently appointed police chief of Shereford, it’s good to see a fresh start for the derelict house.
But a new family in the old home can only mean one thing: the past has returned with a vengeance.
When a stray dog arrives and discovers a skeleton on the property, Raquel and Theo face a daunting choice of what to believe, who to trust, and how to survive.
Because in the tiny village of Shereford the time has come. A town, a couple, a cop must all work together to unravel the terrifying events that happened one night thirty years ago, or…
They will all be sorry.
It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for You'll Be Sorry by Lisa Gardner today. Many thanks to Century Books for my advance digital copy of the novel and to Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for inviting me.
Lisa Gardner has a raft of fans of her various series – I'm a huge admirer of her Frankie Elkin series – but You'll Be Sorry is a standalone novel, and this compelling thriller is a treat for old and new readers alike. The clever blending of current day suspense with the mysterious tragedies of the past ensures this is an addictive read from start to finish.
A slightly spicy opening quickly turns ominous and while the identities of the two characters whose lives appear to be hanging in the balance isn't revealed, I was immediately desperate to know more about them. The second part of the prologue then ramps up the tension even more as we're introduced to the apparently privileged but ultimately doomed Dixon family, and to a dog named Dog. When the four lively Dixon children befriend a stray dog, it seems like an idyllic result for all concerned but when the whole family disappears after a storm, it's poor Dog who is left to raise the alarm. Lisa Gardner instils a terrible sense of foreboding here as we learn that their beautiful house becomes a sort of New Hampshire Marie Celeste in a mystery that becomes a point of obsession for first-on-the-scene officer, Chief Grady.
Thirty years later the disappearance of Dave, Janet and their children continues to haunt the tiny town of Shereford. Life has moved on, however, and Chief Grady went to his grave never knowing the truth about the Dixons. His daughter, Mandy has now taken on the mantle as Shereford's community-minded police officer and the new Chief Grady has a mantra which assists her in managing her role – WWMFD. However, although 'what would my father do' helped her through the early days of negotiating the intricacies of policing her neighbours, she needs to step out from his shadow as she's thrust into the unknown after Theo and Raquel, a wealthy couple from Boston, buy the derelict old Dixon house and move in.
With the town still defined by the unsolved crime, it's not surprising that its residents should be suspicious of the newcomers and events quickly take a dramatic turn when a stray dog turns up and leads them to a grisly discovery. The compulsive plot twists relentlessly as a journal, some old bones and a preternaturally intelligent canine gradually reveals Shereford's tragic history. While most of the narrative takes place in the present and follows Mandy or Raquel, there are some chilling interludes interspersed throughout written by somebody who clearly knows more about the town's dark past. New England is synonymous with witches, of course, but it slowly becomes evident that a macabre rhyme handed down over the generations, tells a story that goes far beyond folklore and superstitious beliefs.
Lisa Gardner's characterisation is invariably a highlight of her novels and her lead female characters are particularly impressive; Mandy is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her hometown and its inhabitants while Raquel is a seemingly reserved figure who, it becomes clear, is tormented by her traumatic past. Both are obviously strong women who have been forced to face adversity but their vulnerabilities are as much a part of what drives them in their need to discover the truth.
With winter on its way, the stunning landscape provides an atmospheric backdrop to proceedings and becomes almost another character, hiding as many secrets as the folk who live there. The inclement weather adds a further layer of urgency and as some startling revelations result in people dangerously unravelling, past and present finally collide. The pacing here is excellent, with Lisa Gardner allowing the tension to build steadily until an intense conclusion where the foreshadowing of the prologue finally becomes heart-stopping reality.
I really enjoyed You'll Be Sorry; this gripping, evocative small-town mystery is packed with devastating twists and turns but is still laced throughout with heart and humour. Highly recommended.
You'll Be Sorry is published by Century, purchasing links can be found here.
Follow the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
Now an internationally bestselling author and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best suspense novel, Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with her family.
When not glued to her computer, she can be found hiking the mountains with her dogs and/or researching new and interesting ways to get away with murder.
Comments
Post a Comment