125Pages

Keep You Close by Lucie Whitehouse
Published by Bloomsbury USA on May 3, 2016

Keep You Close by Lucie Whitehouse was an interesting read. I loved the plot line but not the characters which made reading it a little odd. I did really like that I did not guess one of the surprise endings and that nudged this from a three star to a three and a half star read for me. Rowan is trying to get to the bottom of her former best friend’s death as she does not believe it was an accident. They have not spoken in ten years and now Rowan is trying to insert herself back in Marianne’s world.

I really liked the plot of Keep You Close. It was really two different mysteries wrapping around each other; one ten years in the past. The writing of Lucie Whitehouse was good, however it lacked a hook to me. I was never really tense while I read this, which to me is a sign of a great thriller. The pacing had a few issues as the travel back and forth in time was not always explained well, but overall it worked. The world built was shallow. The focus was around one house and the rest of the surrounds faded into the background. There were some great moments tied to the  emotions in the story, but they were tempered by the characters. I found the majority of the characters to be unlikable and I had no central figure to root for. This always hampers my enjoyment of a book as I want to feel that connection.

Keep You Close did have some amazing moments. However they did not even out the kindof awful characters and the lack of tension in a thriller. I did enjoy the plot as it was different and I was surprised by the ending. If you like mysteries and family drama, then this may be right up your alley. For me, it was a slightly above average read but nothing I will seek out again in the future.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.