P.J. Vernon - WHEN YOU FIND ME

Plot:

Visiting her family’s South Carolina estate, socialite Gray Godfrey wakes from a night out to an empty bed. Her husband Paul is gone and a thrashing hangover has wiped her memory clean. At first, she’s relieved for the break from her tumultuous marriage; perhaps Paul just needed some space. But when his car is found abandoned on the highway, Gray must face the truth: Paul is gone. And Gray may not want him found.

Her life is unraveling.

When a stranger named Annie calls claiming to know Paul’s whereabouts, Gray reluctantly accepts her help. But this ally is not what she seems: soon Annie is sending frightening messages and revealing disturbing secrets only Gray could know. As Annie’s threats escalate and Gray’s grip on reality begins to slip, the life she thought she had and the dark truth she’s been living begin to merge, leaving an unsettling question: What does Annie want? And what will she do to get it?

A chilling look at marriage, madness, and the lives we think we lead, WHEN YOU FIND ME is a daring debut from a talented new voice in psychological suspense. 

Review: 

I have a serious fascination with debut authors. I mean - I love watching (or reading) my favorite authors grow with each piece of work, but something about a debut author is so exciting for me to experience. Seeing someone new to the book world and what they have to offer, the stories they have to tell, the characters to introduce. It's all fantastic to crack open that novel and read a story someone has been working so hard to showcase to the world. 

WHEN YOU FIND ME by P.J. Vernon is one of those stories that needed to be told and what a fantastic person to release it to the world. Vernon created this story that was unsettling, brooding, and addictive. The minute I began this one, I just couldn't stop...and I didn't want to. Like mixing vodka with sweet tea, this novel is perfect for fans of Girl on the Train and Sharp Objects. The plot to this novel is calculating and brilliantly paced. Told from three different character perspectives, I enjoyed how each one really brought a different genre to this story. The chapters featuring Gray are psychologically chilling and charged with suspense. The chapters featuring Nina are more mystery and police procedural. Last but certainly not least, the chapters featuring Annie were creepy and dark, bringing almost a spooky feeling that lingered with you as you read on. Something unsettling is happening within these pages and like Gray Godfrey when it comes to having one more drink - you just can't stop. 

What I loved about this novel was how the characters really carried the different story-lines and communicated with one another to bring this strong plot to the center of the readers imagination. Not only is this one atmospheric, but even if the story wasn't as exciting as it was it still would've been a fun read based on these characters alone. Gray Godfrey is fantastic. She's a screw-up, but you feel for her and you want her to not only get to the bottom of what happened to her husband, but you want her to come out alive and stronger in the end. With Nina, her story-line aside from this mystery is heartfelt and shows a beautiful balance of a woman who's struggling with family issues and a woman who has to be tough as nails as she tries to dig deeper into this disappearance and all of the craziness that occurs after. And trust me, there's plenty of crazy go keep you flipping the pages. 

The pacing to this novel is fantastic. Similar to some of my other favorite thrillers, this one goes from "oh wow" to "oh my god" to a bunch of expletives that I won't mention....I mean, my mom reads this blog! Similar to Gray Godfreys life, the parallel within this story just careens out of control and the reader is buckled in with no escape. When I thought I had an idea as to what was going on, I was surely mistaken and taken down a different path only to be fooled again. It was incredible. Mind you, just when the story comes to a head and all is explained in a bloodbath of a finale, Vernon truly crafted one of the most terrifying and brilliant last lines in a book I've ever read. I don't know what P.J. Vernon is brewing up next, but I'll sign up for the first batch.

Special thanks to Crooked Lane Books for this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5