Brad Parks | CLOSER THAN YOU KNOW

Plot (via Goodreads):

Disaster, Melanie Barrick was once told, is always closer than you know.

It was a lesson she learned the hard way growing up in the constant upheaval of foster care. But now that she's survived into adulthood--with a loving husband, a steady job, and a beautiful baby boy named Alex--she thought that turmoil was behind her.

Until one Monday evening when she goes to pick up Alex from childcare only to discover he's been removed by Social Services. And no one will say why. It's a terrifying scenario for any parent, but doubly so for Melanie, who knows the unintended horrors of what everyone coldly calls "the system."

Her nightmare mushrooms when she arrives home to learn her house has been raided by sheriff's deputies, who have found enough cocaine to send Melanie to prison for years. The evidence against her is overwhelming, and if Melanie can't prove her innocence, she'll lose Alex forever.

Meanwhile, assistant commonwealth's attorney Amy Kaye--who has been assigned Melanie's case--has her own troubles. She's been dogged by a cold case no one wants her to pursue: a serial rapist who has avoided detection by wearing a mask and whispering his commands. Over the years, he has victimized dozens of women.

Including Melanie. Yet now her attacker might be the key to her salvation . . . or her undoing. 

Review:

CLOSER THAN YOU KNOW by Brad Parks is a cautionary tale of not only the ugliness and devastation that some people harbor, but it’s also a tale about the love a mother has for her child. I loved this novel, with its domestic suspense plot line that is as impressive as it is horrifying, but I also really enjoyed the legal thriller aspect of this one too. It was not only twisty and fun, but flawlessly executed. Parks does a fantastic job of jumping between storylines until they are not only connected, but minute details mentioned throughout the novel that fester in the back of your head are fully present and adding even more jaw-dropping suspense. This one not only starts off with a bang, but reels the reader in and doesn’t hold back with plot twists, terrifyingly accurate characters, and suspense that just does not give up.

I not only enjoyed the story to this one, but Parks writing is truly fantastic. I am not a parent, I do not work for the government, and I certainly don’t know the ins and outs of the legal system. But with Parks writing, everything is laid out there so efficiently that when you read something, you are ready to take on the case. When writing characters, I found myself smirking and cringing. Someone would do something and I would say “Oh, so-and-so isn’t going to like that.” or make a remark and say “Typical…”. It’s like you know these characters and have been around them enough to know the good and the bad. I especially liked that the two main characters that carried this story were female and how fantastic Parks did in writing them. These women were unlike most heroines in thrillers as they were more realistic to me and really took control of the situations around them…and they were badass women worthy of applause. 

I will admit, while I do enjoy domestic suspense, I was a little hesitant on this one at first as I have never read much into legal thrillers. The vocabulary is a little foreign to me an I was nervous I wound’t catch on, but once I began to read this one and got invested in the storyline, I couldn’t help but continue and soon I found myself completely addicted. So, if you’re hesitant as well, don’t let it hold you back. This is a fast-paced emotional thriller that not only delivers, but has an ending that is bone-chilling. 

Special thanks to Dutton for providing me with this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5