Claire Douglas | LAST SEEN ALIVE

Plot (via Goodreads):

One woman is trapped in the death-grip of the past—and every one of its dark secrets—in this riveting novel of psychological suspense from the award-winning author of The Sisters and Local Girl Missing. 

She can run…

As much as Libby Hall needs a vacation, she’s never considered taking one until she sees the note for a house swap. Suffering a miscarriage was a personal turning point. Saving a child from a burning school was a public one. Just as the emotional fallout of both incidents takes its toll, along comes her lifesavers—the Heywoods, a couple in need of a getaway of their own.

But she can’t hide…

Libby and her husband Jamie can’t believe their good fortune when they arrive at the Heywood’s isolated seaside estate with its panoramic views—and just in exchange for their drab two-bedroom apartment. How generous of the Heywoods! Yet how odd. Libby almost feels guilty until the home yields disquieting surprises: a fortune in hidden surveillance equipment, a stranger in the garden who watches them, and the make-shift operating room in the basement…

Because someone knows her secret…

When Jamie falls dangerously ill, all Libby wants is to return to their comfortably imperfect lives. But it’s already too late. Libby has just discovered the Heywoods’ biggest secret. And when it appears that even Jamie is hiding something from her, Libby’s paranoia gets the best of her. It should. For she has buried secrets of her own. As the past comes crawling out of the darkness, Libby fears she’s walked into an elaborate trap. But who has set it? What do they want of her? And what is she willing to risk to make it out alive…?

Review:

This was my first experience allowing Claire Douglas to take my hands and bring me into a world that was unsettling, unreliable, and devastatingly twisted. It won't be my last experience with a Claire Douglas novel...I promise you that.

This novel is tense, beautifully written, and superbly executed. What I loved the most about this unique and well-plotted thriller is how genius and unsuspecting Douglas's writing can be. It's like this was a book series that was jam-packed with intensity and combines a multitude of sub-genres within one fantastic journey that will stick with me for a long, long time. This one starts off atmospherically creepy and reminiscent of THE GIRL BEFORE by JP Delaney. I was able to quickly allow this novel to take over and buckle my seatbelt for one hell of a ride. I loved the ominous setting and the way this one started off seemingly innocent and slowly began to turn into something that was dark and unnerving. The way Douglas writes the first part of this novel was not only brilliant, but allows the reader to almost let their guard down as the pacing was slower and painstakingly effective.

With a novel that changes pace and switches up the entire plot effectively, I was so immersed with this read that it felt like reading a trilogy all in one. The characters were brilliant, the foreshadowing is creepy and downright brilliant, and the ending is one that is not only shocking, but incredibly satisfying. 

Thank you to Harper Collins for this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5