Tish Cohen | THE SUMMER WE LOST HER

Plot (via Goodreads): 

It’s been a busy—and expensive—few years for Matt and Elise Sorenson and their young daughter Gracie, whom they affectionately call Little Green. Matt, a Manhattan lawyer, has just been offered a partnership, and Elise’s equestrian ambitions as a competitive dressage rider may finally vault her into the Olympics. But her long absences from home and endless hours of training have strained their relationships nearly to the breaking point.

Now they’re up in the Adirondacks, preparing to sell the valuable lakefront cabin that’s been in Matt’s family for generations. Both he and Elise agree it’s time to let it go. But as they navigate the memories the cabin holds—and come face to face with Matt’s teenage crush, now an unnervingly attractive single mother living right next door—Gracie disappears without a trace.

Faced with the possibility that they’ll never see their daughter again, Elise and Matt struggle to come to terms with what their future may bring. The fate of the family property, the history of this not-so-tiny town, and the limits of Matt and Elise’s love for each other are inextricably bound up with Gracie’s disappearance. Everything for the Sorenson family is about to change—the messy tangle of their past, the harrowing truth of their present, and whether or not their love will survive a parent’s worst nightmare. 

Review:

Tish Cohen's agent, Dan Lazar warned me ahead of time that this was not a mystery/thriller, but a fictional novel that focuses more on the possible dissolution of a marriage and the trials and tribulations that Elise and Matt Sorenson face. While the mystery aspect of this one doesn't really show up until about halfway through, I was really enjoying the drama of the Sorenson marriage and getting to know each character and their past throughout the pages. Before I knew it, I was 100 pages in and completely addicted.

With this one, I will admit the whole mystery aspect of the daughter going missing really drew me to the story, but the farther I got into this one, I could have still enjoyed this one just as much had it not had the whole mystery aspect to it. By the time the daughter went missing,  I was an equal combination of wondering what had happened and equal fascination as I watched the unraveling of the Sorenson family and the culmination of all of these issues previously mentioned throughout the book had a way of rising to the surface. It was psychologically stunning, beautifully written, and had the best setting for a backdrop for this type of novel. Lake Placid, NY is a place that I have visited plenty of times and is absolutely beautiful and yet sleepy. It is a town that can be beautiful one minute and haunting the next, which is why I found it to be perfect for a domestic suspense novel like this one. 

While this isn't necessarily a fast paced mystery/thriller/suspense novel, the domestic aspect of it is not only harrowing, but dazzling in its prose. This family is one that you care about, you accept their faults, and you want to scream at them at times. Not only do they shine in this novel, but the secondary characters combined with some of the ramped up suspense and twist at the end of the novel complimented each other fantastically. This was such an enjoyable read and I am so glad I got to immerse myself in it. I'm not sure what Tish Cohen is going to do next, but consider me ready and willing to grab a copy!

Special thanks to Dan Lazar and Gallery Books for this copy in exchange for my hoenst review.

Rating: 4/5