I’ve been reading a lot of heavy books….books about abuse, the Holocaust and other type things. As much as I appreciate reading those books, I need a break from time to time. A good mystery was what I needed and I thought I found one, The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald.
The book was very interesting. It was told from the perspective of Olivia, the daughter, and her single mother, Abi. When Abi’s story is told she starts telling from the day Olivia fell. When Olivia tells her story, she starts about a month or so away from the time she fell. Slowly the two stories come together and the mystery of Olivia’s fall is finally revealed. I didn’t guess what happened until about a chapter from the end.
Here’s what Amazon had to say:
“In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.
When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?
Christina McDonald weaves a suspenseful and heart wrenching tale of hidden relationships, devastating lies, and the power of a mother’s love. With flashbacks of Olivia’s own resolve to uncover family secrets, this taut and emotional novel asks: how well do you know your children? And how well do they know you?”
Amazon readers gave the book 4.4 stars. I’d say the same. It was a pretty good book and it definitely kept my attention.
I just finished a 3 book mystery series by Anne Dalton, known as a young adult author, publishing her first adult stories.
The series title is The Oxford Dog Walkers Mysteries, and begins with The White Shepherd. Contemporary setting and good characterization.
I thought they were excellent and recommend them to you.
Have you read all the Hazelwood quilt stories? She has 3 different series. If you haven’t and you’d like some, I have finished mine and they are just sitting. They are really light stories but interesting enough to keep you going. Let me know by email if you need any and I’ll ship them off to you. Hugs to you and your family.