InkedBookReviews

Four suburban mothers and friends conspire to cover up a deadly crime in this heart-stopping novel of suspense in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and Lisa Unger.

Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their houses. But each of them has a dirty little secret, and hidden behind the veneer of their perfect lives is a crime and a mystery that will consume them all.

Everything starts to unravel when Alison spots a nasty bruise on Heather’s wrist. She shares her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, compelling all three to investigate what looks like an increasingly violent marriage. As mysterious injuries and erratic behavior mount, Heather can no longer deny the abuse, but she refuses to leave her husband. Desperate to save her, Alison and the others dread the phone call telling them that she’s been killed. But when that call finally comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In a moment they’ll come to regret, the women must decide what lengths they’ll go to in order to help a friend.

Just Between Us is a thrilling glimpse into the underbelly of suburbia, where not all neighbors can be trusted, and even the closest friends keep dangerous secrets. You never really know what goes on in another person’s mind, or in their marriage.

My Review

“What if?”

A question that is human nature to ask, to think, normally followed by worrying, scary scenarios! And this is where this story begins, with Alison playing the “what-if” game. What if they hadn’t moved to Sewickley? What if she had never met Julie at preschool drop-off? If that hadn’t happened then the four women would likely to have never met and that one question that started it all would never have been asked “How did you get such a nasty bruise?”

Told from the four women’s points of view Alison is positive that Heather is being abused by her husband and raises her suspicions to the other women of their little group who remain unsure until things begin to escalate leaving no doubts. As Heather’s bruises and “accidents” become more serious they all become frightened for Heathers life, unless she left him the only other ending would be her husband ending her life.

As each woman lives in fear of receiving that phone call or that knock on the door informing them of Heather’s death, when it does come it is nothing like any of them had been expecting and changes all their lives in ways none had seen coming.

Heather isn’t the only member of their group that has been keeping secrets, they are all harbouring secrets that they would like to remain just that, a secret, but as things begin to spiral out of control secrets are dragged out into the light bringing suspicion and doubt with them.

How far you will go for those you love?

Brimming with suspense that increases with the plot twists it is a story of friendship, trust and loyalty asking the questions “How well do you really know those you love?” and “How far you would be prepared to go to protect those people?” This book will keep you turning pages to find out the answers to the main question, “What happens next?”

A really great read for fans of Liane Moriarty and B.A. Paris.

Grab your copy now from Amazon UK or Amazon.com Glass of wine optional 

Many thanks to the author Rebecca Drake, publishers St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.