If you are a fan of Freida McFadden’s writing or even if you have read any of her earlier works, you know that she is the master of locked-room-mystery genre. She is one of the few authors who likes to build a nail-biting suspense with a limited number of characters based in and around one location. This location can be a mansion, a house, an apartment, or like in the case of this novel, a derelict motel.
The story opens with Quinn Alexander fleeing her home in a desperate bid to save herself from her husband’s murder. Quinn has all the reasons to be agitated and nervous as she has tried to end her abusive and philandering husband’s life while she is running away from the legal consequences. However, she eventually gets caught- not by the police but by the weather.
She has to seek shelter in a creepy, dilapidated motel in the middle of nowhere due to the approaching snowstorm. From its shabby exteriors to its rundown interiors, everything screams shady for the Baxter Motel. Still, Quinn decides to take shelter in the infamous hotel where a young woman had disappeared a couple of years ago.
Not surprisingly, Quinn comes across a bunch of eccentric characters at the Baxter Motel. These include the husband-wife duo called Nick and Rosalia Baxter and an old fortune teller called Greta. Besides them, there is no one for miles end but still Quinn doesn’t feel safe inside her room. Eventually, she decides to continue her escape plan and move away from the hotel. But that ends up in a tragedy, and her name gets added in the list of women missing from this rundown establishment.
Thus, her sister, Claudia, takes up the task of finding Quinn and bringing her home. But what happens next baffles not only Claudia but also the readers. Because the book takes a dramatic turn in its narrative as well as in its character building, leaving the readers bewildered about the fate of Quinn and all the events leading up to her disappearance.
That sudden shift in perspective is brilliant in approach but not executed so tactfully. There is sudden change in narrators from Quinn to Claudia to Rosalie who are taking forward this mystery one tale at a time. That puts so much emphasis on the narrative being told us, readers as it becomes imperative who is telling the saga, how and what is their motivation in telling it. Ultimately, the truth comes out in quite a convoluted manner.
Frankly speaking, the end with its revelation won’t shock the usual readers of Freida McFadden because most of us could guess the real killer’s identity. Still, what matters is how the author presents this final fact in her signature dramatic fashion backed by her fascinating writing prowess. That’s what makes this an interesting and entertaining read even though the whole premise of this novel is so familiar.
That’s why I would recommend this for a one-time read, especially if you love such a tightly packed story from an author who is known for it. I think many of you would complete this over a weekend like I did. So, definitely pick it up or add this to your TBR list. Happy reading!!