Jenny Hollander
Mystery Thriller
What if everything you know about the worst night of your life turns out not to be true?
Nine years ago, with the world’s eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a “witness” to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as “Scarlet Christmas”—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.
Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She’s the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie’s former classmates threatens to shatter everything she’s worked for, Charlie realizes how much she’s changed in nine years. Now, she’s not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way.
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.
My Opinion
“Nothing stays buried. Not if you push hard enough.”
(3.5 / 5) Charlie’s bloody past has come back to haunt her. Engaged to a wealthy heir, her idyllic life is disrupted when an old friend plans to make a documentary about a fateful night in their past dubbed “Scarlet Christmas”, possibly revealing missing memories that could implicate Charlie.
The premise sets the stage for a gripping thriller with elements of psychological suspense. Charlie’s journey, from the traumatic past to her seemingly perfect present, promises a tale woven with intrigue and shocking revelations.
Charlie’s determination to stop the documentary production adds a layer of suspense, and the extent she’s willing to go brings a chilling aspect to the story.
While the plot may be familiar, the unique elements, including the missing memories and the documentary angle, inject suspense into the storyline. The makings of a perfect thriller are evident, offering the potential for a captivating read. However, the execution falters with a slow pace and delayed revelatio. This hindered my interest in the story and caused my attention to waver. The anticipation for climactic moments is dulled by the drawn-out narrative.
The lost memories kept me guessing about the ending. While the details eventually come together, the climactic moments fell flat, leaving a sense of unfulfillment.
Despite its shortcomings, the premise itself makes it a story that will still draw interest. I recommend this to psychological thriller lovers!
General content summary: F words= 55, fear of elevator, multiple college students found injured or dead (few details), eating disorder (not eating), anxiety disorder and anxiety pills (panic attacks, multiple, disassociation), Down Syndrome, alcohol (multiple), m/f relationship (kiss), small child death (previous, grief), blood, drugs (marijuana), PTSD, overdose death (previous, no details), stabbing (blood, few details, death), intimacy (brief mentions, no details), mental health (hospital stays), m/m relationship.
Thank you to Minotaur for the copy!
The book releases February 6, 2024.
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