Alice finds a man on the beach outside her house, he has nothing with him, and he claims he can’t remember his name or why he is there. In another part of the country, Lily a young bride is stranded, friendless and her husband is missing. Two women, with seemingly different lives are linked by a devasting mystery that has spanned thirty years.
This is another cleverly written thriller by Jewell. With three, seemingly unconnected stories, the reader gradually is pulled along each to find that actually they are heading towards one singular path.
Alice is a forty something single mother who loves her children and appears to always fall for the wrong sort of man. We can see why she is drawn to the man on the beach, Frank (the name she calls him). A hopeless romantic she may be, but she is a decent person, who sees the good in everyone. Frank is an equally likable and believable character, we feel his confusion, his fearful journey into finding who is his and the dark secret which is hidden within. But Jewell paints this tortured soul with a sympathetic brush, no matter what he is done or thinks he has, I found myself rallying him along, wanting him to find the truth, no matter what the cost. Lily is an equally interesting character, and we see her grow as the novel progresses. Initially portrayed as a naïve, lovestruck bride, she gains strength as she attempts to investigate her husband’s disappearance. The third story, a family, whose seaside holiday ends in tragedy is just as enthralling, and is the backdrop to the novel, giving us tantalising clues to the disappearance of Lily’s husband and Frank’s troubled past.
I really enjoyed Jewell’s novel, well rounded and believable characters, an intriguing plot was a recipe for an enjoyable read.