Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: November 10, 2015Published by: Simon & SchusterStand-aloneSource: LibraryFor fans of: Thrillers, Romance, Crime,
Grace Mae knows madness.
She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.
When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.
In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I have to say, it looks like I’m the Black Sheep on this one. I tried everything not to DNF this book, but I just couldn’t do it anymore. It’s only so much I can do to change my mind… And none of them worked.
When this book started, I was SO into it. I was reading it even on my lunch break at work.But then at about 60 pages in, it started petering off. I thought it was just me not being in the mood for it, (I’m definitely a mood reader) but then when I put it aside to pick up something else, I ended up not even wanting to finish reading it. So then I waited a little and thought maybe it’s just the middle and I can HURRY through it to the end. But then I got to page 100 and I just didn’t couldn’t finish. I wanted to like this one so bad because I really like McGinnis, but this one just wasn’t for me.
Other than that, the writing style was cool, but there was a non-existent plot in the middle. If the middle had had more going on like in the beginning, I would have kept with it. Then there was also the fact that it was supposed to be a thriller, but there wasn’t really anything “thrilling” happening. It just wasn’t something I ultimately wanted to continue with.
I really wish I could have finished this one. I may go and find skim it, but for now I’m just uninterested. But as always, just because this one wasn’t for me doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend it to someone else!
DNF @ page 105
Oh bummer. I have this in my TBR pile as well as the second book of the duology Mindy wrote. Hoping that maybe it will be a better fit to me. Hope your next read is more to your liking. Very nice, honest review as well!
😮 This is really high on my TBR (and it might all be due to the cover really) I'm always glad to see black sheep reviews though!