A captivating new voice in the world of psychological thrillers.

When You Find Me by P.J. Vernon (2018; 330 pages).

While visiting her childhood home with her husband, Gray awakens one morning to a roaring hangover and the other half of the bed empty. At first believing there was a simple argument between them, she does not give her husband’s disappearance much thought. However, as the hours go by, others start to get worried and she begins wondering if what she thought was not a big deal is actually much worse than it initially seemed. To top off the issue of her husband being missing, Gray is dealing with a very bad addiction to alcohol. As she starts to spiral, a call from a mysterious woman named Annie gives her some hope, but is it just an illusion?

I had some mixed feelings about this book, but this is not to say I did not find it enjoyable to read. I had to fight hard to feel sympathy for Gray, because it seemed she was her own worst enemy. There are some uncomfortable elements to the book but they are dealt with by the end. On a good note, the story did keep me guessing. I spent a good seventy five percent of the book believing one thing just to be suddenly redirected in a completely different way. I do enjoy books with a good twist and this one had quite the twist at the end. Also, in keeping with the current trend, this is a book with an unreliable narrator (remember, she’s drunk a lot); but the ultimate question you have to answer-is Gray who she seems to be?

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— Meghan V.