From the author of the New York Times bestseller and 2014 Edgar and Anthony nominee Reconstructing Amelia comes another harrowing, gripping novel that marries psychological suspense with an emotionally powerful story about a community struggling with the consequences of a devastating discovery.
At the end of a long winter, in bucolic Ridgedale, New Jersey, the body of an infant is discovered in the woods near the town’s prestigious university campus. No one knows who the baby is, or how her body ended up out there. But there is no shortage of opinions.
When freelance journalist, and recent Ridgedale transplant, Molly Anderson is unexpectedly called upon to cover the story for the Ridegdale Reader, it’s a risk, given the severe depression that followed the loss of her own baby. But the bigger threat comes when Molly unearths some of Ridgedale’s darkest secrets, including a string of unreported sexual assaults that goes back twenty years.
Meanwhile, Sandy, a high school dropout, searches for her volatile and now missing mother, and PTA president Barbara struggles to help her young son, who’s suddenly having disturbing outbursts.
Told from the perspectives of Molly, Barbara, and Sandy, Kimberly McCreight’s taut and profoundly moving novel unwinds the tangled truth about the baby’s death revealing that these three women have far more in common than they realized. And that their lives are more intertwined with what happened to the baby than they ever could have imagined.
Publication Date: April 15, 2015
At the end of a long winter, in bucolic Ridgedale, New Jersey, the body of an infant is discovered in the woods near the town’s prestigious university campus. No one knows who the baby is, or how her body ended up out there. But there is no shortage of opinions.
When freelance journalist, and recent Ridgedale transplant, Molly Anderson is unexpectedly called upon to cover the story for the Ridegdale Reader, it’s a risk, given the severe depression that followed the loss of her own baby. But the bigger threat comes when Molly unearths some of Ridgedale’s darkest secrets, including a string of unreported sexual assaults that goes back twenty years.
Meanwhile, Sandy, a high school dropout, searches for her volatile and now missing mother, and PTA president Barbara struggles to help her young son, who’s suddenly having disturbing outbursts.
Told from the perspectives of Molly, Barbara, and Sandy, Kimberly McCreight’s taut and profoundly moving novel unwinds the tangled truth about the baby’s death revealing that these three women have far more in common than they realized. And that their lives are more intertwined with what happened to the baby than they ever could have imagined.
Publication Date: April 15, 2015
Where They Found Her had a good premise, but I would have
preferred a better execution. I remember really enjoying the author’s
Reconstructing Amelia, but I had a much harder time getting through this novel.
However, I did like the ripped from the headlines feel of the plot.
I thought some parts of Where They Found Her were really
well done. I actually think if the book was told only from reporter Molly’s
point of view, I would have given the book an extra star. Her sections were my
favorite and I really felt like the author did a good job of portraying the
emotional trauma of losing a baby. I didn’t particularly enjoy the point of
view switches and the multiple newspaper clippings. These parts slowed the
story down too much for me.
The mystery is captivating and I liked trying to figure out
what was happening in the town of Ridgedale. I actually didn’t have the mystery
completely figured out, so I give the author kudos for throwing me off. The
ending wasn’t the best for me since it felt very rushed.
Overall, not a bad suspense book by any means, but I
definitely prefer Reconstructing Amelia.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!
