The Drowning by J.P. Smith

☆☆☆☆☆
ebook, 260 pages
Expected publication: January 8th 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark
About the Book:
Every seven years, a boy disappears from Camp Waukeelo. Who will be next? It doesn’t take long for a little boy to disappear. Joey Proctor can’t swim, but that doesn’t stop camp counselor Alex Mason from leaving him out on a raft in the middle of the lake in a fit of rage. Alex only meant to scare the kid, teach him a lesson. He didn’t mean to forget about him. But now Joey is gone… and his body is never found. More than twenty years later, Alex is a success. The proof is there for anyone to see, in the millions of dollars he makes, his lavish house, his beautiful wife and daughters. And no one knows what happened that summer at camp. At least, no one should know. But it looks like Joey Proctor may be back to take his revenge.

Joey looked into the water at the edge of the dock, and beneath the reflected ripple of sunlight saw nothing but darkness and depth and mystery. He’d never been in water that deep, never explored what lived there.

This is such a fast-paced story, told in alternating perspectives between current time and 15 years previous (Seven years after Joey Proctor had disappeared). Generally, I prefer books with singular narratives rather than multi-character ones, but for this story, the multi-narrative works well because it's interconnected. I like the fact that it's told from a first-person narrative, which makes me feel close to the characters. Also, the storyline moves along nicely and is logically structured. Not sure a child disappearance can ever be classified as an enjoyable read but this kept me reading until late into the night. This is a psychological suspense novel by a wonderful author that will dismay you and surprise you.

Such a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The author skillfully portrays the intensity of the emotions. There are several surprising twists to the plot that kept me guessing right till the end. This was a brilliant case of a novel being both character and plot driven, I was totally captivated by this fast-paced and suspenseful domestic thriller and look forward to reading more from J.P. Smith.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and J.P. Smith for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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