Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf

☆☆☆☆☆
Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Expected publication: April 16th 2019 by HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing & Park Row
About the Book:
For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover--movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences. Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora--and why? In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted--not even those closest to Cora. Before She Was Found is a timely and gripping thriller about friendship and betrayal, about the power of social pressure and the price of needing to fit in. It is about the great lengths a parent will go to protect their child and keep them safe--even if that means burying the truth, no matter the cost.

This was a fantastic read. I never could have guessed the final direction it would take. It is one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read. The main characters Cora, Violet and Jordyn were all very well thought out and I was very sympathetic to each of them, they were also very complex characters and it was hard to sort out which direction the story was going. I was trying to figure it all out right up to the very end and it took me totally by surprise. The title Before She Was Found was a very telling one, one that only reveals itself when reading.

This is a dark and disturbing, slow-burning read with an interesting twist at the end. The book started out capturing my interest with the poor little girl found near dead. As the story developed I liked how the author broke the book into small chapters focusing on one character and time frame at a time.

This is such an amazing and well written book by Heather Gudenkauf. If you are looking to read a book that will have you intrigued and captivated from page one, then Before She Was Found is the book to read. This book was written so well that I was not able to figure out the truth of “who done it” until the reveal.

This book left me breathless and I read it in one sitting. It was beautifully written, the characters felt like people I knew. The ending took me completely by surprise and left me stunned. Definitely one of the best books I've ever read, it will stay in my mind for a long time. I can't remember the last time a story affected me so deeply.

I often know the who and the why soon in a novel. Not here. I enjoyed this book immensely and found myself intrigued and horrified at the same time. In the end there were so many lives destroyed. This book should make you stop and think. It did me. That is what a good book should do. I totally recommend this book to all who love a good psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you NetGalley, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing, Park Row and Heather Gudenkauf for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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