Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she’s the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbour town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where 18 year old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger’s spell, Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted rollercoaster ride that builds to a stunning conclusion.

My Review:

I can’t remember the last time that I read a novel that had so many twists in it. Don’t You Cry takes place in Chicago in early winter. Quinn and Esther are housemates and when Esther disappears Quinn starts to realise that nothing is as it seems. At this time we meet Alex who lives on the outskirts of the city. He was forced to stay in his hometown to look after his alcoholic father when all his friends left to pursue their dreams. Life is mundane until the girl he names Pearl comes into his life.
The narrative switches back and forth between Quinn and Alex. Just when I thought I had it all worked out something else was revealed and proved me wrong. I think there was only one small part that I solved correctly.
I really liked Quinn, she was aware of her faults and still wanted to be there for Esther even though she was hurt by things that she was finding out. Alex as well, put his whole life on hold to care for his father and to help a girl that he knew nothing about. Reading this novel makes me want to add her previous ones to my already towering pile of books to read.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy via NetGalley and to Cara Thompson for the chance to appear in the blog tour.