About The Book
New York Times bestselling author Kate Moretti’s (The Vanishing Year) latest novel follows the daughter of a convicted serial killer who finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation.
Fifteen years ago, Lilith Wade was arrested for the brutal murder of six women. After a death row conviction and media frenzy, her thirty-year-old daughter Edie is a recovering alcoholic with a deadend city job, just trying to survive out of the spotlight.
Edie also has a disturbing secret: a growing obsession with the families of Lilith’s victims. She’s desperate to discover how they’ve managed—or failed—to move on, and whether they’ve fared better than her. She’s been careful to keep her distance, until the day one of them is found murdered and she quickly becomes the prime suspect. Edie remembers nothing of the night of the death, and must get to the truth before the police—or the real killer—find her.
My Review
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. I’ve enjoyed both of Kate Moretti’s earlier books so was looking forward to reading her new one. I have never read a book where the main character is the daughter of a convicted serial killer and found it fascinating.
Edie is an amazing character who due to the actions of her mother is obsessed with knowing how her victims families are coping. Only a few of these feature, a couple of them know each other through an online support group and she has met them both. Edie is also member of this group but nobody knows who she is. Or so she thinks.
Her life is a mess, recovering alcoholic, a loner whose friends deserted her when her mother was arrested. All she has is her brother Dylan, her friend Tim and a cop connected with the case, Brandt. But she isn’t self-pitying, she is just determined to make her life the best that she can. Despite her unhealthy obsession with the families.
All of the characters are strong, if not always likeable. The damage caused by Lilith to the victims families, especially her own is compelling and fascinating. The ‘excerpts’ from a book about the case reveal the mental health issues suffered by Lilith and how they affected Edie and Dylan as they were growing up, and also how their father struggled to cope. These parts of the novel were my favourite parts, where they show people’s memories of what happened before the killings started.
Edie was very engaging, often amusing and made the best of her life. Once she started to trust people I loved her.
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