I’ve been anxious to try this author for a while now, and this novel has convinced me to read more of her work. The writing flowed smoothly and the characters were vividly drawn.

While the novel began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the bulk of the story was set in Savannah, Georgia.

The protagonist, Jupiter Bellarose, was a unique and memorable character. Born to two actors, her childhood was a volatile one… until, at age sixteen her beautiful mother was brutally murdered. This event caused her world to upend. She was sent to live with an aunt in Minnesota. Now, thirty-six years old, she is a successful investigative journalist.

After an exposé gone terribly wrong, she has now returned to her hometown to write a piece on the centenary anniversary of a renowned cosmetic company. The very same company that her mother was the figurehead for. Her ‘fluff piece’ turns gravely serious.

Many themes are portrayed in  this crime thriller. Family secrets, culpability, unscrupulous business practices, the lengths narcissistic folk will go to fight aging, but most of all it explores the fragility and unreliability of human memory.

Recommended to crime fiction lovers who appreciate strong but flawed protagonists.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.

ISBN: 9781542036405 – ASIN: ‎ ‎ ‎ B09B71WYLB – 272 pages

Anne Frasier is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million copies sold. Her award-winning books span the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, and memoir. The Body Reader received the 2017 Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original from International Thriller Writers. Other honors include a RITA for romantic suspense and a Daphne du Maurier Award for paranormal romance. Her thrillers have hit the USA Today bestseller list and have been featured in Mystery Guild, Literary Guild, and Book of the Month Club. Her memoir The Orchard was an O, The Oprah Magazine Fall Pick; a One Book, One Community read; a B+ review in Entertainment Weekly; and one of the Librarians’ Best Books of 2011.

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