Newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter move from New York City to a quiet town in upstate New York. Sam, a psychotherapist, sets up his practice in a home office where a vent in the floor allows an anonymous neighbor to overhear every private session. When Sam vanishes during a storm, the investigation unearths his complicated history with women and the secrets hidden within his patient files. The narrative shifts perspectives to reveal how assumptions about gender and domestic roles obscure the reality of a calculated kidnapping.
This psychological thriller serves readers who enjoy subverted tropes and structural misdirection. It appeals to audiences interested in the ethics of therapy, the fallibility of first impressions, and stories where the protagonist’s reliability is constantly questioned. Readers walk away with a reminder of how easily personal biases dictate their interpretation of a crime. The book functions as a puzzle that requires the audience to discard their initial theories about marriage and obsession to uncover the mechanical details of the central disappearance.
Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
