Almost Missed You
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Violet feels so fortunate in her marriage to Finn—they were meant to be together. But when Finn suddenly disappears with their child while on vacation, Violet realizes she didn’t know her husband at all. This suspenseful book explores marriage, motherhood, and the expectations placed on family.
Jessica Strawser is the editor-at-large at Writer’s Digest, where she served as editorial director for nearly a decade and became known for her in-depth cover interviews with such luminaries as David Sedaris and Alice Walker. She’s the author of the book club favorites Almost Missed You, a Barnes & Noble Best New Fiction pick; Not That I Could Tell, a Book of the Month bestseller; Forget You Know Me, awarded a starred review by Publishers Weekly, and A Million Reasons Why, called “a standout” in a starred Booklist review and named to Most Anticipated lists from Goodreads, SheReads, Frolic, E! News & others. Her latest, The Next Thing You Know, is a People Magazine Pick for Best New Novel (new March 2022, all from St. Martin’s Press).
Honored as the 2019 Writer-in-Residence at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Strawser has written for The New York Times Modern Love, Publishers Weekly and other fine venues, and lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two children. A contributing editor for Career Authors and an active Tall Poppy Writer, she keynotes frequently for writing conferences, book fairs and festivals, book clubs, libraries, and other events that are kind enough to invite her. She tweets @jessicastrawser and enjoys connecting on Facebook and Instagram. - Author's website
Publisher's Weekly
In Strawser’s nerve-wracking debut, a woman’s husband leaves with their son, shattering her life and catching others in his devastating wake. Violet and Finn Welsh and their three-year-old son, Bear, are on vacation in Florida when Violet’s world is turned upside down. Although Finn’s life before marrying Violet was marked by tragedy, Violet thought they were happy, but now all she knows is that she will do anything to get her son back. In between them is Caitlin Bryce-Daniels, Finn’s longtime best friend and now Violet’s close friend as well, whom Finn blackmails into helping him by threatening to reveal a horrible secret. The narrative, which alternates between the three, as well as past and present, is undeniably suspenseful. The conclusion is a bit neat, but Strawser’s exploration of marriage, its expectations, and motherhood are spot-on, making for an absorbing read. (Mar.) --Staff (Reviewed 01/30/2017) (Publishers Weekly, vol 264, issue 05, p)
Library Journal
"All the wrong people know all the wrong secrets here" says one character in Strawser's debut, knitting parental abduction with a page-turner of devastating secrets unraveling among friends and spouses. Violet's blessed life goes haywire when husband Finn takes their toddler son, Bear, and abandons her during a beach vacation. Finn draws friend Caitlin into his breakaway from his wife by threatening to expose her marital secrets if she doesn't hide him in the family cabin in Kentucky. But to help a desperate Finn is to betray a grieving mother. Torn between obligations of motherhood and friendship, Caitlin accedes to Finn's demands while strategizing a plan to return Bear to his mother. Alternating time lines and narrators first raise—and then answer— questions in a story than has more twists and turns than the roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains. VERDICT Fans of smart women's fiction mixed with a fast-paced plot should not miss this startling first novel from the editorial director of Writer's Digest Magazine. [See Prepub Alert, 10/3/16.] --Wendy W. Paige (Reviewed 01/01/2017) (Library Journal, vol 142, issue 01, p92)
The Widow
by Fiona Barton
Following the twists and turns of an unimaginable crime, The Widow is an electrifying debut thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife. When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on when more bad things began to happen. But that woman's husband died last week. And Jean doesn't have to be her anymore.
The Good Girl
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Art teacher Mia Dennett returns months after she is kidnapped, remembering little of her abduction and captivity. The story is told from the viewpoints of her mother, the detective who works her case, and the kidnapper (who never delivered her to the people who ordered the job).
The Wife Between Us
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
A psychologically charged tale of suspense follows the unexpected twists that shape a divorce and second marriage that are anything but what they seem.
