When her husband Harry walks out after just six months, a girls’ weekend away with two friends seems like just what Sam needs.
But they aren’t even halfway to their destination when things start to go wrong: car trouble that just happens to leave them stranded in the town where Harry lives.
And that’s only the beginning. Because there are three things Sam doesn’t yet know:
One of her friends is lying about why they’re there.
One is lying about who she is.
And one of them will never make it home . . .
My Review
Three women in their early 30s set out for a weekend break at Saratoga Springs. They have bonded over their failed marriages so this weekend will be a time of wine and pleasure, but soon things start to go wrong. Told alternatively in the voices of Sam and Margaret, we never hear Diana’s version of events. Sam is heartbroken that Harry has left her for another woman, and she still can’t face telling her parents, Margaret’s husband Lars is still sharing their apartment but after the tragic end of her pregnancy they are unable to communicate with each other any more. Diana is hiding from her abusive husband and, despite her lively personality, avoids social media.
Then at a fuel stopover they lose the key to the hire car. A replacement can’t be provided at short notice so they will have to find somewhere to stay in the small town of Catskill. Determined not to give up on an entertaining night together, the three women go to a busy local bar, and nothing will ever be the same again. A disappearance, reunions and murder confuse us and reveal secrets. Who can they trust and are our narrators deceiving us?
Soon we discover more about this small town community. Generally, people are friendly but there is a reason why they have landed up at this particular location. This thrilling tale is full of twists and surprises which will keep you wondering to the last page.
The Perfect Escape on Amazon UK
Leah Konen is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and English literature. The Perfect Escape is her latest novel. Her debut thriller, All the Broken People was a Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, She Reads and Charlotte Observer best summer book pick. She’s also the author of several young adult novels, including “Love and Other Train Wrecks” and “The Romantics.” She lives in Brooklyn and Saugerties, NY, with her husband, their daughter, Eleanor, and their dog, Farley.
Lizanne lost in a good book 