What Remains of Her audiobook

3.5 starsFairly simple mystery involving the disappearance of a mother, Rebecca, and her daughter, Sally. The story jumps back and forth between Jonah, the husband and father who is the prime suspect, and the daughter's best friend, Lucinda. The winter setting of Vermont just adds another layer to an already bleak and depressing situation. The strength of the book is not so much the mystery as it is seeing how the disappearance affects Jonah and Lucinda. There is definitely a haunting type quality to the book as the author really captures their inner struggles as they deal with the aftermath of the disappearance each in their own way. The story is gripping and I ended up finishing the book over the course of an afternoon. The weakness of the book is definitely the "big reveal". When you finally are told what happened it is not really surprising or unexpected as there were a limited amount of directions the story could go in. However, the author is talented enough that it did not ruin the story for me. By the time I was finished reading, I felt much more of an attachment to the main characters rather than the mystery itself. I think if you go into this just wanting a good, solid fiction read with complex characters rather than a mystery filled with twists and turns, you will enjoy this book a lot more. I won a free advance digital copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

In his best novel yet, Rickstad unravels a twenty-year-old mystery with shrewd, crafty skill. A taut, chilling psychological ride.

3.5 starsThis is a standard case of mother and daughter disappearing with the husband as prime suspect number one. There's an ominous tone set from the beginning with the depths of childhood imagination and that wholehearted importance to keep secrets for your best friend, no matter the consequence or potential helpfulness to a case. It's amazing what we deem to be so much more important as children than as adults.We fast forward a couple of decades+ where people close to the case are still dealing the aftermath of this horrible crime. There's nothing worse than not having answers... or so we like to think. Grass is greener? Graves are darker? While I did like how the author transversed from one timeline to another smoothly, I found myself liking the beginning part of the book better. The short chapters make for a fast read and I found myself continually flipping page after page. Next thing I know it's way past my bedtime and I'm halfway through the novel. While this story is addicting, I did find the ending not to surprise me as much as I thought that it would. I did the whole, "ohhhhhhhh, really?! asshole..." then shrug and continued on. (Asshole for a certain character, not the author, to be clear!)This is an absolutely solid lighter thriller with some creepy tones and no real big surprise. The story is well written and even without that throat punch a lot of people expect from thrillers these days, it still makes an impact. I felt this was a bit more character driven and I did feel for a certain two of them. I just wanted a little bit more bite that I felt the ominous tone set at the beginning felt like it was promising. Thanks to William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for this copy.

I read this within one day, staying up until almost 2 am to finish. Absolutely superb, really twisty book. I'll come back to the review later because I'm trying to figure out the best way to talk about it without spoilers.Just excellent.

** spoiler alert ** What Remains of Her centers on Jonah an adjunct college professor the disappearance of his wife Rebecca and their 7 yr. old daughter Sally. Although evidence doesn't suggest Jonah is behind their disappearance, the town's people believe he is responsible, and Jonah carries feelings of guilt that he is in some way responsible. Their disappearance, however, not only haunts Jonah, but it also impacts the lives of Lucinda, Sally's best friend, and Lucinda's father who was the sheriff when Rebecca and Sally mysteriously vanished. Readers are privileged to observe how lies, fears, and secrets nag the sheriff, Lucinda, and Jonah as the novel's action focuses on their lives and actions when another 7 yr. old girl Gretchen who looks much like Sally is reported missing on the 25th anniversary of Sally's and her mother's disappearance.Author Eric Rickstad fully develops Jonah and Lucinda into believable characters with whom we sympathize, often support and cheer. They share their pain, fears, and self-doubt as they continue to recon with Sally's presumed death, uncover pieces of the past, and are faced another child's disappearance that stirs the ember's of the past. While some of the action is set in the houses of Jonah and Lucinda, Rickstad also develops the all-important mysterious, near-by woods where as children Lucinda and Sally ventured even though they were told the woods were off-limits.I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and all too often hated to put it down for life's demands. I loved the twists and revelations in the plot as well as the very satisfying ending; therefore, I highly recommend o fiction readers What Remains of Her.

So very beautiful and sad

I read this book in 24 hours. It is fantastic! It's a true mystery novel with no gore. The author captured the deepest emotions of the characters perfectly. The pacing of the story keeps the reader constantly engaged. Highly recommend.

Eric Rickstad has written a very painful story of a man whose entire life turns into nothing when his wife and child vanishes into thin air. 25 years of pain and misery and crippling grief that doesn't let him live or die, each and every page resonates with that grief from the father who is still looked upon with suspicion and then Lucinda who is Sally's best friend. The story moves forward in alternate chapters between these characters and it is slow paced but the author has done good work in making us feel for Jonah. The mystery part of the story is nothing out of the world coz there are only few options but the rural snowy Vermont adds a chilling layer to the whole haunting tale.

I am a huge Eric Rickstad fan, and this new one from him does not disappoint!The mysterious disappearance of Jonah's wife and daughter are a defining moment in his life. There is no evidence of a crime, and yet, the suspicion on him never dissolves, driving him into a life of complete seclusion. His daughter's best friend Lucinda, knows that her friend would never have just disappeared, but she only has Sally's secrets, which don't hold weight in light of her being a child. Twenty five years later, Jonah finds a little girl in the woods and becomes convinced she is related to Sally's disappearance, and Lucinda finds herself trying to put puzzle pieces together from across decades. This is yet another delightfully twisting mystery, wrapped up in perfectly dark character drama. I LOVE how Eric writes his characters, so that they are individually haunted and flawed, while remaining relatable to the reader. Watching Lucinda struggle with the case, and her own life trajectory, while simultaneously watching Jonah's personal struggles in understanding what happened to his family make for compelling reading. I definitely did not see the twists coming in this one, and I love to be left guessing to the last pages. Without offering any spoilers, I will say that this is one that becomes more fast paced the deeper in you get. It became impossible to put down, and I loved the twists that held me to the very last pages. This is one that mystery readers need to add to their piles, without question!

Out of the 101 books I have read so far this calendar year, this one is the best. Authentic characters - I related to each and every one of them and walked every step with them. Cannot even remember the last time I was so fully invested in a book. Thank you, Eric Rickstad.

3,75 a good read,,never would has guessed.

Twisty and suspenseful...a teeny bit weird though...

Ominous, creepy the same old story? Or is it? I loved this book! I could not put it down. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Kept me guessing. Enjoy!