October 2020

GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL definitely has Aimee Molloy living up to her moniker as “the master of clever misdirection.” Three times I found myself flipping back through pages wondering, HOW did she fool me?

The book is set in a quiet upstate town. Sam and Annie have relocated there to keep tabs on his mom, who is in an extended care facility suffering from dementia. They want to be able to spend more time with her. For Sam, he has moved back home. He grew up in this sleepy town where he was a bit of a player with the girls in high school. He has returned as a psychotherapist, and his clientele is a group of women who pour out their troubles to him. Unbeknownst to Sam, their conversations can be heard through a vent in the ceiling. And there is listening going on upstairs. Then Sam goes missing, and Annie is left to wonder what happened to him.

I cannot share a lot more without giving away too much, but I will say that there is an homage to a bestselling author between these pages, and the ending is just perfect. For those who want to read a smartly done thriller, crack this one open. By the way, I finished the book late at night and found myself unable to go back to sleep, as I was so wound up from it. So read at night at your own peril!