April 2024

I love reading true crime books, and I have been known to go down the rabbit hole on many a Netflix true crime series. (Oddly, I do not gravitate to true crime podcasts.) So it probably is not surprising that crime fiction in this vein will call my name. WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? by Dervla McTiernan drew me in from the description.

Nina and her boyfriend, Simon, head off to his family’s 400-acre estate in Vermont for spring break. Now, mind you, this property is located in the same state as the palatial home of Simon’s family. Yes, we are talking that kind of family money. Nina and Simon spend the day climbing, which they both enjoy. But something happens on one of the climbs that worries Nina.

Next, we learn that Simon has come back home but without Nina. Her family wonders where she is, but his story is that they broke up and she went off on her own. Nina’s mother is running an inn, and her father has a landscaping business. They are working people, and typically Nina would have been working with her mom over the break instead of heading off with Simon. Immediately fingers are pointing. Was she worked so hard that she ran away? Who might know anything? This is very unlike Nina, but was this just an example of teen rebellion? Is there another boyfriend?

If this reminds you of the Gabby Petito case from three years ago, where a young woman’s boyfriend came home from a trip without her, you may not be wrong. From here, the story of Nina’s disappearance takes a number of turns. We hear it told from both teens’ parents, as well as Nina’s sister. Once we learn of Nina’s whereabouts, there is still a lot more to tell. And in many ways, that is where it gets even more interesting! How far will each family go to protect their own?