I’ve read all of Peter Swanson’s previous thrillers, but EVERY VOW YOU BREAK is the first one I’ve read in print. Previously, I’ve listened to his novels as audiobooks, but given just how creepy portions of his latest book are, I’m really glad I was able to read it safely in my own home rather than on a solitary run or hike!

The novel opens in the days leading up to Abigail Baskin’s wedding to Bruce Lamb. Abigail knows she’s lucky to have found a guy like Bruce. Not only is he handsome, a good listener and a thoughtful boyfriend, he is also incredibly rich. He is so wealthy that for the first time in her life, Abigail won’t have to worry about money. Bruce has already paid off her student loans, and now he’s talking about helping revive the theater in western Massachusetts that her parents once operated but whose failure resulted in the end of their marriage. Apart from that, perhaps Bruce’s wealth will enable Abigail to quit her full-time job and focus on writing her novel.

"If you’re headed to a wooded cabin or a beach resort this spring or summer, EVERY VOW YOU BREAK would be a perfect companion. Just be prepared to check the locks and windows while you’re there!"

Abigail feels like she's hit the lottery with Bruce, but when she’s on her bachelorette weekend at a California vineyard (a weekend that Bruce has paid for, of course), she finds herself in a drunken, flirtatious conversation with a stranger who, unlike Bruce, is absolutely her “type.” One thing leads to another, and almost before she knows what’s happened, she wakes up convinced she’s just made the biggest mistake of her life.

Abigail returns home and throws herself into wedding preparations, determined not to confess her indiscretions to Bruce. But then she starts seeing the mysterious stranger, known only to her as “Scottie,” everywhere. She even receives an email from him, even though he shouldn’t know her real name either. Even at her picture-perfect wedding to Bruce, she catches a whiff of “Scottie’s” French cigarettes.

Determined to embark on a fresh start with Bruce, Abigail gladly accompanies him to their honeymoon destination: a private island resort off the coast of Maine. The island is gorgeous, their accommodations are luxurious, and the food and service are superb. So why does Abigail feel like there’s something off about the island? And why can’t she shake the feeling that her husband is still a stranger to her?

Abigail is a fan of old movies, so it’s perhaps not surprising that EVERY VOW YOU BREAK feels a lot like a Hitchcockian thriller. The isolated island setting, the absence of modern technology (the island has a strict no-screens policy), the unsettling coincidences among the staff and guests --- this all adds up to create a vivid and cinematic atmosphere that amplifies Abigail’s steadily mounting dread. Dedicated thriller fans likely will pick up on some of the clues before they’re revealed, but almost certainly will be surprised by one or more of the many twists and turns that Swanson employs.

If you’re headed to a wooded cabin or a beach resort this spring or summer, EVERY VOW YOU BREAK would be a perfect companion. Just be prepared to check the locks and windows while you’re there!