Saturday, October 13, 2018

What Remains of Her - Eric Rickstad

What Remains of Her is Eric Rickstad's latest book.

Jonah Baum's wife Rebecca and young daughter Sally went missing twenty five years ago from their home in Vermont. Jonah has never been the same from that day. He's living in a run down cabin in the forest, eschewing society, but hoping against hope that they might still be found. Sally's friend Lucinda might remember something still.....

When another little girl is lost in the woods, it is Jonah who finds her. Is she real or has Jonah's mind finally broken?

I liked the idea of the long disappearance and memories from a child perhaps holding the answers. The other little girl, Gretel was an unexpected entry in the plot. (Really? Gretel? Fairy tale lost in the woods Gretel?) And I think it was here that Rickstad lost me. Much time is spent on this mystery child with the plot going in directions that seemed utterly ridiculous. The mystery itself has limited options as to the whodunnit is. (Fairly easy to suss out.) The police investigation I was hoping for never really happened. (And c'mon - clues left for 25 years in the victim's house?!)

Sorry, this one was overdone and overwrought in my opinion. But I'm in the minority it seems - check out the positive reviews on Goodreads.

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