Twenty-something Maya, trying to kick her addiction to
tranquilizers, sees a Youtube video of a woman seeming to drop dead while
sitting in a diner. Maya recognizes the man with the young woman as Frank, whom
she had known seven years ago when Maya’s friend Aubrey also dropped dead in Frank’s
presence. Convinced that this second death is no coincidence, Maya returns to
her home town to try and find out what happened and prove that Frank is
responsible for both deaths.
The story is told in two chronologies. The present
chronology of Maya’s attempt to regain lost memories, fight her addiction, and
prove Frank a killer is told in the past tense, so that readers share Maya’s guarded,
emotional distance from the frightening events of finding the video and hunting
a killer.
The second chronology, the summer after Maya finishes high
school, plans for college, and meets Frank, is told in the present tense,
drawing the reader into Maya’s fragmented memories and the tragedy of Aubrey’s
death and Maya’s inability to escape or move on from that summer.
Readers, and Maya, know all along who the killer is. Since the only question is how he did it, there is little suspense until the end when Maya gets close to the truth. However, the book’s interesting structure keep the reader’s attention. It’s a rewarding read that moves quickly, especially good for a day locked in the house by bad weather.
