Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
Buy Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Thrillers
Reviewer: Zoe Page
Summary: A gripping mystery, this is a treat to read and super satisfying to get to the bottom of
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 384	Date: August 2016
Publisher: MIRA
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1848454736
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Quinn is missing someone, and Alex has found someone. And both are a little confused (not to mention alarmed, cautious and a little uncertain). In Chicago, Quinn discovers her roommate, Esther, is missing. Vanished. Gone without a trace. It's extremely out of character for the girl Quinn knows, but as she starts to hunt down Esther's whereabouts, she has to question how much she does know the girl with whom she shares a home and a life. A little way away, Alex is working in a restaurant when a mysterious stranger comes in. He can't quite figure out why, but he's drawn to her. Who or what connects these two stories? And in any Mary Kubica story, can mystery, death and destruction be that far behind?

There are two narrators to this story. That's not unusual, but perhaps what is is that I was really drawn towards Quinn, but cared somewhat less about Alex. I struggled to connect with him, and though he seemed a nice enough guy, I was rapidly reading through his chapters so I could get back to Quinn's voice and savour her words. The stories have to be connected, and of course they are to some degree, but I just felt Quinn would lead me towards Alex, rather than the other way around.

This is an excellent read and I was genuinely puzzled as to what was going on. I liked that Quinn was a somewhat directionless 20 something – she's not in a high powered job (it's admin) or strutting around with a handsome, loving partner (he belongs to someone else). She's just an ordinary girl, who finds herself in a somewhat less than ordinary situation. I also liked how her life didn't stop for the duration of this story. She still went into the office (or remembered to call in sick). She still ate, even if it was grimy fast food rather than an Esther style healthy concoction. It's a minor detail but I've read a number of books where somehow characters can step out of one life and into another, albeit temporarily (you never hear of them losing their jobs, for example, though in the real world I'm not sure you can just call up your boss and say you need a few days off to investigate a possible murder, sorry about the inconvenience, thank you very much).

The writing here is superb, and the constant switching between two narratives tantalising. I was frustrated that I couldn't work out whodunit but was delighted when it all came together towards the end. It's a story I really enjoyed, and would highly recommend both this and the earlier works from Kubica.

Thanks go to the publishers for sending us a copy to review.

For another person lost/person found story, I Found You by Lisa Jewell is an excellent read.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica at Amazon.com.

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