Wendi Walton, Branch Manager
Branch Manager, Alpine Branch Library
This 2019 political espionage thriller by debut novelist Lauren Wilkinson definitely grabbed me from the opening scene. The main character is crouched behind her bedroom door, with her gun, after being awakened by a creaking floorboard in the hallway of her home, where she lives with her twin sons and german shepherd, Poochini. You’ll have to read it to see exactly what happens, but former FBI agent Marie Mitchell makes it out and flees to Martinique with her family.
Written as a letter to her sons, Maria records the story of her life and their family’s history, “just in case I’m not around to tell you.” Jumping between time periods in her life, from the early 1960’s up to the 1990’s, the narrative keeps the reader guessing without making the intricate plot confusing. However, it also allows the reader to really get to know Maria and the other main characters’ motivations. Plus I enjoyed the pop cultural references, and the slice of life descriptions of the different eras.