The one who got away by Caroline Overington

Summary

A compulsive and startling psychological thriller for fans of Girl on a Train and Gone Girl.

Loren Wynne-Estes appears to have it all: she’s the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who’s landed a handsome husband, a stunning home, a fleet of shiny cars and two beautiful daughters…

Then one day a fellow parent taps Loren on the shoulder outside the grand school gate, hands her a note – and suddenly everything’s at stake.

Loren’s Facebook-perfect marriage is spectacularly exposed – revealing an underbelly of lies and betrayal. What is uncovered will scandalise a small town, destroy lives and leave a family divided.

But who is to be believed and who is to blame? Will the right person be brought to justice or is there one who got away?

Comments

Australian author Caroline Overington’s latest novel is a mystery
concerning the disappearance of Loren Wynne-Estes, a young mother whose
marriage is failing. In the much over used theme of domestic discord,
Loren has moved from the wrong side of the tracks to marriage with
David, an impossibly suave, handsome and apparently successful financial
advisor. After the birth of their picture perfect twin daughters, David,
true to past form, has a torrid and tatty affair with a co-worker named
Lyric. In an attempt to help save their marriage, Loren’s step-sister
Molly books a luxury cruise for them during which Loren
disappears……….did she jump or was she pushed!

The characters are shallow and unlikable and one wonders why the author
chose America and all the worst aspects of life in that country as the
setting. The narrative is told by the various characters in consecutive
first person accounts which is repetitive and annoying. The mystery is
unveiled in the last few pages, but – spoiler alert- everyone knows that
it’s never the most obvious suspect!

Read by the Dundas Readers book club

Rating – 3.5 out of 10