#Review - Or Else by Joe Hart #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, 254 pages
Release Date: April 1, 2022
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

A secret love becomes a fatal affair in a twisting novel of suspense by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Joe Hart.

When novelist Andy Drake returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father, a reconnection with his childhood friend Rachel escalates into a secret love affair. For Rachel, struggling to maintain the facade of a picture-perfect life, it’s an escape from an emotionally abusive marriage. Then Andy receives an anonymous note warning him to end the affair. Or else.

Whoever’s been watching is going to make Andy pay. Weeks later, Rachel’s husband, David, is shot to death. Rachel and her two young sons vanish without a trace. One misstep, one careless reveal, and Andy could look as guilty as sin. Clue by clue, as his investigation into the mystery unfolds, Andy discovers that he and Rachel weren’t the only ones keeping secrets.

Nothing in this quiet neighborhood is as it seems. No one peeking from behind the curtains of their homes can be trusted. And the worst is yet to come. Because David isn’t the only one who will die.

Joe Hart's Or Else begins with mystery/thriller author, Andy Drake, receiving a note telling him that they know about his affair with his next door neighborhood Rachel and to stop Or Else. Andy returned home to care for his father who is in the early stages of dementia and to work on his next book. He reconnected with his childhood friend Rachel six months ago, but things don't out the way he expected. Besides the note, Rachel's husband David is shot dead and she and her children go missing. Andy knows if he comes forward with the note and truth of his affair, he'll become the number one suspect.  

Not trusting the police, Andy takes it upon himself to try and find out what happened to David, and in turn, where Rachel and the children have gone. Things fall apart from there as Andy is consumed with finding what happened to Rachel. Then Andy's friend Mary Shelby, the church secretary who was like a second mother to Andy, is kicked dead by her horse. Soon thereafter, David's business partner Ryan Vallance is found dead. What in the hell is going on here? The setup of the loop neighborhood where everyone knows each other's business, including a man who may be tied to the mafia. 

There are so many unknowns amongst the neighbors, that you don't know who is involved, and who isn't. There were a lot more players in this mystery than Andy originally thought and once the layers were drawn back, it was strange how everything looked. David isn't alone in his investigation. His sister Kel is deeply involved in getting to the bottom of things. His relationship with Kel has always been strong to the point where their older brother felt jealous of the relationship. When you lose both your younger sister, and your mother, things have a tendency of changing who you are as a person. 

Here is what I will end my review by saying. Stick to the end. Decide for yourself how you feel. This is where I say that I am never going to intentionally point spoilers. The ending is twisted, and a head scratcher. 

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