#Review - Freefall by Jessica Barry #Thriller

Series: Standalone
Format: E-Book, 368 pages
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Publisher: Harper
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Crime

A propulsive debut novel with the intensity of Luckiest Girl Alive and Before the Fall, about a young woman determined to survive and a mother determined to find her.

When your life is a lie, the truth can kill you.

When her fiancé’s private plane crashes in the Colorado Rockies, Allison Carpenter miraculously survives. But the fight for her life is just beginning. For years, Allison has been living with a terrible secret, a shocking truth that powerful men will kill to keep buried. If they know she’s alive, they will come for her. She must make it home.

In the small community of Owl Creek, Maine, Maggie Carpenter learns that her only child is presumed dead. But authorities have not recovered her body—giving Maggie a shred of hope. She, too, harbors a shameful secret: she hasn’t communicated with her daughter in two years, since a family tragedy drove Allison away. Maggie doesn’t know anything about her daughter’s life now—not even that she was engaged to wealthy pharmaceutical CEO Ben Gardner, or why she was on a private plane.

As Allison struggles across the treacherous mountain wilderness, Maggie embarks on a desperate search for answers. Immersing herself in Allison’s life, she discovers a sleek socialite hiding dark secrets. What was Allison running from—and can Maggie uncover the truth in time to save her?

Told from the perspectives of a mother and daughter separated by distance but united by an unbreakable bond, Freefall is a riveting debut novel about two tenacious women overcoming unimaginable obstacles to protect themselves and those they love.

 

Freefall is an edge-of-your seat tale of suspense about two women (Allison & Maggie Carpenter) who find the strength to take control of their lives in the face of adversity. Jessica Barry’s debut grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until its intense finale. Featuring a pair of rich, full-blooded women, this emotional page-turner beautifully captures the fraught yet unbreakable bonds between a mother and daughter and renders their stories in vivid, authentic detail.

The story is told from the perspectives of a grieving mother searching for answers and a daughter who seems to be running from her past. The story begins with Allison Carpenter waking up after a plane crash in the Colorado Rockies. She appears to be the only survivor. Allison knows that she needs to find shelter, and keep one step ahead of those who will be on her trail in a matter of moments. The tension is mostly on Allison’s side of the story as we find out things about her past, what she was up to, and perhaps the reason for the crash. Allison's life is a twisted one. 

Switching narratives; back in Owl Creek, Maine, Maggie Carpenter, Allison's mother, is being notified that her daughter, who she hasn't spoken to in 2 years, was involved in a plane crash, and it appears there are no survivors. As Allison struggles to survive against great odds, her mother is keeping the candle lit at both ends hoping that Allison survived the crash. Maggie's story is one of a strong woman who refuses to believe that her daughter is dead. She's told time and time again that no body was found, but there's little hope that Allison survived the crash.  

Flashbacks are woven in that slowly build to the climatic ending which should not surprise anyone if you pay close attention to what you are reading. Fans of The Woman in the Window, Sunburn, All the Missing Girls, The Perfect Mother, and The Woman in Cabin Ten will adore this propulsive novel that has all the hallmarks modern suspense fans love.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo