Synopsis
A riveting, timely, and terrifying novel from an acclaimed writer who skillfully intertwines the intimate perceptions of Anne Tyler with the dramatic tension of John Grisham. For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty. Parents and children alike are best friends - so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born. When the midnight calls come in from the hospital, no one is prepared for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head as part of an apparent suicide pact. The gun holds a single unspent bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself, but a local detective has doubts. And the Hartes and Golds, in a single terrifying moment, must face every parent's worst fear: do we ever really know our children at all?

RELEASE NOTES:

I am bringing this to this afternoon's meet-up

Picked up at today's meeting at Hudson's. It's now on my to be read pile. Looking forward to reading it!!

I have read this one, really enjoyed it. I have made it available. I will bring it to the next meeting at Hudsons

This has been on my list for a long time and I was made up to see it at the meet-up today! It's one of the rarer Jodi Picoult's (My Sister's Keeper seems to turn up everywhere!) but I read the cover on the back last year and have been captivated by it ever since.

I expect my mum will want to read it after me too. Sounds like her kind of thing.

Picoult's novels are easy reads but always a cut above in terms of plot and this is the same. On this occassion I was slightly disappointed with the end but it was more than made up elsewhere. The characters are realistic and the courtroom dialogue - approximately one third of the book - is handled exceptionally skilfully.

Unusually, this book affected me quite deeply and I found it difficult to sleep one night after reading it. I'm very rarely affected like this by anything and I can't say that I found the story particularly 'terrifying' as I read it. Nevertheless, it must have been disturbing on some level!