Mary Torjussen

by

THE CLOSER YOU GET by Mary Torjussen

Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 21, 2020
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★½

They had the perfect plan to start a new life together…before it all went horribly wrong.

A new twisting novel of psychological suspense from the acclaimed author of The Girl I Used to Be.

Coworkers Ruby and Harry are in love—but they’re married to other people. They decide to tell their spouses that their marriages are over and to start a new life together. Ruby has wanted to leave her controlling husband for a while, so she tells him she’s leaving and waits at the hotel where she and Harry are to meet. But Harry never shows up.

Suddenly, Ruby has lost everything. Harry won’t answer her calls, and she’s fired from her job. She finds a cheap apartment in a run-down part of town, all the while wondering what happened to Harry.

Just as Ruby thinks she’s hit rock bottom, strange and menacing things start to happen—someone is sneaking into her apartment, and someone is following her home late at night—and she is going to have to fight for her survival.

THE CLOSER YOU GET is a wonderfully tense and twisted domestic thriller that had me on edge from the start. This tale of a workplace affair gone wrong is told from the POVs of Emma and Ruby, the wronged wife and the “other woman.” Of course, as it turns out there’s more going on than meets the eye! I enjoyed getting the perspective of both of these flawed and compelling women. 

This was a gripping and entertaining read that had my stomach in nervous knots several times. The tangled web of lies and manipulation these characters created had me hooked, and how it all played out in the end was quite satisfying. Highly recommended to fans of domestic suspense!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

by

THE GIRL I USED TO BE by Mary Torjussen {Review}


Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★★

The acclaimed author of Gone Without a Trace delivers another twisting novel of psychological suspense in which a woman is backed against a wall – with nothing left to lose…

The morning after real estate agent Gemma Brogan has dinner with a prospective client, she’s furious at herself for drinking so much. But there will be more to regret than a nasty hangover.

She starts receiving mementos from that night: A photo of a hallway kiss. A video of her complaining about her husband. And worse…much worse. The problem is she doesn’t remember any of it.

As the blackmailing and menace ramp up, Gemma fears for her already shaky marriage. The paranoia, the feeling that her life is spiraling out of control, will take her back to another night – years ago–that changed everything. And Gemma will realize just how far the shadows from her past can reach…

THE GIRL I USED TO BE is a fast paced psychological thriller that sucked me in right away. Most of the book is told from main character Gemma Brogan’s point of view. She’s a successful real estate agent with her own firm, and supporting her stay-at-home hubby, Joe, and their young son, Rory.

Though Gemma loves her career, she feels stressed and stretched thin, and misses Rory during her long hours of work. Then a business trip to London goes terribly wrong, and now she’s in danger of losing everything she holds dear. Someone is clearly out to get her, but why?

The build up of suspense in this book was well done. In addition to her present day dilemma, Gemma is still haunted by something terrible from her past and its aftermath. Gemma’s desperate situation kept me glued to the pages. This is an unsettling story of blackmail, secrets, and revenge, with some great twists and emotional moments too.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

by

GONE WITHOUT A TRACE by Mary Torjussen


Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★

A jaw-dropping novel of psychological suspense that asks, If the love of your life disappeared without a trace, how far would you go to find out why?

Hannah Monroe’s boyfriend, Matt, is gone. His belongings have disappeared from their house. Every call she ever made to him, every text she ever sent, every photo of him and any sign of him on social media have vanished. It’s as though their last four years together never happened.

As Hannah struggles to get through the next few days, with humiliation and recriminations whirring through her head, she knows that she’ll do whatever it takes to find him again and get answers. But as soon as her search starts, she realizes she is being led into a maze of madness and obsession. Step by suspenseful step, Hannah discovers her only way out is to come face to face with the shocking truth…

Hannah’s live-in boyfriend, Matt, has suddenly vanished without a trace. Not just his person, but all physical and digital proof of him and their four-year relationship have disappeared. How is that possible? It’s enough to drive anyone mad.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. How could someone erase his existence like that? I was hooked right away, and the author did a great job pulling the reader into Hannah’s crazy obsession over finding Matt. There came a point, though, that I’d had enough with the minute details of her search and wanted something big to happen.

At about the three-quarters mark, things get pretty exciting and plot twists are revealed. One I expected, but the others were surprising, including something that’s not addressed very often. I guess I’m left with mixed feelings about the outcome. It’s hard to talk about without revealing spoilers, so I’ll just say that I was all around frustrated with Hannah. I enjoyed the big twists, though the last quarter of the book felt a bit disjointed from the rest. OMG, the last sentence! I guess there’s a lesson there.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.