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Release date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Kit Owens harbored only modest ambitions for herself when the mysterious Diane Fleming appeared in her high school chemistry class. But Diane’s academic brilliance lit a fire in Kit, and the two developed an unlikely friendship. Until Diane shared a secret that changed everything between them.

More than a decade later, Kit thinks she’s put Diane behind her forever and she’s begun to fulfill the scientific dreams Diane awakened in her. But the past comes roaring back when she discovers that Diane is her competition for a position both women covet, taking part in groundbreaking new research led by their idol. Soon enough, the two former friends find themselves locked in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that threatens to destroy them both.

Review:

Do you ever have certain authors that you feel like you should like, but just don’t? Let me elaborate, maybe their books sound exactly like the kind that you usually love or their writing is fantastic and their style is totally appealing, but something is missing for you, some little piece of magic that makes you a fan? I’m pretty sure that’s the case with me and Abbott’s books, they never quite satisfy me and I’m pretty sure it’s one of those situations where it’s me and not her.

This follows Kit and Diane Now and Then, the then chapters are back when they first meet in high school and the now are when they both wind up working in the same lab with a highly regarded Dr. Severin. There were several things that I really liked her, the setting primarily being in a science lab was cool and new, these aren’t some amateurs, these are truly skilled scientists trying to break ground in new ways. I also loved the exploration of Kit and Diane’s odd relationship, female friendships can be so toxic and theirs had a great sinister vibe that worked well for me.

My only true complaint, (besides thinking that I’m just not the right reader for Abbott’s style) is that I wasn’t as gripped by this as I had assumed I would be. It took me a fairly long time to finish this and when I’m reading a thriller that I’m super into, you can’t get me to stop reading easily. There was none of that here, which is a shame.

Final thoughts, if you’re a fan of the authors then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one more than me and if you’ve never read her before and are intrigued by the sound of this then check it out for yourself because I have a feeling I’ll be in the minority on this one and giving full credit where it’s due, Abbott is one hell of a writer, she has a razor sharp style that cuts deep.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.