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Release date: August 21, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Ever since her husband’s death collided with the birth of her daughter, postpartum depression has taken hold of Veronica Shelton. She can’t sleep, can’t work, and can’t bear to touch her beautiful baby girl. Her emotional state is whispering lies in Veronica’s ear: You’re a bad mother. Your baby would be better off without you. But not everything can be reasoned away by Veronica’s despair. Can it?

After all, the break-in at her house happened. The disturbing sketches she found in her studio are real. So is the fear for her daughter’s safety—especially when Veronica comes home to a cold, silent nursery and a missing baby.

As she turns from victim into primary suspect, Veronica realizes that only she can find her daughter. Authorities aren’t helping. They’re only watching. Veronica’s concerned mother has suddenly vanished from her life. And a new friend seems to be keeping secrets from her too. Now, reality is waiting for Veronica in a dark place—because someone’s mind games have only just begun.

Review:

The Waiting Room is one of those books that creeps up on you, it starts off fairly strong but the more you read, the better it gets. The intensity ramps up page by page and then there are several really well executed twists and turns that just kept sucking me in the further along I read. It was one of those books where I kept saying, what in the actual hell is going on here?!

I really felt for poor Veronica, she’s a widow and she has severe post partum depression, which is so understandable after all she’s been through. So many peculiar things keep happening to her and I kept wondering if she was just paranoid or if someone was really out to get her. I have to admit, when things started to come together I really didn’t see 99.9% of it coming which is always awesome and totally appreciated.

Bleeker’s last book (Working Fire) had an emotional component to it and while this was much more intense it still had some of that same emotional depth to it that really got to me, especially in the ending I found it to be incredibly strong and very well formed. Totally recommended as a binge read that will make you say WTF a few times, I always think some of the best thrillers make me think that!

The Waiting Room in three words: Sharp, Twisty and Complex.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.