Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Where They Found Her: A Novel
    Where They Found Her: A Novel
    Where They Found Her: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Where They Found Her: A Novel

    Written by Kimberly McCreight

    Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Lauren Fortgang, Rachel F. Hirsch and Therese Plummer

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    “McCreight creates a world that pulls us in completely and genuinely, with characters that can enrage, amuse, and fill us with empathy. It’s a thrilling novel.”—GILLIAN FLYNN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl

    Motherhood hasn’t been easy for Molly Anderson, and the years since the loss of her second child have been a particular struggle. But six months after moving from New York City to sophisticated Ridgedale, New Jersey, she’s finally enjoying life again, as mother of a five-year-old daughter and fledgling arts reporter for the local paper. But this tenuous stability is threatened when the body of a newborn is found in the woods behind prestigious Ridgedale University and Molly is assigned the story. Over the objections of her increasingly concerned husband, Molly dives into reporting, determined to prove herself by uncovering the truth. What she finds is a decades-old trail of dark secrets that winds through every corner of the town.

    Told from the perspectives of Molly; Barbara, wife of Ridgedale’s police chief, whose faltering son is unraveling her picture-perfect life; and a sixteen-year old high school dropout, Sandy, who is dealing with her wayward mother, Where They Found Her reveals that the tragic truth about what happened to the baby lies at the unexpected intersection of these three very different women’s lives. It is a taut and profoundly moving novel about mothers and daughters—the fierce bonds that unite them and the deceit that can drive them apart. But most of all it’s about the heartbreakingly high price of history. The past can be artfully denied, but never truly buried.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 14, 2015
    ISBN9780062373885
    Author

    Kimberly McCreight

    Kimberly McCreight is the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia, which was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Alex Awards; Where They Found Her; and The Outliers young adult trilogy. She attended Vassar College and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.

    More audiobooks from Kimberly Mc Creight

    Related to Where They Found Her

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Final Truth

      Jan 21, 2020

      The Final Truth
      5 min read

    • Article

      Hell Is A City in Texas

      Jun 14, 2021

      Hell Is A City in Texas
      10 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Abortions I Have Known

      Mar 17, 2019

      The Abortions I Have Known
      10 min read

    • Article

      Heroes Among Us

      Apr 10, 2020

      Heroes Among Us
      9 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Jan 24, 2020

      MY LATE wife, Colleen, wrote this after our dog, Tina, died. I thought your readers might enjoy it. “I find myself reaching for you in my sleep to make sure I don’t hurt you when I roll over. I still smell your fresh doggy-smell after your “spa day”

      3 min read

    • Article

      Mothers As Makers Of Death

      Aug 14, 2018

      Mothers As Makers Of Death
      8 min read

    • Article

      Heroes Among Us

      Apr 10, 2020

      Heroes Among Us
      10 min read

    • Article

      Matters Of The Heart

      Jan 17, 2022

      Matters Of The Heart
      5 min read

    • Article

      Storyteller

      Nov 4, 2021

      Storyteller
      11 min read

    • Article

      Wait Times

      Mar 29, 2021

      Wait Times
      16 min read

    • Article

      The Inventions of Witches

      Oct 30, 2017

      The Inventions of Witches
      7 min read

    • Article

      Quantum Physics for Mothers

      Dec 15, 2020

      Quantum Physics for Mothers
      10 min read

    • Article

      Brain as Adventurer

      Jun 1, 2023

      Brain as Adventurer
      5 min read

    • Article

      Dead Reckoning

      Sep 9, 2020

      Dead Reckoning
      6 min read

    • Article

      Nothing To Fear

      Jan 26, 2021

      Nothing To Fear
      8 min read

    • Article

      During the Pandemic, a Prison Funeral for Our Angel

      Aug 14, 2020

      Despite coronavirus-related lockdown and a skittish staff, prisoners at California Women’s Facility pulled off a full-fledged memorial service for a beloved long-termer.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Let The Bones Talk

      Jun 16, 2021

      Let The Bones Talk
      6 min read

    • Article

      Let The Bones Talk

      Jun 16, 2021

      Let The Bones Talk
      6 min read

    • Article

      Where There Is No Hospital

      Mar 8, 2022

      Where There Is No Hospital
      15 min read

    • Article

      The WOMEN Who Solve MURDERS

      Mar 16, 2020

      The WOMEN Who Solve MURDERS
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Where They Found Her

    4/5

    119 ratings35 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      By their very nature, stories about dead children, infants or otherwise, are difficult reading. But this tale, centering around the discovery of a newborn’s body near a bridge, keeps plowing forward with so many twists, turns, and red herrings that the reader cannot help being caught up in the mystery. Everyone in the small university town has questions: Who are the baby’s parents? Was she murdered? And why was she buried by the bridge?In true mystery fashion, the place chosen for the baby’s burial has a history and lawyer-turned-fledgling-reporter Molly Sanderson has, by default, been assigned to the story. As it unfolds, it reveals unexpected layers and readers will find that none of players are exactly who they seem to be; the ending is definitely not one of “happily ever after” although all the loose ends are pretty well tied up.Astute readers will find sufficient clues to solve the mystery well before the big reveal, but this does not detract from the compelling nature of the narrative.Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Whoa. This is a very gripping mystery read about a newspaper reporter trying to solve a crime that hits close to home. There is so much going on underneath the facade of the perfect little town. Secrets and lies. I totally didn't see the end coming the way it did.
    • 4/5
      I give this story four stars because of the surprise ending. It was a good mystery. I liked the characters, it wasn't any better written than any other story...but the ending packed a punch.
    • 4/5
      Loved the twists and turns in this story about an infant found buried in the woods near a small university town. Whatever ideas I had about the victims and the bad guys were completely turned around by the time I got to the end of the book. Which I did quickly because I could not put it down.
    • 3/5
      This is a hard book to review. Parts were amazing and I couldn’t put it down; yet other parts seem to drag on and on. I found there to be a lot of unnecessary repeating of events which was confusing to me. Actually had to go back and re-start the book twice to try and decipher which character went with who and to which sub story they belonged. This is not something I typically need to do, so it threw me off a bit.
    • 5/5
      This is my new favorite author. I read “Reconstructing Amelia” and loved it. This one is even better. A newborn infant is found on campus grounds. No one knows whom she belonged to, why she was left there or even if she was ever alive. This tale from the perspective of three women in the community - a reporter, daughter of local prostitute, wife of chief of police – this mystery, as well as many other situations in this close-knit community, unravels. Filled with twists and turns, I could not put it down. I had to know how it all came together, the sign of a great story!
    • 4/5
      Molly Sanderson and her family moved to Ridgedale to try and start over after the traumatic stillbirth of her second child. Gradually putting her life back together again she is enjoying the University town’s quiet lifestyle – her husband happily teaching at the University, her daughter making new friends in grade school and Molly even started making new friends and working as the Arts and Events writer for the local paper. The paper employs a “hard news” reporter who happens to be out of town when a body is discovered in a creek just off University property. Molly is asked if she would fill in and she readily agrees feeling herself up to the challenge. That was before anyone knew the body was that of a newborn baby girl. That shines an entirely different light on things and now Molly is not quite so sure she can handle the story (nor is anyone else) but the more she delves into it the more she discovers that her new home town maybe anything but the sleepy University town she thought it was.

      I had high expectations for this book because I had enjoyed Ms. McCreight’s “Reconstructing Amelia” so much. When I began reading this book I was slightly disappointed. It started off a little slow and felt somehow disjointed. Then I got the characters all straight in my mind and it turned into one of those books that picks up rhythm and momentum with each turn of the page. This is definitely a thriller/who-dunn-it murder mystery (one old, one new). But it also so much more than that; it’s a story about mothers and daughters (both good and bad), small town secrets (both old and new) and the sometimes tenuous bonds and bold decisions that hold a marriage together (or not). As she did with “Reconstructing Amelia” Ms. McCreight got me on her hook and was slowly reeling me in towards an ending that I thought I saw coming. Just as I was nodding my head in resignation of the outcome she yanked at the reel and I was in the bottom of the boat flopping around in surprise and wondering what the hell just happened.

      An excellent read and I look forward to more from Ms. McCreight. I think she is definitely an up and comer.
    • 5/5
      OMG!! Just finished Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish, knowing that I had to get up at 5:30 am for work! Now if THAT doesn't tell you something about this book, then apparently YOU are not a book junkie like I am. I was so wrapped up in the story from the beginning and all along thought I had it all figured out....not even close!! The author puts you through more twists and turns than your average roller coaster ride. I never even saw it coming!!

      Now I can ramble on and tell you exactly the same synopsis that you will find on the back of the book or in the inside cover, but I don't feel the need to repeat something that you can read for yourself. I am just here to tell you to READ THIS BOOK. The whole point of a book review (in my humble opinion) is not to tell you what the book is about because you can find that anywhere. My purpose is to tell you WHY you should read it.

      If you enjoy a book that will keep you guessing until the very last chapters, this is THAT book. If you want a book that whispers "You know you don't want to close this cover until you're done", then this should be the one you choose. Being A huge fan of Gone Girl, I didn't think I would find another book that really did this for me because what can I say, some thrillers are not all that thrilling - you have it figured out by the 5th chapter. I don't want a book like that and I know you don't either. So, go get this book, pour yourself a big glass (or mug or bottle..lol) of your favorite refreshment, find a nice, comfy reading spot and invest a couple hours in a really great read. And then you can thank me!
    • 4/5
      This was a hard book to put down once I got into it. I liked it but I wish the author had left some things that weren't easy to guess with her clues. I wanted to be surprised. I enjoyed the epilogue though.
    • 4/5
      This is the third Kimberly McCreight audiobook that I've listened to in the last month and it does not disappoint. There are plenty of twists and surprises along the way that keep the reader guessing. The body of a newborn is found in the river and Molly, a former attorney and now a reporter, is covering the story. Molly, having lost a full term child in recent years and spent a long time recovering from the trauma, is determined to use the experience to test her strength.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful, this was a great read. Read it straight through. Story begins in a small town where a new born baby has been found dead. Told from three points of view, it goes between recent months and twenty years ago when a teenage boy died in the sAmerican spot where the baby was found. How Molly Sanderson, new local reporter, makes the connections makes for an exciting read. I have her first book, Reconstructing Amelia in my TBR pile and can't wait to go get it and read as well. Recommended!
    • 4/5
      Due to be released 14 April 2015, Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight is a book to be added to the lists of readers who enjoy taught psychological suspense. The story takes place in Ridgedale, New Jersey, where at the end of a long winter the body of an infant is discovered in the woods near the town’s prestigious college, and while the identity of the baby is unknown, there are a lot of opinions flying around. McCreight tells her story through the eyes of freelance journalist Molly Anderson, who recently lost her own baby and is struggling with depression, Sandy who dropped out of high school and is searching for her missing mother, and Barbara the PTA president whose son is suddenly having difficulties, in addition we also have the psychiatric notes and a diary for additional information. Molly unearths some of the town’s deepest and darkest secrets, some dating back two decades, and as Molly, Barbara, and Sandy continue to tell their stories the more the three lives become intertwined in this wonderfully executed tense psychological suspense novel. Where They Found Her is well planned out, the storylines are probable and the numerous characters tend to hit all the major emotions for the reader from compassion to utter disdain and they mystery surrounding the infant is quite intriguing. I truly enjoyed the book and think others who enjoy psychological thrillers and buried secrets come to light will enjoy Where They Found Her.
    • 4/5
      This book was super intricate. Almost too intricate to the point where it was hard to keep people straight. And for having so many threads to weave together and so many secrets, I did see a many of them coming. It was a good thriller and I would recommend it but it wasn't completely shocking. You'll want to have a pen and paper around to map out characters and all the ways in which they are connected because the web gets tangled very quickly. This good and a solid 4 stars for me.
    • 4/5
      The novel begins with the murder of newborn who is then disposed into a river. In the beginning we are told the story primarily through two characters who couldn't be more opposite.. On one end we have married mom Molly, a reporter covering the story. Although she is seems to have everything she is nursing the heartbreak of having lost her own baby. On the opposite end we have Sandra, a homeless teen whose mother Jenna is missing. As the story progresses connections are made between the haves and have nots in the town. Secrets from the past are unearthed as the shocking identity of the baby in the river is revealed.I enjoyed Reconstructing Amelia but didn't really care for McCreight's YA novel The Outliers. From now on I am going to stick her adult novels. I really enjoyed seeing how all of the characters ended up connecting to each other, especially the ones who you would think couldn't possibly know each other. It was so fascinating to see how the choices the parents made determined the fate of their children. As the story is told you get a glimpse of the pivotal event that changes everything by reading excerpts of the character Jenna's diary. You think that the identity of the baby is a forgone conclusion and McCreight brilliantly flips everything you thought you knew completely around. The book tackles tough subjects like rape and adultery while showing how misleading stereotyping people can be.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this novel more than her Reconstructing Amelia. This story is set in fictitious New Jersey town, a suburb of New York City, but also a college town. A dead baby is found in a town that has very little crime and a long story unfolds, with major characters such as the reporter, the police chief, and campus security officer... among others. Good storytelling, but made a few of the clues way too obvious, so the reader is ahead of many of the characters in the book. Still, a good read.
    • 4/5
      This is an interesting mix of characters which makes for a good read. They are well written and the reader will become involved with their stories. The subject matter, which deals with the death of babies, is definitely fodder for book clubs. I do have to say that I liked Reconstructing Amelia much better than this book, but I will most definitely be looking forward to her new book.
    • 5/5
      Gah, Kimberly McCreight, you evil genius. I loved Reconstructing Amelia and this one is maybe even better? Or at least just as excellent. Reminiscent of Jaclyn Moriarty's Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret, but maybe even more suspenseful?? Just so great. And FUCK YOU BARBARA OMG SHE IS THE WORST how could McCreight even stomach writing a character who is 100% so wrong about everything but 100% never takes responsibility for her own actions BARBARA IS THE WORST
    • 4/5
      This is the first book I have read by this author. Now that I know what Mrs. McCreight is capable of, I will be checking out her first book, Reconstructing Amelia. Right from the beginning, I was hooked. The story started out strong and just kept getting stronger and stayed that way until the end. Which is one of the best ending I have read in a while for this type of mystery/suspense novel. So happy about this. I did like that this story was told from three points of views of Molly, Sandy, and Barbara. Although, the strongest voice for me was Molly's. She drew me in. Her story was sad but compelling that just made me root for her. As the story progressed I could see how all of the pieces and the lives of the three women connected. If you are looking for a fresh new voice in the book world to read then you have to check out this book and author, Kimberly McCreight.
    • 5/5
      I enjoy reading books from different characters views. Six degrees of separation came to mind frequently.
    • 3/5
      A good enough read, with a plot twist towards the end that I really did not see coming. However, I never really got into this book or truly felt connected to the characters. It was very much a "woman's" book - nearly all the central characters were female and none of the male characters turned out to be very likable (except for perhaps Aidan?). Not sure if I can really highly recommend this book to anyone, it was okay in general, but I just never really got into the plot.
    • 4/5
      Kimberly McCreight's first novel, Reconstructing Amelia, was a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel, Where They Found Her releases next week on April 14/15.The older I get and the more I realize how many books there are that I want to read, the more selective I've become. If a book doesn't grab me in the first fifty pages, chances are it's going to get set aside. So I appreciate a great opening chapter or prologue that has me wanting to know who, what and why.McCreight does that with an opening scene with a woman discarding bloody towels - and a reference to a baby. Next we are privy to a counselor's transcript of an interview with Molly Sanderson - she is trying to come to terms with the loss of her baby. And it is Molly who is called out to report for the local newspaper on the discovery of a baby's body near the university grounds of her new home town - picture perfect Ridgedale. Yep, got my attention.But there's more to the story than what's happening in present day. McCreight's novel has numerous points of view - that of Molly, journal entries from Jenna - who grew up in Ridgedale, but has recently moved back, her teenage daughter Sandy, and Barbara - a woman who also grew up in town, and is now the wife of the local police chief.The mystery of the dead baby is at the center of the book, but as Molly investigates, she finds that the town is full of secrets and everyone seems to deal in half truths and omissions.Just as she did in Reconstructing Amelia, McCreight successfully combines a satisfying mystery with an exploration of motherhood and relationships. The town is full of secrets and everyone seems to deal in half truths and omissions.My favourite character was young Sandy. Her strength and determination had me cheering for her to 'make it'. At the other end of the spectrum was Barbara. Was she ever a piece of work! Her thoughts and dialogue are guaranteed to provoke a reaction from the reader. (Well done Kimberly!) I'm still not sure what I thought about Molly - she is our protagonist, she is likable...but I wasn't cheering her on the way I was with Sandy.McCreight drops clues along the way as to who the mother of the dead baby is - astute readers will pick up on them. There are a few red herrings and extraneous characters that are a bit too obvious. But, even though I did who the mother was before the final pages, I appreciated the nice little gotcha at the end - the identity of the father. For me, Where They Found Her was an enjoyable, entertaining read.
    • 5/5
      After the loss of a baby girl, Justin and Molly move to the small town of Ridgedale for a fresh start with their daughter Ella. Justin has a job at the university, Molly is a reporter for the town's newspaper and up until now, hadn't covered anything tremendously newsworthy. By chance, she ends of covering the story of a body that was found coincidentally in the same spot as another body found twenty years prior, thought to be the result of teenage boys not being terribly smart at a party in the woods. When the body found by the water is revealed to be a newborn girl, the story takes off, hooks you in and doesn't let go. What kind of person dumps a newborn baby like trash?The story is mainly narrated by Molly but there is also narration by several other characters. During her investigation of the finding of the newborn, the dominos fall and secret after secrets are revealed and so many questions come up. There are so many twists and turns, lots of surprises as the finding the newborn is only the catalyst of so many other pieces that start falling into place. This small town isn't as idyllic as it seems. There isn't just the mystery of the baby being found; whose was it, why was she put where she was, how did she sustain the injuries she had. In addition there's some question about the boy who died twenty years ago, and is there something wrong going on at the university with young girls and a prof?There are so many characters and the story is started involving all these characters and separate stories. It took me a little while to get everyone straight as the stories initially do not seem to be connected and so much was going on. I knew these stories would eventually all come together, these characters would all be connected at some point. There wasn't much given away as I would try to figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Some of the characters are likeable, some not so much. Again, like the town, some of the people in this town are not quite as they seem. While Molly seemed to be okay having Stella as her best bud, I had no use for her and did not like her at all. There are the nasty moms, nasty teens, the misunderstood teens, what a lot of them showed on the surface was not who they were. I loved this fast paced thriller, and I loved Kimberly McCreight's prior novel, "Reconstructing Amelia". It kept me interested and I didn't want to put it down until I had all the answers.
    • 4/5
      3.5 Loved the different formats, e-mails, journal entries, newspaper articles and comments, used in telling this story. A small town, a newborn baby found dead, and an investigation ensues. Secrets are revealed and some of them go back years, and some of the leaders of this town are exposed. Nothing is as it seems. A fast paced and intriguing story with some interesting characters, some that will do, anything to keep the truth from coming out.ARC from Publisher.
    • 3/5
      Ridgedale, New Jersey is a quiet town until a dead newborn is found in the woods bordering the prestigious college. The whole town is sent reeling by the senseless tragedy. Speculation abounds, but no one seems to know anything about its origins. Molly Sanderson is a freelance journalist working for the Ridgedale Reader and recovering from a miscarriage and the depression that followed. She is unexpectedly is sent to cover the story and she's shocked at the discovery. The case obviously hits close to home and she is determined to find out who is responsible. Memories from her own tragedy resurface, but her determination doesn't waver. Her investigation will delve deeper than she expected into the town's past and unearth secrets thought to be long buried.Where They Found Her is a well written and multilayered mystery. It's told from the point of view of three women: Molly Sanderson, the freelance journalist with a recent tragedy; Sandy Mendelson, a teenage high school drop out trying to cope with her drug addled mom; and Barbara Carlson, wife of the chief of police and busy body extraordinaire. All three of these women are fully realized with their own voices and points of view. Molly is trying to move forward from her depression by seeking justice for the dead, abandoned newborn. Her story is the most fleshed out with journal entries and transcripts from therapy sessions interspersed between chapters. She lets her personal feelings drive her and refuses to back away when others try to baby her or deter her. I admire her conviction and rooted for her throughout the story. Sandy Mendelson is also very sympathetic. She dropped out of school to work so she and her mom could live. Her mom is an erratic and irresponsible drug user and alcoholic. It's sucks to live with her mom, but it's what she knows. Who knows how bad foster care would be. She works tirelessly to provide for her mom. I loved the reveal of her mom. She refers to her mom by her first name and they just seemed like roommates until she offhandedly called her mom. The revelation was shocking and put Sandy's life sharply into perspective: her mom's inappropriate sexual behavior, drug use, and irresponsibility with money. The two seemed the same age, showing Sandy's maturity and her mother's immaturity. I just wanted to shake Sandy and tell her to leave and never look back.This brings us to Barbara. She's the parent I would hate to encounter. She puts a crazy amount of pressure on her kids to be perfect and doesn't care that they are both close to cracking. Quick to criticize others and put everyone else under great scrutiny, she is super offended if anyone suggests she's doing anything wrong. When her son starts acting uncharacteristically violent, she was quick to blame another mom. Then she brought him in to a therapist and she didn't want to listen to him. Her own preconceived notion of what happened had to be the truth no matter what anyone else told her. It was interesting to see into her head and witness her fall from what she thought was above everyone else. The revelations at the end of the novel directly affected her in surprising ways. Long buried secrets reemerged and just shows that even if something is decades in the past, you can never truly be safe from it. If things had been dealt with back then, a lot of lives could have been a lot better.Where They Found Her is an engrossing mystery that had me constantly reevaluating my predictions and ended up surprising me. My only criticism is some of the red herrings where so obvious that they didn't even seem worth mentioning. Other than that, I greatly enjoyed the novel. I'm a sucker for a small town with lots of secrets. I would definitely read Kimberly McCreight's next book.
    • 3/5
      I didn't love this book but it was ok. I thought I had it figured out and it tricked me who the father of the baby was.
    • 3/5
      I read and reviewed Ms. McCreight’s previous novel in December – I read it in a day and found it to be really interesting. Similarly to the last time I found her work, I was in an airport bookstore, picked it up, and essentially didn’t put it down until I was finished.

      The book is told from the perspectives of three women: Molly, a non-profit advocate turned journalist who has one daughter and experienced a stillbirth a couple of years back; Barbara, a ‘perfect mother’ who doesn’t think very highly of Molly and is married to the town’s Police Chief; and Sandy, a 16-year-old whose mother is missing. The premise? A baby has been found dead in the woods on the town University campus, and Molly is sent to cover the story.

      There are twists. Some you might see coming, some you might not. The writing is interesting, and the characters are mostly fleshed out.

      However, I do see this author as seeming to only be able to write about women as mothers. There’s one grown woman in this book who doesn’t have children, and it comes out it’s because of a hysterectomy. I get that most women have kids, but man, it really stands out when that is the single defining characteristic of all of the adult characters in the book.
    • 4/5
      It's always satisfying to read a mystery where the answers are unclear until the very end, and that was the case with this book. I do feel there were a few too many women who had lost babies or recently had babies (4 of them) which I guess was supposed to add to our choice for the guilty party but which seemed like overkill to me. There were lots of open questions with less than 100 pages to go, but the author tied everything up fairly neatly. It was a good read.
    • 3/5
      The body of a baby is found in a small New Jersey town, close to the town's prominent university. Molly Anderson is asked to cover the story for the local paper -- her first big break since becoming a reporter, but both she and her husband are concerned it will dredge up memories of the loss of her own baby. Meanwhile, across town, teenage Sandy searches for her own missing mother. At the same time, Barbara, the wife of the local police chief who is investigating the baby's death, is busy trying to deal with her young son, who is having trouble in school and acting strangely.

      McCreight weaves together the stories of these three very different individuals, as we learn what happened to the baby and more. I confess that I figured a lot of this out early on, but was still intrigued enough to keep reading. It's a very enthralling storyline and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened to the baby and the various women involved.

      The story winds up being tied to another death nearly 20 years and it's well done, if not a little easily tied up at the end. The characters were a little flat for me - I had a tough time empathizing with Molly or Barbara, which made it harder to get into their stories, though I did like Sandy. It's still a good page-turner and a quick read.
    • 5/5
      Wow. Mind-blowing with and ending that was pretty unpredictable.
    • 4/5
      Eric Schinazy at the Ridgedale Reader Newspaper recently hired Molly Sanderson. His best reporter is out sick so he sends Molly to investigate a body found by the Essex Bridge near Ridgedale University. She’s talking to Chief of Police, Steve Carlson and trying to gain access to the site. While they’re talking, Steve’s radio comes on – detective reporting the body is that of an infant. Steve promises her an exclusive interview if she will leave out that fact in the initial reporting of the incident. But, should she even be involved in something this horrible? She has been spending months recovering from a severe depression brought on by the loss of her nearly full term baby. Erik is concerned but he’ll follow her lead. Justin, her husband, is asking in no uncertain terms that she let someone else investigate this case. For some unexplainable reason, Molly feels it will help her find closure. So, she refuses to give it up. She manages to link the current case to another from twenty years before.The story is told from the perspectives of three women in the Ridgedale, NJ community. Other than Molly, there’s Sandy Mendleson, a High School dropout and Barbara, Steve’s wife. Sandy finds that her mother, Jenna had not been paying their rent and they are being evicted. But Sandy can’t even locate her mom; it seems she did not return home the night before. Barbara is very conceited. She thinks she and her family are better than anyone else. And now, her son, Cole, is acting out as if something disastrous has happened to him.There is much for the reader to enjoy in this psychological thriller of a town with secrets. Molly went from depending wholly upon her psychiatrist to finding strength within herself she didn’t know she had. There are quite a few characters, but their personalities are so distinct the reader will not have trouble keeping track. The three storylines pull together – eventually — in unexpected ways. In addition to the storylines, the author gives us realistic family situations. Rating: 4 out of 5.