Jessica (HDB)

Well now, color me pleasantly surprised! You'll have to pardon my dubious nature when it comes to Thrillers lately. I've read more than my fair share of books that strung me along, following predictable twists and turns, then ultimately leaving me with an unsatisfying ending. Needless to say, I went into Take the Fall with a bit of trepidation. That quickly fell away though, the more that I read. Emily Hainsworth seems like a force to be reckoned with.

First off, major kudos to this book for making me truly feel unsettled. Sonia's character was so believable, that I couldn't help but feel invested in her. As the story grew, and Gretchen's true nature came to life, I found myself completely involved in figuring out who the killer was. There were so many characters presented to me as possible candidates, that I worried things would fall off the rails. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at the unsettling feeling that there truly wasn't a single person who could be trusted. It's an amazing feeling to actually have no idea who the culprit is, even 10 or so pages from the ending.

Which brings me to the story itself. Take the Fall is actually very well paced. The beginning was a bit slow, but soon a trail of clues was slowly laid out in front of me, taunting me to help Sonia figure things out. I think this was the first book in a long time where I didn't feel purposely mislead. Everything felt realistic and, once I reached the ending, my mouth fell open. This was fabulous. Maybe not perfect, but definitely close. Any story that can pass the blame from character to character, without feeling forced, is alright in my book.

All I have to say, is bravo! I thoroughly enjoyed this. Bring on more Emily Hainsworth.