Review: Cross Her Heart

Cross Her Heart

Sarah Pinborough

Lisa seems like an ordinary woman with a teenager daughter and a stable job. But, she has a secret. One that she's kept from everyone around her including her daughter and her best friend, Marilyn. Marilyn has her own secret, an abusive husband. She'd like to tell Lisa about it but, overcoming the shame she feels is making it difficult for her to open up. Before she manages to do so, Lisa's darker secret is revealed, shocking everyone, who thought they knew her, even Marilyn. Then Lisa disappears, and not long after her daughter Ava disappears. It falls to Marilyn to find a way to help the woman she once thought of as a friend, even if the police insist on preventing it.

I'm in two minds about this story. On some levels, I think it works well, with a structure that held my attention by flipping back and forth between different characters and between the past and present. This allowed me to get details of all the main characters and understand the secrets they carried from the past. But it seemed to make the story feel like it went on and on and on. By the time Lisa's nemesis is revealed I really couldn't remember much about her. There was a lot going on in this complex tale, and although it was suspenseful, I couldn't help but feel that I got bogged down in too many stories. All of this is a pity because the author had a very nice writing style.

Thanks to William Morrow Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.