Review: Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne

Lisa Ballantyne, international bestselling author of The Guilty One, delivers a compelling domestic thriller with impeccably observed characters and masterful edge-of-your-seat storytelling in a novel that leaps between past and present with page-turning finesse

They’re calling it the worst pile-up in London history. Driving home, Margaret Holloway has her mind elsewhere—on a troubled student, her daughter’s acting class, the next day’s meeting—when she’s rear-ended and trapped in the wreckage. Just as she begins to panic, a disfigured stranger pulls her from the car just seconds before it’s engulfed in flames. Then he simply disappears.

Though she escapes with minor injuries, Margaret feels that something’s wrong. She’s having trouble concentrating. Her emotions are running wild. More than that, flashbacks to the crash are also dredging up lost associations from her childhood, fragments of events that were wiped from her memory. Whatever happened, she didn’t merely forget—she chose to forget. And somehow, Margaret knows deep down that it’s got something to do with the man who saved her life.

As Margaret uncovers a mystery with chilling implications for her family and her very identity, Everything She Forgot winds through a riveting dual narrative and asks the question: How far would you go to hide the truth—from yourself…?

Kindle Edition, 432 pages

Expected publication: October 6th 2015 by William Morrow Paperbacks 

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

I wouldn't quite say that this book is as suspenseful as some people have made it out to be. I had it figured out fairly early on. That isn't to say that I wasn't drawn to it and ripping through the pages. It was more of a case of wanting to know if I was right.

Admittedly I found the book to be a little slow and dull in the beginning. It took a few sessions of picking it up and putting it down before I became invested in it. Once that happened, the multiple narratives and time lines began to make a lot more sense and I began enjoying some of the characters.

Although this book wasn't the shocker that it was made out to be I still think that it was worth the read. I don't want to go into details for fear of giving it away. Just because I had it figured out very early on doesn't mean that everyone will. With a little effort to get through the beginning, the rest of the story was interesting and enjoyable. In the end I really liked it and the family drama/suspense angle that it took.

About the Author

 Lisa Ballantyne was born in Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland and studied English literature at University of St Andrews. She lived and worked in China for many years and started writing seriously while she was there. She now lives in Glasgow. 

Connect with Lisa

Website/Twitter/Goodreads