The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore

It’s Laura Foster’s time. She raised her stepchildren, Lydia and Carson, after their mother died and helped her husband, Peter, with his work while putting her career on ice. Now she is back in the business world and doing well, the kids have grown up and left, and her training for the next Iron Man is spot on.

 

But strange accidents keep happening to Laura. The type of accidents that could get her killed. Is it a jealous coworker? Is it someone from Peter’s or even her own past? Or is it closer to home? As Laura starts investigating, she realises that Peter has not been as forthcoming as she thought about his past. A small lie told many years ago could be deadly...

 

It’s a quick read and while there were thriller elements involved, I’m not sure it was as much a psychological thriller. It goes into state of mind and the after-effects but I still didn’t feel it went that deeply.

 

The character I enjoyed the most was Shackler, the PI. Definitely not as slow as other characters made him out to be. But to be placed in the position he was at the end was not right at all.

Peter annoyed me with his lies and constant worrying. Considering Laura’s life was on the line, he really should have said something. His work, however, redeemed some of it!

I found Lydia’s attitude change toward Laura very quick and her character was not as genuine as I’d hoped.

 

The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that could continue or not. So it wasn’t that awful feeling when you get to the end and the book runs out. I thought the leap to “someone is trying to kill me” from brake fluid on the ground was a bit far. With the potholes around here, your whole tyre could have come off and no one would have batted an eyelash. The final confrontation was too quick. It all comes to a head and then it’s over. Just felt like the build-up was so long in the making and then the important part was rushed.

 

The editing was great with no glaring errors to interrupt the flow of reading. The writing that jumped between different narrators and first- and third-person POV made the action more present. While I enjoyed the book, I didn’t love it, but it is a good afternoon read.

 

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.