Title: The Caretakers
Author: Eliza Maxwell
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Introduction: "The screams have long since died away. The bloodstains, like the memories, have faded brown with time, obscured beneath a fine layer of dust. Mildew creeps along the peeling floral wallpaper. The window frames are soft with rot."
Standout Quote: “A lie told out of kindness is less of a sin than the cruelty of a harsh truth.”
The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell, man, this novel... it got me. The book is written in such a different way from many mystery thriller novels that I've read. I typically read novels that are in a first person perspective, but this one is in third person. I know, I know, third person perspective isn't everyone's favorite, but hear me out- this is the best novel I've read this year.
The storyline is this: Tessa is a reporter who makes a documentary about someone that she believes to be wrongfully incarcerated for murder. Consequently, he is released and she is thrilled to have done something good for another person who she's come to know quite well. That is, until he shares a video telling the world that he has murdered again. The floor seems to fall out from beneath Tessa and she starts to spiral, becoming hated for her role in his release.
All the while, Tessa's mother had urged her to come home and to reconcile with her sister, which Tessa refused. However, she has no choice when her mother passes away and the sisters are forced to get together to go over their inheritance and sort out their mother's estate. It is during this time that Tessa and her sister Margot learn of an estate that had been passed down by their mother; Fallbrook. Eager for an escape, Tessa travels to this ruined estate and finds friendship and solace with the caretakers. As the novel continues on, nothing is as it seems.
Just... drama. And suspense. And thrill. Every time I thought I knew where this book was going, it got me again. I do have a soft spot for books with twists and this one doesn't disappoint.
Another important note is that Eliza Maxwell tends to craft stories with a lot of little sub-plots and I can't think of one that wasn't tied up nicely at the end. That said, I took a peek at some of the reviews and this was actually frequently listed as something that readers did not like: having too many sub-plots. I wanted to mention that so that no one is surprised by the number of threads that this novel follows.
Overall, this is a keeps-you-on-your-toes kind of mystery that had me reading well past my (self-imposed) bedtime, just to find out what happens next.
Content Warning: Violence
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