Author: Zoë Rankin
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 384
Date of Publication: September 16, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
A shocking murder in the New Zealand bush—and the witness who looks all too familiar—draws a woman back to the very place she swore she’d never return to in this breakneck debut thriller.
A child who ran from the forest.
A child who ran from the forest.
A woman who must return to it
Growing up with her younger siblings in the unforgiving New Zealand bush, Effie believed their parents had cut them off from civilization because they loved Nature. She never suspected that their reasons might be more menacing. After witnessing a terrifying episode of violence, she escaped the wilderness to forge a life for herself halfway across the globe.
Now, when she learns the only witness to a murder is a little girl who looks just like her, Effie is compelled to return to the scene of her troubled childhood, where the secrets of her upbringing and the terrors of her past come rushing back to the surface. In order to find out once and for all what became of her family—and possibly help this mysterious girl who could be her younger self—Effie must face her greatest fears once more.
MY THOUGHTS:
A debut novel that will knock your socks off! Set in the New Zealand bush where our protagonist Effie thought she left for good. The town is Koraha, where she never wanted to go again. As the intensity of the story builds and builds, Effie’s busy journey is chronicled.
It certainly wasn’t an easy journey, but Effie managed to escape her treacherous life. However, an emotional plea for her return arises after a girl who appears eerily similar to her is discovered in a state of dire condition. The girl is silent, but she is also a witness to a murder. So, Effie reluctantly agrees to return to Koraha.
Effie’s thoughts, emotions and trauma from the past that was deeply buried start to come to the surface. During Effie’s internal battle, the girl remains silent. Effie is nonetheless determined to find answers.
This dual-timeline story gives voice to Effie’s struggles as a child all while she strives to help the girl identified as Anya, who remains completely silent. This highly emotional and compelling read is sure to stir your emotions. The reader will no doubt root for Effie, but also Anya, all while trying to figure out the direction the story takes. With danger facing Effie and Anya at every turn, the incredibly intense book was impossible to put down.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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