DESCRIPTION:
Ten years ago, a group of teenage American summer campers came to São Miguel, an island in the lush and isolated Azores archipelago, for a rugged five-week hiking and heritage trip . But on what became the camp’s last summer in São Miguel, a clue surfaced related to a local legend of buried treasure. Lore had it that, along with vast monetary value, the treasure would turn everything in the finder’s life to gold. The summer devolved into a frenzied treasure hunt, and culminated in the disappearance of “it girl” camper, Sydney Azulay. Sydney was never seen again, rumored to have been murdered, and the treasure never found.
Now, a decade later, Sydney’s father is finally hosting a memorial service on São Miguel, and Sydney’s closest circle returns to honor her memory. Those who make the trip are her fellow campers, including Olivia, Sydney’s sister, once deemed the most likely to have been involved in Sydney’s disappearance; the aloof, handsome Aiden, the supervisor of their trip; and Jules, the counselor so close to her campers she was like another best friend. They’ve also all agreed to participate in a documentary probing what really happened to Sydney. But not everyone has innocent motives for returning to the island all these years later.
The group reunites in paradise and retraces their old haunts, hiking along crater lakes, strolling the town’s charming cobblestone streets, and submerging in thermal hot springs. But amidst the reunion, there are eerie sightings of a woman on the island who looks just like Sydney. And when the documentary filming reveals new, explosive truths, and fresh hints resurrect the tantalizing treasure hunt, the group begins to implode. Old feuds and betrayals reignite—and then one of them turns up dead.
Which means that a murderer has surfaced…again.
MY THOUGHTS:
The setup of this psychological thriller by Jaclyn Goldis has the feel of a documentary-style format. The story is centered around a woman’s disappearance. A group of friends and family gather for an exclusive get-together, but when one of the guests suddenly goes missing, the event quickly unravels. As clues emerge, secrets and lies begin to surface within the group.
Although the book starts off slowly, the multiple viewpoints and shifting timelines gradually build into a solid and engaging story. One central question begins to take shape: is this group truly as close-knit as it initially appears, or is there a fragility beneath the surface that could expose far more than any of them would want revealed?
I have a real fondness for locked-room mysteries, and this closed-circle setting made the story especially captivating. While friendship and loyalty are present, it is the darker undercurrents beneath those relationships that become most intriguing as the narrative unfolds. This is my second read by Jaclyn Goldis, and I found myself fully engaged throughout.
No comments:
Post a Comment