Luanne Rice
February 1, 2021
Thomas & Mercer
Blurb: After artist Claire Beaudry Chase is attacked and left for dead in her home on the Connecticut coast, she doesn’t know who she can trust. But her well-connected husband, Griffin—who is running for governor—is her prime suspect.
Just before the attack, Claire was preparing for an exhibit of her shadow boxes, one of which clearly accuses Griffin of a violent crime committed twenty-five years ago. If the public were to find out who her husband is, his political career would be over. Claire’s certain her husband and his powerful supporters would kill her to stop the truth from getting out.
When one of Claire’s acquaintances is murdered, the authorities suspect the homicide is linked to the attack on Claire. As the dual investigations unfold, Claire must decide how much she’s willing to lose to take down her husband and the corrupt group of elites who will do anything to protect Griffin’s interests and their own.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Shop your local indie bookstore
For any would-be writer who wonders the best way to begin a book, I suggest you pick up The Shadow Box by Luanne Rice. Immediately the reader is thrown into the desperate situation of Claire Beaudry Chase regaining consciousness after being attacked by a masked assailant. Claire is pretty certain she knows who her attacker is, that he’s left her for dead but will return for her body’s “discovery,” and that she only has a very small window to escape and disappear. Knowing that she must be clever, because her very powerful husband, Griffin, will use every resource available to find her and make sure that she is dead, once and for all.
I did not want to put this book down. Rice has created a very clever, deftly plotted book, rich with setting and characters. While I always loved her warm-hearted sister fiction, I have to say that these psychological thrillers she’s been writing show an author at the top of her game.
The novel is told through multiple POVs, two of whom, Tom and Conor, we met in last year’s Last Day (you can read my review here) as well as different time periods to provide relevant backstory. Rice has pieced together like a jigaw. This piece fits here and that there, to give us a complete picture of who Griffin Chase is, his friends and colleagues, and how Claire has come to be in her current situation. But even after all of the pieces have come together, Rice doesn’t let the reader off the hook. A thrilling conclusion to masterful storytelling.
If you love psychological thrillers, you’ll probably like this one. You do not need to have read Last Day to enjoy The Shadow Box.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating:
5 out of 5 butterflies
One thought on “The Shadow Box by Luanne Rice”