What Remains Of Her by Eric Rickstad

A haunting tale of a disappearance twenty years ago, What Remains Of Her tells the story of those who were left behind.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Published: 24th July, 2018
Goodreads
Series: N/A
Rating: 5

Jonah Baum, a professor of poetry at a local college in Vermont, sees his ordinary life come tumbling down when his wife and young daughter vanish from their home. No evidence of a kidnapping. No sign of murder. No proof that Rebecca didn’t simply abandon her marriage. Just Sally’s crude and chilling drawings, Jonah’s little lies, and the sheriff’s nagging fears that nothing is what it seems.
For Sally’s best friend, Lucinda, it’s something else. She trusts in Sally not to just disappear, not after they’ve shared so many secrets—especially about the woods and what they saw there. But she’ll never tell. No one would believe her anyway.
As the search for Rebecca and Sally intensifies, and as suspicion falls on Jonah, the disappearances become more relentlessly haunting than anyone can imagine. Because what’s seen in the light of day is not nearly as terrifying as what remains hidden in the dark…

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The last thing I expect a mystery thriller to be, is a beautifully written, poignant account of pain, loss and grief. Yet, this style of writing is not something I’ve never came across in this genre, and I just love it every time it happens.

I’ve never been to Vermont, if it’s anything like in this book, I sure as hell don’t want to visit it during winter. The bitter cold and the small town buried under deep snow is however the perfect setting for this story with its utter bleakness.

Jonah did not only lose his wife and child back in 1987. He lost his home, his few friends he had, and even now, twenty-five years later the townies are looking at him with suspicion, and the way he behaves is clearly not doing him any favours. I’m sure we all know at least one Jonah. Evasive, always on the defensive side and with a barely contained temper. Did he do it? The fact that he’s now living in a cabin in the woods and doesn’t talk to anyone does not inspire confidence in his innocence for sure. People avoid him, and he avoids them. The occasional visitors up in the mountain get a shotgun in the face. Charming.

The mystery itself is quite a straightforward one: Sally and Rebecca disappear and we are clueless why.

So why should you read this, I hear you ask. Let’s see.

• Beautiful and vivid description of the snow covered little town.
• Constant second guessing of everything. What is even real?
• Spooky setting, dark woods, creepy shit lurking around the corner. Or is it?
• Lucinda, who from being a scared little girl not only blossoms into an independent young woman, but becomes deputy sheriff and plays an important role in solving the mystery that impacted her whole life.
• Dialogues that bite.
• An intriguing sub plot, that turns everything upside down.

Lyrical, yet unnerving, this story is the perfect companion for cold winter nights and spooky evenings!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.