Suspense

4.5 stars.

What Remains of Her by Eric Rickstad is an electrifying mystery set in rural Vermont.

Jonah Baum returns home from work one evening to discover his wife Rebecca and seven year old daughter Sally have disappeared. He quickly contacts his friend and neighbor Sheriff Maurice Welch who rapidly organizes a search party to look for the missing duo. With no evidence to go on, Maurice calls in the state police to aid in the investigation. Jonah is their number one (and practically) only suspect and despite the Sheriff's best efforts to protect him, the cloud of suspicion lingers over Jonah long after the case goes cold.

Unable to function yet remaining hopeful Rebecca and Sally will one day return home, Jonah retreats from society and lives a solitary life in an abandoned cabin deep in the woods. Twenty-five years later, he sporadically maintains contact with Maurice's daughter and Sally's best friend, Lucinda. Despite the passage of time, she still struggles with the unanswered questions about her missing friend. Working as a part-time deputy, a case in the present brings up those long ago memories and Lucinda makes a stunning discovery that completely upends her world.

Jonah still bears the scars of his horrific childhood but with Maurice's help, he has gained control of his volatile emotions. At the time Rebecca and Sally disappear, they are struggling to make ends meet and there is tension between Jonah and his wife. When questioned by Maurice and the state police, Jonah carefully edits his answers which contributes to the suspicions he might have hurt his wife and child. With absolutely no evidence to support the police's theory and no new leads, Jonah never gives up hope Rebecca and Sally will be found.

Lucinda's life is forever changed by the unsolved disappearance of Sally and Rebecca. Now in her early thirties, the chance to make a childhood dream come true is within her grasp when an urgent new case demands all of her attention. In the course of this investigation, she is distracted by her memories of Sally. Never expecting to find new information about her missing friend in the long cold case, Lucinda is absolutely flabbergasted by her unexpected discoveries.

What Remains of Her is a spellbinding mystery with a compelling storyline and a cast of multi-layered characters. The plot is intricately executed and the setting is quite atmospheric. Eric Rickstad builds the tension and suspense to a fever pitch and brings this incredible mystery to a twist-filled and shocking conclusion that will completely satisfy readers. I highly recommend this enthralling novel to fans of the genre.
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What Remains of Her is Eric Rickstad's latest book.

Jonah Baum's wife Rebecca and young daughter Sally went missing twenty five years ago from their home in Vermont. Jonah has never been the same from that day. He's living in a run down cabin in the forest, eschewing society, but hoping against hope that they might still be found. Sally's friend Lucinda might remember something still.....

When another little girl is lost in the woods, it is Jonah who finds her. Is she real or has Jonah's mind finally broken?

I liked the idea of the long disappearance and memories from a child perhaps holding the answers. The other little girl, Gretel was an unexpected entry in the plot. (Really? Gretel? Fairy tale lost in the woods Gretel?) And I think it was here that Rickstad lost me. Much time is spent on this mystery child with the plot going in directions that seemed utterly ridiculous. The mystery itself has limited options as to the whodunnit is. (Fairly easy to suss out.) The police investigation I was hoping for never really happened. (And c'mon - clues left for 25 years in the victim's house?!)

Sorry, this one was overdone and overwrought in my opinion. ( )

What Remains of Her from Eric Rickstad is a thoroughly enjoyable read on several levels. The writing is very good and adds to the overall experience as compared to simply telling a story.

What will likely grip most readers initially is the almost claustrophobic atmosphere, which is a masterful trick since it is taking place largely in the countryside and small towns. Yet the internal workings of the characters works with the wintry mountainous land to create an atmosphere that is both ominous and claustrophobic.

The mystery itself is very good and while many clues are offered about what may have happened, they do not give away the whodunit aspect of the story. Just ignore the people who think that by claiming to have known the outcome they are making a statement about their analytical abilities. The statement they are making is the opposite of what they think. Yes, at some points while reading you will think the correct solution, but you will also think several others unless you are incapable of taking in very much information, in which case you're as likely to overload on the wrong solution as the right one. In other words, this works fine as a whodunit for those most interested in that aspect of a mystery.

The strength, I think, is Rickstad's ability to make the reader feel what his protagonists are feeling. As information is revealed and possibilities open up the whodunit aspect often takes a backseat to the human psychology aspect. How events affect people, how our pasts influence us well beyond whatever may seem obvious. The process of getting to a solution is every bit as enjoyable as the actual arrival.

I would recommend this to readers of mysteries, suspense, and rural noir. The characters are well developed and the journey is at least as important as the destination. While you will certainly be wanting to know where you're headed you will also savor the atmospheric meanderings, both physical and mental.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers. ( )

Really enjoyed this book. One of my top reads of the year. ( )