“I was fourteen when I fell in love with a goddess. . .”

So begins the testimony of Noah Calaway, an ex-lawyer with a sideline in armchair criminal psychology. Now living an aimless life in an inherited cottage in the English countryside, Noah is haunted by the memory of the beguiling young woman who left him at the altar sixteen years earlier. Then one day he receives a troubling phone call. April, the woman he once loved, lies in a coma, the victim of an apparent overdose–and the lead suspect in a brutal murder. Deep in his bones, Noah believes that April is innocent. Then again, he also believed they would spend the rest of their lives together.

While Noah searches for evidence that will clear April’s name, a teenager named Ella begins to sift through the secrets of her own painful family history. The same age as April was when Noah first met her, Ella harbors a revelation that could be the key to solving the murder. As the two stories converge, there are shocking consequences when at last, the truth emerges.

Or so everyone believes. . .

Genre: Mystery / Thriller
My Rating: *** (3 stars)

I have to admit to mixed feelings about this book. It kept me in the dark for a large part of the story, but that’s to be expected from a good thriller. I felt like I would read through chapter after chapter waiting for another clue, or another piece of the past, and be given nothing but the tiniest of crumbs. This was sometimes so frustrating I had to put the book down. I wanted to know what was happening badly enough, however, that I never left it for long.

As for the characters, April is the only one I really cared what happened to. Noah’s intentions seemed noble enough, but I had to wonder how it was possible for him to be so completely in the dark after so much had happened, and so much time had passed, giving him time to think about it. (sorry to be vague – trying to remain spoiler free!)

Overall not a bad story, and I didn’t see all of the twists coming. If it had moved along a little more quickly, I think The Beauty of the End would have been a 4 star read for me.

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Have you read The Beauty of the End? If so, I’d love to hear what you thought!

 

NOTE: I was provided with a free copy in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.