I received this book from Netgalley and Crown Publishing, Penguin Random House for exchange for an honest review.
When I began this, I wanted to put it in my DNF pile. The cast of characters is very large and is presented right away. It was a bit confusing, especially since gender wasn't evident by the names given. However, once I got past this and read on I couldn't put this book down.
I loved it.
This is the story of a group of friends that first met in college. On a dark and stormy night (of course) the stumble into Philly's own Eastern State Penitentiary. It's old, abandoned, creepy, and the group is locked inside. During the night one of the friends, a recent bride, disappears and is not found for a long, long time.
Years later a skeleton is found stuffed into a tunnel of the prison, prompting the case to be reopened.
In a separate narrative, Judith Carrigan reveals that she has been keeping a secret from everyone she knows, one that she's terrified will cause her to lose all those that matter to her. She is the only one who can save the suspect in her friends murder from all those years ago in the Penitentiary, and is weighing whether or not to take the risk to do so.
The characters in this story are extremely complex and well drawn. It is written vividly and does not disappoint. The viewpoints go back and forth between the past and present, and Judith's secrets start to fall away one by one.
This story is original and filled with twists and turns. I thought I had the ending figured out, and was very surprised when I was proved wrong. When I began reading I wasn't sure what I was going to be in for, and after my initial reluctance I'm so glad I kept going. This is one of the better books I've read in awhile. I absolutely would recommend this for anyone who likes a good mystery!
4/5 stars
