Until You're Mine
Until You're Mine was a fantastic read! I love a great thriller-- fast paced, complex plot and a great twist mean an all consuming afternoon of great reading. From the prologue to the ending, the reader is kept wondering about Zoe, the mysterious, cagey Nanny hired to help Claudia and James, a busy family of four whose expansion is rapidly impending, as Claudia is 8.5 months pregnant. Claudia is stepmother to two twin boys and a social worker. Woven into this story is the frightening occurrence of the murders of pregnant women, one of which is Claudia's client.
This novel is written from the viewpoint of three women-- Zoe, Claudia and Lorraine, the Detective Inspector in charge of investigating the case. Each have their own mini stories that add to not on the suspense but complexity of the plot. Lorraine and her husband Adam-- who's also on the police force, are struggling in their marriage, something that's affecting their two teen daughters, Grace especially. I found Grace's story line to be rather superfluous and the resolution to be anti climactic. That Lorraine and Adam couldn't just 'man up' was infuriating. Zoe's story line was a bit more complicated and multi-leveled, with the writer willingly leading the reader toward one assumption and then suddenly revealing, on a hairpin turn, another explanation.
I'll save the most surprising character twist of all for your discovery. Suffice it to say I read the last chapter and the Epilogue twice, trying to understand. I must say that epilogues, as of late, are starting to annoy me. What I think could be at least one or two more explanatory chapters becomes a dump of 'okay here's what else happened'.
I truly enjoyed this story, what a wild ride. It's rare that I read a book that makes me gasp aloud, OH My GOD! I'd definitely pick up more Samantha Hayes!