The addition of the podcast about Zoe's disappearance was genius. It was able to link past and present in a quick, efficient and fun format that gave both Anna and the audience all the information about Zoe gathered to date. Martina, the podcast creator, was determined to find out the truth. I liked that she also found herself questioning her own motives, was this really to help find Zoe or to further her desire to become a journalist? Lots of morally grey characters within these pages, which are my favourite kind of characters. The story unfolds in a strange sort of path, moving back and forth from Anna's arrival in Herron Mills to her being under arrest. Zoe's past is prominently portrayed through the podcast, but also through dialogue between Anna and others. Anna is a very flawed character, and her credibility is precarious, with her history of drinking and drug abuse. But, she is also sympathetic in her unwillingly being thrown into a situation she is unprepared for, ie. being a doppelgänger for a missing girl, while she is trying to start a new life away from her trouble making friends. The memories haunting her leave both the reader and Anna confused, pushing her to the brink of insanity. Are they just visions from an overactive imagination or has she been to Herron Mills before? What is real, what is fake, who can she really trust, and can she even trust herself? Anna's isolation makes everything more insidious and claustrophobic. The setting itself is immensely important to the book, and like Manderley (in Rebecca), is one of opulence and money. Herron Mills is a village within the Hamptons, with mansions on every street, a boutique town (stores are like being on Fifth Avenue), and Anna is given an entire pool house to stay in while she babysits for the summer. Anna continuously talks about the difference between her life in Brooklyn versus the life she is living in Herron Mills (highlighting the huge gap between rich and poor). Windermere, the estate similar to Manderley, has fallen into disrepair and has a haunting, dilapidated vibe. Mrs. Talbot, the owner, suffers from schizophrenia, and has taken to keeping birds within the sweeping old mansion (free to roam and poop wherever they wish). The building has become an outward representation of the secrets and darkness permeating throughout the village. This was such a gripping, eerie, wonderful read. Perfect for this time of year. Luckily, I had just read Rebecca last year, so it was fresh in my mind and I could make immediate connections between that novel and this one. This novel weaves a story about the things that haunt us, the ghosts that do not let us go, and the truths we hide from ourselves for protection. I had a hard time putting the novel down, wanting to find out the truth. It has been a long time since a book has kept me up late into the night reading.
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