By: Stacie Grey
Narrator: Linda Jones
ISBN: 9781666660203
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: 05/14/2024
Format: Audio
My Rating: 4 Stars (ALC)
Twenty years ago, she survived. This time she may not be so lucky.
On the night that changed everything, Amy Brewer walked out of a house party, trudging angrily away from the friends who made her feel like she didn't belong. Within the next hour, all five of those friends would be dead.
The Memorial Day Massacre, as it came to be called, rocked their small California community and Amy―the girl who had walked away just in time―couldn't escape the media circus...or the guilt.
Twenty years later, ten people with connections to the crime have been invited to a remote cliffside house by a journalist looking to do a story on the murders. But the group quickly learns the event is not what it seems.
As a storm closes in and guests begin to die, Amy realizes there is someone in the house who knows more than they admit about what happened that night long ago… and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
My Review
Stacie Grey's SHE LEFT is a locked-room mystery murder thriller following a crime from twenty years ago and revisited years later at a remote cliffside house with a suspicious agenda.
The Memorial Day Massacre rocked the small California community. Amy was the girl who escaped. But there was always the media circling. She had walked out of a house party. Within the hour, all five of the friends would be dead.
Amy was the only survivor. She survived twenty years ago. However, this time around, she may not be so lucky.
There was a bombing, and all left in the house were killed. Now, Amy is an FBI agent and returns to the town for a weekend with a journalist writing a story about what happened that night and those linked to the crime. The 10 people are invited to the remote cliffside house.
As in most locked-in thrillers, things do not go as planned. Nothing is as it appears. A storm occurs, and the guests begin dying.
Someone in the house knows what happened that night. How far will they go to keep their secrets? What was the motive then and now?
In the vein of And Then There Were None with Agatha Christie vibes. SHE LEFT is an atmospheric murder mystery that ends abruptly.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Linda Jones (which I enjoy), and her performance was engaging.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
Praise
"Deliciously twisty―Agatha Christie would be spellbound."
― M.M. Chouinard, USA Today Bestselling author of The Dancing Girls
"In this engrossing mystery, a vividly drawn cast of characters, claustrophobic setting, and propulsive pacing will keep you flipping the pages until the final twist that will leave you reeling. Grey skillfully and lovingly plays within the rules of the genre while also bringing a fresh voice and perspective to the And Then There Were None premise that will delight not just Agatha Christie fans but fans of tense, clever and goosebump-inducing stories, as well. Clear your calendar for the day, because this is a one-sitting read!"
― Brianna Labuskes, best-selling author of A Familiar Sight
"Knives Out meets Lucy Foley's The Hunting Party in this tense, locked-room mystery. Be wary of invitations where everyone could be a suspect."
― Georgina Cross, author of One Night, Nanny Needed, and The Stepdaughter
"Readers who were raised on a steady diet of Agatha Christie will find much to love in She Left―the intriguing cast of suspects, the red herrings scattered through the story, and the sleuth who has to put it all together to get herself to safety. Grey's story is a satisfying riff on the classic mystery story structure that will keep readers guessing until the end."
― Eva Jurczyk, author of The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
"In She Left, Stacie Grey combines a clever setup with all the excitement of a classic whodunit, complete with a compelling cast of characters (and suspects). The tension grabbed me from the first page and ratcheted up relentlessly with each scene."
― Elle Grawl, author of One of Those Faces and What Still Burns
"She Left by Stacie Grey, with its sharp writing, a cunning locked-room setting, and eerie atmosphere, reads like a modern-day Agatha Christie, and has all the hallmarks of a can’t-put-it-down thriller."
― Ashley Tate, author of Twenty-Seven Minutes
"Immersive and hypnotizing, She Left is the effortless summer read that will enthrall you from the first chapter. Suspense and mystery lovers will find each character to be convincingly suspicious, and the decades-past crime to be full of compelling unanswered questions. Start this in the morning because Grey's taut writing will drive you to finish this book in one sitting."
― Elle Marr, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Alone Time and The Family Bones
About the Author
Stacie Grey is an author and fan of mysteries who lives in Alameda, California, with her husband and dog. In what passes for normal life, she works in biotech research. She mostly posts to Instagram and Mastodon, and occasionally writes a newsletter. She is currently learning to play the Murder, She Wrote theme on the harp. WEBSITE
