REVIEW: THE THREE BETHS, BY JEFF ABBOTT

 

My mom would never leave me.
This has been Mariah Dunning’s motto. Her compass. Her belief. So when she glimpses her mother–who’s been missing for the past year–on the other side of a crowded food court, Mariah’s conviction becomes stronger than ever. Or is she losing her mind?

An unlikely coincidence?
When Beth Dunning disappeared without a trace, suspicion for her murder-despite the lack of a body or any physical evidence-immediately fell upon Mariah’s father. Until Mariah stumbles upon two other recent disappearances from Lakehaven. And all three women had the same name: Beth.

Or a sinister connection?
Mariah would give anything to find out what happened to her mother and clear her father’s name. But the truth may be more devastating than she could have imagined…

 

My Thoughts: From the very beginning of The Three Beths, I was caught up in the story. Missing loved ones grab at the reader, making us more than curious. We feel empathy. We are drawn in by connections that seemingly appear out of nowhere.

When Police Detective Broussard dismisses Mariah’s conclusions about troubling events, I was even more eager to root for her. Why was he so invested in his own unproven theories? Did he have his own vendetta? He had known the victim and had “bad blood” with Mariah’s father, to whom he points rather recklessly, in my opinion.

But since we’re seeing events from Mariah’s perspective, we must hold back on our own conclusions.

As more troubling connections begin to surface, I couldn’t stop reading, wondering which theory would lead to answers. Who was the “third Beth?” How did she fit into the convoluted mysteries surrounding the other two? As twisted secrets and betrayals from the past surface in one huge confrontation, all the pieces fall into place. An unforgettable story that earned 5 stars.

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