A Knives Out-style whodunnit with a twist of Taylor Jenkins Reid, You Must Remember This is an immersive Gothic mystery, with a long-ago love affair, icy death, and a rich family gone bad, from Kat Rosenfield, the acclaimed author of No One Will Miss Her.
On Christmas Eve, eighty-five-year-old Miriam Gardiner walks onto the vast frozen river behind her home. As a younger woman, she used to steal out on winter nights to meet her lover, walking straight across the ice to their secret meeting place. She knows the way—but not the year. Miriam, her mind clouded by dementia, doesn’t hear the snap of thin ice until it’s too late.
Was it an accident? Suicide? Or worse: did someone urge the old woman onto the frozen river on purpose?
There are plenty of suspects; Miriam’s fractured and complicated family has gathered in their Bar Harbor mansion to celebrate what they already thought would likely be the matriarch’s last Christmas. The guests include Delphine, Miriam’s granddaughter, a frightened and insecure young woman who adored her grandmother, and Miriam’s live-in nurse, Adam, a handsome man from a working-class background, whom Delphine has been secretly dating. Then there’s Miriam’s children: Nicole, who hated being thrust into the role of caretaker; Diana, whose deadbeat husband has long been a family joke; and Richard, who always said they’d all be better off if Mother would just hurry up and die. But it’s Delphine who comes in for the greatest scrutiny when they learn the shocking news that Miriam’s will cut off her children, and left the entire estate to Delphine only.
As her relatives obsess over getting the will thrown out, Delphine begins to notice inconsistencies in their stories and is emboldened to start investigating…until the trail seems to lead her onto thin ice as well. ~taken from Goodreads
On Christmas Eve, eighty-five-year-old Miriam Gardiner walks onto the vast frozen river behind her home. As a younger woman, she used to steal out on winter nights to meet her lover, walking straight across the ice to their secret meeting place. She knows the way—but not the year. Miriam, her mind clouded by dementia, doesn’t hear the snap of thin ice until it’s too late.
Was it an accident? Suicide? Or worse: did someone urge the old woman onto the frozen river on purpose?
There are plenty of suspects; Miriam’s fractured and complicated family has gathered in their Bar Harbor mansion to celebrate what they already thought would likely be the matriarch’s last Christmas. The guests include Delphine, Miriam’s granddaughter, a frightened and insecure young woman who adored her grandmother, and Miriam’s live-in nurse, Adam, a handsome man from a working-class background, whom Delphine has been secretly dating. Then there’s Miriam’s children: Nicole, who hated being thrust into the role of caretaker; Diana, whose deadbeat husband has long been a family joke; and Richard, who always said they’d all be better off if Mother would just hurry up and die. But it’s Delphine who comes in for the greatest scrutiny when they learn the shocking news that Miriam’s will cut off her children, and left the entire estate to Delphine only.
As her relatives obsess over getting the will thrown out, Delphine begins to notice inconsistencies in their stories and is emboldened to start investigating…until the trail seems to lead her onto thin ice as well. ~taken from Goodreads
When I saw that author Kat Rosenfield had a new novel coming out I was so excited! I LOVED her book, "No One Will Miss Her". Her writing style was phenomenal and she did a magnificent job setting up scenes and characters. Reading the synopsis for this newest novel had me so excited. It sounded like a fast-paced, who-dun-it, not-what-you-think type of thriller. It was not.
I liked the main setting of this story. The Whispers is a mansion on the sea that dates back decades. Too big to be occupied as a whole, it has entire wings that haven't been lived in for years. There are also secret rooms and passageways from when the original owner built it 100+ years ago. It's a spooky, gothic setting that I enjoyed very much.
The characters themselves were a hoot! A good mix of funny and uptight family members that I think any reader can relate to. They have all come together to spend what they assume will be the last holiday with Miriam, their mother/grandmother. None of them actually seem to want to be there, but since their inheritance is on the line, they must put up appearances.
This story alternates from present day, told from the perspective of Delphine, Mariam's granddaughter, and the 1940's from a younger Mariam's perspective. It was fun to read the story of Mariam's past and try to figure out who, if anyone, from her past might want to harm her all these years later. It was also fun to read about how The Whispers was back in its heyday when it was grand, regal and full of life.
Most of story is predictable, so it drags on and on and seems like it never really picks up. Honestly, it if weren't for the flashbacks, I probably would have given up on this novel. Even the parts that are meant to be plot twists weren't that interesting. The ending, however, was amazing but not because of the story itself.
I'm not sure if Rosenfield saw the future or decided to write a pop culture easter egg into her book for fun, but I really enjoyed it! I was wondering if the Prosecco was actually going to be added and was laughing out loud when it finally was!
All in all, this wasn't a horrible read, I think the disappointment came because the set up was over-hyped. It was a solid 3 star read for me. I look forward to Kat Rosenfield's next novel.
Thanks to Edelweiss and William Morrow for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. "You Must Remember This" is set to be released January 10, 2023 here in the U.S. so pre-order now!
Happy Reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment