THE SUBSTITUTE

Author:  Nicole Lundrigan

Genre:  Psychological Thriller, Standalone

Published:  2017

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  eBook

Yearly Count:  13

From NetGalley:

Warren Botts is a disillusioned Ph.D., taking a break from his lab to teach middle-school science. Gentle, soft-spoken, and lonely, he innocently befriends Amanda, one of his students. But one morning, Amanda is found dead in his backyard, and Warren, shocked, flees the scene.

As the small community slowly turns against him, an anonymous narrator, a person of extreme intelligence and emotional detachment, offers insight into events past and present. As the tension builds, we gain an intimate understanding of the power of secrets, illusions, and memories.

I usually only read for pleasure before going to sleep at night.  That actually doesn't provide much reading time - lights are off and lids are closing.  And, brain is shutting down.  Those little snippets at the end of a day didn't provide enough continuity for my sleepy brain, so I want to go back (during the daylight hours) and reread some, but I really did enjoy this book.  It was a bit slow going, but I was invested and wanted to know the outcome.  Also, there were some very graphic, gruesome scenes.  Be aware.

Thoughts of Joy

My thanks go to House of Anansi and NetGalley for providing me with the eGalley.