Some things you can't forget.
A body hanging from the infamous History Tree unraveled
their teenage love. Now Maura Antrim is again tangled up with Brock McGovern.
Twelve years later, they're back where that murder occurred -- where Brock had
been arrested and then released, where Maura had run, too scared to stand by
his side. But with two women missing, and Brock now an FBI agent, Maura is
determined to help. Together, they'll have to confront a threat that never died
and see if their passion has withstood the test of time.
Terrific book that sucked me in right from the start. It
began with a prologue when Maura and Brock were eighteen-year-olds working at a
local resort. They were in love and had plans for the future. But the horrific
sight of a body hanging from the notorious History Tree, and Brock's subsequent
arrest as a person of interest, derailed their plans. Even though he was released
almost immediately, Maura's parents had taken her away. Now Maura is back at
the resort filming videos and fighting the memories. Brock, who followed
through with his plans and became an FBI agent, is sent to the resort to
investigate the disappearance of several women and the remains of another.
I enjoyed the rekindling of the romance between Maura and
Brock. They were stunned to see each other again after so many years. Their
initial interactions were awkward. Brock remembered his heartbreak as Maura
disappeared from his life, and she spent years hurt and angry that he never
contacted her. But underneath the awkwardness and anger burned the feelings
that never went away. I liked seeing them reconnect and get to know the people
they have become since the events twelve years earlier. As they spent time together
working on the disappearances, the chemistry and feelings between them
continued to grow. Brock was protective of Maura and worried about her as the
investigation heated up. Meanwhile, Maura worried just as much about him. I
felt Brock's fear over Maura's safety at the end, and Maura's confidence that
he would find her. I liked how they came together at the end, with their young
love maturing to match who they are today.
The suspense of the story was very good. I was drawn in
immediately by Maura's recounting of the story of the history tree and the
ghost Gyselle. The descriptions were vivid, and I felt as though I was there. The
terror at the sight of the hanging body leapt off the page. Twelve years later,
FBI agent Brock was specifically requested to come to Florida to help with the
investigations. That the person doing the requesting was the same detective who
had arrested Brock was a nice touch, and gave an extra layer of déjà vu to the
story. Maura arrived at the same time to do a video about the History Tree with
her client. The presence of so many of the people from that previous summer
gave Brock a wide variety of possible suspects for his investigation as it
began to look like the resort was at the center of the disappearances. Every
time I thought I had the villain figured out, someone else would make me
question my decision. The tension increased as Brock moved closer to solving
the crime, and he became especially concerned for Maura's safety. I was on the
edge of my seat as his fears came to pass. I loved Maura's presence of mind and
determination as she refused to become a victim. The final confrontation had an
unexpected twist to it, as my suspicions about one character proved true, but I
was blindsided by the involvement of another.
I liked catching up with the characters from that first
summer. Besides the changes that Brock and Maura went through, it was
interesting to see what transpired for the others. Some truly surprised me
while others hadn't changed at all. I also liked the bit at the end about
Brock's life in New York and his connection with Finnegan's.
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