Still Mine by Amy Stuart | Review

Still Mine by Amy Stuart

Published: March 1, 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 320

Received: from publisher for honest review

Find Online: Goodreads | Amazon

The Girl on the Train meets The Silent Wife in this taut psychological thriller.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU VANISH FROM YOUR LIFE AND LEAVE NO STORY BEHIND?

SOMEONE WILL MAKE ONE UP FOR YOU.

Clare is on the run.

From her past, from her ex, and from her own secrets. When she turns up alone in the remote mining town of Blackmore asking about Shayna Fowles, the local girl who disappeared, everyone wants to know who Clare really is and what she's hiding. As it turns out, she's hiding a lot, including what ties her to Shayna in the first place. But everyone in this place is hiding something from Jared, Shayna's golden-haired ex-husband, to Charlie, the charming small-town drug pusher, to Derek, Shayna's overly involved family doctor, to Louise and Wilfred, her distraught parents.

Did Shayna flee? Was she killed? Is it possible she's still alive?

As Clare uncovers the mysteries around Shayna's disappearance, she must confront her own demons, moving us deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of lies and making us question what it is she's really running from. Twisting and electrifying, this is a get-under-your-skin thriller that will make you question what it means to lose yourself and find yourself in the most unlikely places. 

I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was how you had to uncover more than one story - what happened to Clare and why she was in Blackmore and what happened to Shayna and why? Not only are you dealing with the mysterious disappearance, but you have a secondary mystery to unravel as well. It was very interesting to have this cross over. 

Clare's backstory was a little predictable once you found out more, but the interesting story of how she came to be in Blackmore was the intriguing part. You understand why she left her life, but not why is looking for this missing woman. It's pretty crazy and not what I would have thought at all. 

And Shayna, well her story is messed up too. I thought I had it all figured out, but then second guessed myself because I then thought my person of interest was too obvious and kept changing my ideas. Finally, I just stopped thinking and let it unravel quickly while reading it. 

I was engrossed by the stories of the town people and their way of life in such a remote place. Everyone knows one another, but not everyone gets along. There are long standing family feuds, gossips, and unemployed stragglers. The mix of people leave so many suspects and a lot of work for Clare. 

I loved that it was set in a mostly abandoned mountain town with so many colourful people. A nice change of pace from books set in cities or exotic locales. 

If you're looking for a good mystery novel for a summer read, this just might the book for you! It's engaging and a quick read.

About the author: 

Amy Stuart’s first novel, Still Mine, was recently released with Simon & Schuster Canada and is forthcoming with Touchstone Books in the US.

Currently at work on the sequel to Still Mine, Amy's writing has previously appeared in Exile Quarterly, the Vanderbilt CVC Anthology, Freefall Magazine and the Globe and Mail. She won the 2011 Writers’ Union of Canada Short Fiction Competition and was a finalist for the 2012 Vanderbilt/Exile Award. In 2012, Amy completed her MFA in Creative Writing through UBC under the mentorship of writer Lisa Moore. When not writing, she is a guidance counsellor at an alternative high school.

Amy was born in Toronto where she still lives with her husband and their three sons. Aside from writing, she loves hockey. Ice hockey. -source

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