Although the blurb doesn't mention it, I hope the author will
not hold it against me, but I feel a moral obligation to issue
a trigger warning. THE GIRL I USED TO BE deals with sexual
violence against women, which could prove disturbing to some
readers; on the other hand, the book could prove to be
cathartic as well.
Gemma Brogan's real estate business is not as stable as it once
was, neither is her marriage to her husband Joe. She can't make
time for her son Rory because she works all the time, but she
can't help it as Joe is a stay-at-home father, and doesn't seem
concerned about getting a job. A new client, David Sanderson,
looks like someone willing to spend a lot, and Gemma needs the
money, so he needs to be coddled a bit. When attending an out-
of-town training conference, which Gemma sees as a bit of a
holiday from home, David happens to be staying at the same
hotel. Grateful that he rescues her from a aggravating
colleague, Gemma accepts to have dinner with David. She already
had a couple of drinks; Gemma hadn't been drinking much since
her university days, but that evening she imbibes way too much.
So much so, that the next morning she can't recall anything
that happened after she barely made it to her room. Joe mustn't
know, what if he thinks she cheated on him ... Did she?
THE GIRL I USED TO BE had me on tenterhooks, not exactly from
the beginning, and this is demonstrates Mary Torjussen's
impeccable sense of pacing and her superior ability to
structure her story so that you become interested in the people
first, so when disaster strikes, you feel completely involved.
Told in first person, mostly from Gemma's point-of-view, at
first it felt more like watching the life of an ordinary woman
with ordinary concerns slowly unravel, but when she is pestered
by threatening photos, videos, and messages, things soon get
out of hand, and the magic begins. Having devoured mysteries
from a tender age, I treat suspense novels as if I were going
to be quizzed afterwards. I pay attention to every
little detail, so I had partially figured out who was
responsible, but I was entirely mystified as to what was going
on and why. To my astonishment, my interest did not wane for a
moment, on the contrary. Ms. Torjussen builds the tension so
expertly, that I was glued to the page, I couldn't wait to see
what would happen next, and by the end I was almost frantic!
The characters are exceptionally well defined: flawed, human,
some utterly revolting, and my allegiances shifted a few times
when faced with new facts, and no red herrings whatsoever! I
was completely absorbed, I cared about Gemma, even when she
wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing -- and neither was
I. I worried about how she would fare, and by the
fantastically exciting -- and realistically terrifying --
conclusion, my manicure was shot, and it was well worth it! The
writing itself is excellent. It's very smooth and natural, and
so effective that I felt everything was happening without the
aid of the brilliant author who breathed life into those
characters. A lot of so-called psychological suspense novels
aren't really what they pretend to be, but THE GIRL I USED TO
BE is the real deal: a story that will keep you on the edge of
your seat until the very end.
The acclaimed author of Gone Without a Trace delivers
another twisting novel of psychological suspense in which a
woman is backed against a wall--with nothing left to
lose...
The morning after real estate agent Gemma
Brogan has dinner with a prospective client, she's furious
at herself for drinking so much. But there will be more to
regret than a nasty hangover.
She starts receiving
mementos from that night: A photo of a hallway kiss. A video
of her complaining about her husband. And worse...much
worse. The problem is she doesn't remember any of
it.
As the blackmailing and menace ramp up, Gemma
fears for her already shaky marriage. The paranoia, the
feeling that her life is spiraling out of control, will take
her back to another night--years ago--that changed
everything. And Gemma will realize just how far the shadows
from her past can reach...