Marley Henderson and Thea Wright were best friends from the time they were toddlers. Their mothers were best friends and they even lived next door to each other. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it? It wasn't. Both mothers struggled with addictions. Even so, Marley, Thea and Thea's step-brother kept a close relationship into adulthood. That relationship shattered as the result of a series of events culminating with the discovery of Thea's body amidst the ruins of a fire determined to be arson that she was responsible for.
Thea's step-brother and Marley team up to try to prove Thea didn't commit suicide as the police suspect. BURN IT ALL, a novel by Maggie Auffarth is told in Marley's and Thea's voices during different time periods. Skillfully handled, just when readers think they know who these characters are, the author shocks us by revealing information that dispels this. Gradually, it becomes obvious that Marely and Thea don't know each other as well as they thought. Each kept secrets buried deep within themselves. Make no mistake, the characters in this story are deeply flawed, but they are bonded by something that even they might not understand.
The narrative is well-plotted. What I found especially intriguing is that I never really knew what direction the story was going and because of this, I found BURN IT ALL to be immersive. The deeper Marley digs for the truth, the more complicated things become. As for the results, they were unexpected. For those looking for a compelling and engrossing, psychological thriller, BURN IT ALL is that book. Highly recommended.
BURN IT ALL candidly deals with serious issues including suicide, betrayal and addictions.
This propulsive debut psychological thriller set in small-town Georgia explores rage, redemption, and the many layers of toxic friendship, perfect for fans of Andrea Bartz and Rachel Hawkins.Marley Henderson is having the worst year of her life. First, a drunken mistake costs her everything, including her engagement and her closest friend, Thea. Then, a series of cruel rumors make her an outcast in the small, Georgia community she calls home. Finally, a string of vicious arsons rip through town, leaving unchecked destruction—and Thea’s body—in their wake.To the police, the case is cut-and-dry. Thea Wright was an unstable woman with a troubled history, and, with no evidence to suggest otherwise, it seems clear that she was responsible—not only for her own death but for dozens of arsons in the months preceding it. To Marley, though, the truth is less obvious.Reeling from the loss, Marley teams up with her ex-fiancé to uncover the truth, but the deeper she digs into the night of Thea’s death, the murkier the truth becomes, not just about the fires that have been raging through town all summer, but about the woman she thought she knew. To get to the truth, Marley will have to face Thea’s lies, as well as the darkness she thought she put behind her long ago.Told in alternating POVs and dual timelines, Burn It All will have suspense fans flying through each twist and turn to reach the stunning conclusion.
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