BOOK REVIEW: The Closer You Get by Mary Torjussen @marytorjussen @berkleypub #thecloseryouget

I’ve been a big fan of Mary Torjussen ever since I read Gone Without a Trace (be sure to check out that book for a wild ride!!!) and so I look forward to her new book each time I see one coming! The Closer You Get showcases her talent in the psychological thriller space expertly! She takes a domestic situation that then turns it over—we see a woman’s life unravels so quickly and expertly that it is hard to even piece together how she got here!

About the Book

They promised to tell their spouses they were leaving and then meet to begin their new life together. But he never shows up.

A new twisting novel of psychological suspense from the acclaimed author of Gone Without a Trace.

Coworkers Ruby and Harry are in love–but they’re married to other people. They decide to tell their spouses that their marriages are over and to start their new lives together. Ruby, who has wanted to leave her controlling husband for a while, tells him she’s leaving him and waits at the hotel where she and Harry are to meet. But Harry never shows up.

Suddenly, Ruby’s life has fallen apart, and she’s lost everything. Harry won’t answer her calls, and she’s fired from her job. She finds a cheap apartment in a run-down part of town, all the while wondering what happened to Harry.

Just as Ruby thinks she’s hit rock bottom, strange and menacing things start to happen–someone is sneaking into her apartment, and someone is following her home late at night–and she is going to have to fight for her survival.

Reflection

What a twisted tale this was! Mary Torjussen cranks up the psychological suspense in her novels through a string of small moments that leave the character (and the reader) feeling slightly off-kilter. I couldn’t put this down! A must-read for psychological thriller fans.

Ruby and her boss Harry are in love. Neither meant for it to happen, but they developed feelings and an instant connection over shared time together, and neither has been happy in their current marriages for some time. Now, they are ready to finally tell their spouses they are leaving them and in a few short hours they will reunite at a hotel and begin their new life together.

Though Ruby has been terrified of her controlling husband for years, she is emboldened by Harry’s love and support. So she does it. She leaves work, packs her car, and waits for her husband to get home. But when she arrives at the hotel later, Harry isn’t there. In fact, she waits all weekend and Harry never shows. Something must have happened, right? She’ll be able to talk to him Monday morning.

Only when Ruby arrives at work on Monday morning, her badge doesn’t work and she soon finds out she has been fired. Now, alone and jobless, Ruby tries to put together the pieces of how things went so wrong. Trapped in a low budget apartment and blacklisted from any jobs, Ruby still can’t reach Harry. Still, at least she isn’t back with her husband.

But then strange things begin to happen. Ruby is convinced someone is breaking into her place and following her. Who is stalking Ruby? And what happened with Harry? As Ruby struggles to put the pieces together, she finds herself fighting for her survival. Someone has it out for her, and she isn’t safe until she finds out who it is…

I absolutely loved this book! Definitely a keeper for me, and one I have been recommending to friends who love psychological thrillers as much as I do! The number of twists and turns kept me guessing the whole time. It was so hard to figure out who was good and who was bad—so many clues that I was mulling over until the very final reveal. A slam-dunk and reminded me why I love Mary Torjussen! Can’t wait for whatever she writes next!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.