Give Me Your Hand

Abbott (You Will Know Me) fills her novel with concerns about and the reality of blood in many ways—including murder, of course. Focusing on a competition for a spot on a research team with a grant to study premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD), the story centers on frenemies Kit and Diane trying to impress the woman in charge of the project, their idol, Dr. Severin. Abbott moves back and forth with "then and now" sections to create the present tensions and backstories of these women who share old secrets and must hide new ones. The story line is compelling, but there are weaknesses that detract, including some predictability until a twist at the end. Kit, the main narrator, comes across with a lack of self-confidence and extraordinary jealousy that lead her to bad decisions. Diane is overly self-controlled, there and not there, in properly intriguing ways, haunting Kit throughout the years. The relationship between Diane and Dr. Severin is the bigger mystery here. Reader Chloe Cannon does a solid job.