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The Dead Ex

PamelaDorman: Viking. Jan. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9780525561194. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780525561200. SUSPENSE
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Vicki is steadily rebuilding her life as an aromatherapist after a traumatic divorce from David when the police arrive to question her about his recent disappearance. The stress of the encounter aggravates her epilepsy and clouds her judgement, setting into motion a series of poor choices that culminate in a violent confrontation with David's current wife, Tanya, who won't share what she knows about his absence. Vicki's tale unfolds against alternating chapters of eight-year-old Scarlet, whose entire world revolves around mom Zelda's imaginative games that serve as clever disguises for drug sales and con jobs. When a hustle goes wrong and Zelda is finally arrested, Scarlet ends up in foster care without an advocate or any way to help her mother. Over time, Scarlet's dreams of a new life turn into a calculated quest for revenge, bringing the story back to the initial mystery of David's departure.
VERDICT Corry (Blood Sisters) delivers strong plot twists, a fast pace, and devious characters, making this a perfect blend of Liv Constantine's The Last Mrs. Parrish and Alafair Burke's The Wife that will keep readers guessing until the end.
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