The Dilemma
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
June 30, 2020
Audiobook
352
Library Overdrive
It’s Livia’s fortieth birthday and tonight she’s having a party, a party she’s been planning for a long time. The only person missing will be her daughter, Marnie.
But Livia has a secret, a secret she’s been keeping from Adam, her husband, until the party is over. Because how can she tell him that although she loves Marnie, she’s glad their daughter won’t be there to celebrate with her?
Adam is determined everything will be just right for Livia and the party is going to be perfect… until he learns something that will leave him facing an unbearable decision.
My review:
I've read previous books from this author, but this one is a bit of a departure from her norm, and I really liked it! Her previous work has been more of the typical psychological thriller with the heart pounding twists and turns within the plot. I like that type of story, but after you've read a few, they can get repetitive and all blend together. I love the fact that this author took a different turn here and posed the question....if you have information that will cause great destruction to someone, when is the right time to tell them? Should it be right before a party that you've been planning for years? Each of the two main protagonists are holding tight to a secret regarding their daughter, but haven't been able to find the right time to expose it. There are other people involved who also have a stake in these secrets as well, and they will have devastating repercussions for them. I loved trying to figure out how I would have handled these moral dilemmas, knowing there would be huge fallout no matter when they came to light. The writing was succinct, there weren't any points where I felt the story lagged, and I truly felt for the characters and their angst over what to do, given the situation.
This one is for the thinkers out there who like to imagine their handling of a problem presented for them. You may start out with an opinion, but after the story builds, will you change your mind? I commend the author for taking a different direction with her writing, this one is definitely worthy of a read.
