#ATBR2019 Review: False Step by Victoria Helen Stone @luauthors @VictoriaDahl @jessmapreviews
False Step
by Victoria Helen Stone
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for these copies!
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publish Date: July 1, 2019
Hardcover
280 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Domestic Drama, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In this marriage of secrets and lies, nothing is what it seems.
For days, all of Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, little Tanner Holcomb. Then, a miracle: handsome, athletic Johnny Bradley finds him, frightened but unharmed, on a hiking trail miles from his wealthy family’s mountain home.
In a heartbeat, his rescuer goes from financially strapped fitness trainer to celebrated hero. The heat of the spotlight may prove too much for Johnny’s picture-perfect family, however. His wife, Veronica, despises the pressure of the sudden fame, afraid that secrets and bitter resentments of her marriage may come to light. And she’s willing to do anything to keep them hidden.
But when a shocking revelation exposes an even darker side to Tanner’s disappearance, Veronica realizes that nothing in her life can be trusted. And everything should be feared.
My Review:
If you haven't read Victoria Helen Stone's Jane Doe yet, stop everything and pick that book up immediately. I did last year and it was one of my favorites for 2018. I've been anxiously awaiting the next Jane Doe book but in the mean time, Stone has given us False Step. Keep in mind, Jane Doe lovers, that this book is different than Jane Doe so walk in with an open mind.
Stone proves again that her writing style is easy to read and keeps you turning the pages. This one is a domestic suspense/thriller and while it's predictable, it was a lot of fun to read. (I've also spent a week of reading legal documents for work so this was the perfect lighter read that I needed to relax and be entertained). The relationship between Veronica and Johnny felt very real - the issues they have.. the reasons they stay together anyways. The things they do to make it ok to continue to DO THE THINGS THEY DO. And then there's the twisty plot that was thrown in. I could've just read about their relationship, their dog (Old Man) and their daughter without the other story and have been just fine. I've also learned never to trust any men with biblical names (ha - just kidding).
Combine and unhappy marriage with a kidnapping that brings out secrets best left in the dark meshed with a twisty ending then you get an entertaining read. At under 300 pages, this is an easy one sit read. I can tell this will be a little divisive - especially for those who have read Jane Doe and expected something similar.
At the end of the day, if Victoria Helen Stone writes it, I'm gonna read it.
★★★★
Jessica's Review:
So last year I picked up Stone's JANE DOE and loved it. Like many other reviewers have said about FALSE STEP, this is very different than JANE DOE, so please keep this in mind before picking it up! Don't let that deter you though, because this is just as quick a read and one that will keep you sucked in until the end.
Denver, Colorado is reeling from the disappearance of Tanner Holcomb. One day, Johnny Bradley happens across the young boy out on a hiking trail far from his home in the mountains. Tanner is unharmed and shaken up, and just like that, Johnny becomes a household name. His family is feeling that pressures of the sudden spotlight and his wife, Veronica, is beginning to fear that some deep buried secrets might find their way to the surface. Naturally, she's willing to do anything to keep that from happening.
Once again we are treated to Stone's fluid storytelling and are introduced to some very life like characters. You feel their struggles in coping with their newly found fame and having their lives dissected. The relationship between Johnny and Veronica felt authentic and I love when the characters mimic people you could know. Overall, Stone has become a new autobuy author for me and at just about 300 pages, you'll find yourself flying through this one.
4 stars
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