Review: I Know Where You Live

I Know Where You Live by Pat Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fast, thrilling read!

I just finished I Know Where You Live by Pat Young and I enjoyed this book so much! This book is a very plot-driven, quick read. Once I started, I had a hard time putting the book down because there truly weren't any slow points where I was waiting for the story to move forward. The pace of this story is quick and engaging.

Also, I found out after I started this book that it actually involves a partial follow-on to a story told in a previous book. I worried that since I didn't read the first book, I may not understand some of the plot points--but that wasn't the case at all! This book really isn't a sequel. It stands completely on its own as a novel, and the events from the other book--though related--aren't really the point of this book.

Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free)

This novel tells the story of Penny and her husband Seth. They live in Texas, but decide to make the move to France for a great career opportunity for Seth. Penny thinks the move will be good for their two kids and for Seth. But Penny also has ulterior motives for wanting the move--motives that she hasn't told her family about.

Penny believes she is being watched, and she thinks she knows why...

As Penny, Seth, and their two young children are waiting to fly to France, they meet a young woman named Sophie. Sophie instantly charms the little Gates family. She is traveling to France to seek out work as an Au Pair, and to hopefully find her father who left when she was quite young. Sophie is young, fun, and great with kids. She is also fluent in French--something the Gates family is not. As the family and Sophie grow closer, hiring Sophie as their Au Pair seems like a dream come true.

But then one day, while Sophie is caring for the younger child, Ethan, he goes missing...

It is every parent's worst nightmare--living in a foreign country, not speaking the language, and unable to find their child. Sophie says she left him for just a quick moment, and in that time he vanished. The Gates go to the police, who encourage them to use the media to spread the word. Someone must have seen Ethan! But the Gates are hesitant. They don't want to go to the media. You see, the Gates are not who they say they are, and doing what they need to do to find their child may mean revealing their true selves to the world.

The Gates are hiding their identity, but who else is hiding something?

Reflection

I highly recommend this book, and plan to put it on a list of novels that I recommend to post-graduate readers. The setting in France (and a few other places that you'll see when you get into the story) are fun to read about. The plot moves quickly. Pat Young also uses the tool of alternating perspectives. We see things from Penny's point of view, Sophie's point of view, and a mysterious third person's point of view. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a mystery and the thrill of a fast-paced, secret-driven novel.

There were times when both Sophie and Penny had these incredible moments of reflection and introspection. At first I enjoyed the plot immensely, but didn't necessarily feel a strong connection with any characters. However, as the story progresses, the way the women in this novel have a raw moment of clarity on their lives, or their actions--these really drew me in. By the end, I truly felt for these characters and had a range of emotions about their story progressions.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley, Pat Young, and Bloodhound Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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