What Never Happened is an intense psychological thriller which will have you rabidly reading a mile a minute as well as being extremely tempted to go to the last page. But don’t do it! The storyline a bit spine-chilling, but the plot and execution magnificent!
When Colette Webber decides to relocate from Los Angeles to Catalina Island, a place she abandoned years ago due to her failing marriage/not marriage to work as an obituary writer at the local newspaper which is run by none other than her best friend Maddy and live with her Aunt Gwen in the house she ran away from, she’s not sure how to feel. But relief from getting away sure helps.
The Island is very different than living in a city or town. The only mode of transportation is golf carts, and everything must be transported to the Island. Everything. People who live on Catalina Island are wealthy and grew up there. Unfortunately for Colette who goes by Coco her history with the place is not very happy. Her whole family, her parents and younger brother were murdered in their newly bought house years ago. Coco had snuck out to be with some friends and returned to a terribly bloody scene. She did see (or thought she saw) the killer and was able to help put him in jail.
Her Aunt Gwen has lived in the house since the murders, but her health seems to be failing. She’s very forgetful and has been found wandering more than a few times. So Coco, although anxious to return feels like this is a win win.
What she didn’t expect was to have these feeling of dread and doom, and fear. Aunt Gwen has not kept up with the house on the inside or outside so Coco must rely on a handyman she doesn’t know, and seems to work on his own schedule to make the house presentable.
While she acclimates herself to Island life again, she is told that the person who killed her parents has been let out of prison because the knife used has been found and his fingerprints were not on it. This throws her into a panic. Will he come back here? Will he come after her? She was so sure it was him.
But, unfortunately this is the least of her worries. As she begins her job writing obituaries, she discovers something strange. All elderly women, all with health conditions are dying, but the deaths are in unusual places. What are the odds? For such a small community there seems to be so much death. Coco begins to investigate. And suddenly something terrifying occurs. SHE gets HER obituary slipped under the door of her home. But also, it seems someone is stalking her and is able to get into her house. The harassing becomes constant. She goes to the police, but the disturbances don’t stop.
Why her? Do they think she has figured something out? Which she hasn’t or is this the killer of her family coming back to get her. Thank goodness she has her best friend to help her see reason.
Now, she feels she must figure this out before whoever wants her dead, actually does kill her. With no one to trust, how on earth does she dissect these maybe clues? And suddenly, it all comes together, and she now knows she’s the target. But why? What could she possibly know?
What Never Happened is a solid thriller which never stops with the twists and turns and surprises which seem to be on every page. The ending, perfection and your head will explode! Not literally, of course. but you get it! You will not be sorry if you pick up this book up!
Lisa's Cubby 