Kati Dawes is on the run with her teenage daughter Zoe. They live in an isolated area in Hawaii, with new names and keeping a very low profile. If anyone were to learn their true identities, Kati’s life would once again hang in the balance – literally. For the past two years, this strategy has worked. Until Kati’s fiancé, attorney Eddie Akana, goes missing during a morning hike. Kati can’t afford to be a suspect. Because once officers start sniffing around, or if the media gets any photos of her, she knows it’s only a matter of time before her past catches up with her. To protect herself, she enlists the help of Eddie’s partner Noah Walker. And Noah needs to know the whole truth if Kati stands any chance of keeping her identity safe. But Noah has his own secrets too. And the more Kati digs around, the more she learns about her fiancé’s business dealings. And when Zoe goes missing, she will stop at nothing to get her back. Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone is a suspense novel with a race to see who’s secrets are revealed the fastest, all of which have dire consequences that no one is prepared for.
Book
Through Zoe’s occasional POV, we learn that she’s in trouble but we won’t know how until closer to the end. Between that and flashbacks, we learn the reason why Kati fled. Her husband, Jeremy, was abusive and unfaithful. And his mother only made things worse. And after a horrific accident that left someone dead, Kati couldn’t risk being blamed for it. So she took her daughter and started a new life. When Eddie goes missing, it’s like history is repeating itself. And Kati’s unreliable memory does her no favors – with her daughter and investigators alike. She can’t afford the risk of Jeremy locating them again. So when Zoe goes missing and her maternal instincts kick in, what she leaves behind is a trail of overturned secrets and surprising reveals that lead up to the final showdown.
Review
Corleone offers a strong premise with Falls to Pieces. Right off the bat we understand that Kati is an unreliable narrator. Whether due to her drinking problem or selective memory, she is unsure about the events leading up to Eddie’s disappearance. Through Kati’s POV, readers see that she constantly questions herself and her recollection of events. Including the incident that caused her to run off and change her name in the first place. As I progressed through the book and got more information regarding Kati’s past, I became only more confused.
Also, it appears as the author kept trying to throw readers off the trail by crafting possible ties between the people involved in Kati’s past and her present, and if there’s any connections to be made. However, it seemed unnecessary and only made the story harder to follow. While Zoe’s occasional POV helped bolster the suspense and mystery of the story, it became a plot hole at the end of the book. And unfortunately, the ending was disappointing as well. I wish I could say more positive things about this, but I’m not sure I would recommend this one.
