Like It Never Happened by Jeff Hoffman

Teenagers and best friends Tommy, Malcolm, Henry, and Kevin were inseparable during their childhood and high school years. They spent much of their free time together and would do anything for each other. Until one night, when the four of them were winding down for the night and encountered a couple of other kids seemingly ready to start a fight. What neither of them predicted was how the results of that night would change them forever. Fast forward 30 years, and Tommy finds Kevin’s name in the obituary. Even though the group hasn’t rekindled their friendship since that fateful night, they reluctantly show up to pay their respects. What they don’t expect is for Kevin’s widow Naomi to confront them about their past. What’s even worse –  she’s a reporter, and is hell-bent on making the rest of them pay. Like It Never Happened by Jeff Hoffman is a psychological thriller in which the surviving men are forced to confront their guilt from that horrific event – or else all of their lives will be next to come undone. 

Book

From early on, it’s easy for readers to gauge the moral compasses of Malcolm, Tommy, and Henry. All three of them had hoped that they could fly under the radar for the rest of their lives, never having to risk the consequences of their actions from all those years ago. But Naomi makes it clear that in order to stop her from publishing the story, the men must make amends. This includes traveling all over the country to come face-to-face with everyone whose lives they affected that night. But all three men are dealing with their own personal issues. Tommy’s eldest daughter has become estranged and might not be able to fix the choices she’s made. Henry has recently ended an affair, but his wife is on her way out. And Malcolm, who has buried himself in his work for the past few decades, grapples with his separation from his wife and daughter, and refuses to go down without a fight. To say that the latest blackmail is the last thing these men need at the moment is an understatement. Or maybe it’s just what they need to provide closure and atone for their actions from that night. 

Review

Hoffman offers questionable characters and a suspenseful story with Like It Never Happened. None of the surviving men appear redeemable – understandably so. The events of that night have clearly plagued them in their own way. Yet the author takes it a step further by offering their wives’ POVs, allowing the readers to discover information along with the women who have spent their lives with them. In fact, women in control is a prevailing theme in the book, and I commend Hoffman for exploring that reality. However, the climax was, for a lack of better words, anticlimactic. While the author gives us a satisfactory ending, the delivery was underwhelming. In any case, I definitely recommend this one for those who love psychological thrillers. 

Like It Never Happened is available March 5.