You know a writer has talent when he or she can take a rather debatable premise—a woman becomes convinced her mother’s disappearance has something to do with another woman’s disappearance because both are named Beth—and turn it into a seriously spellbinding thriller .... Abbott has a solid track record... and The Three Beths continues his run as a thriller writer who can be counted on to deliver page-turning suspense.
Few writers have shown the kind of versatility that Jeff Abbott has displayed in recent years, seamlessly transitioning between Brad Thor-like action-thrillers to psychological and suspense thrillers. It’s hard to say that The Three Beths tops last year’s Blame, but it’s certainly right up there, and Abbott’s turning, nail-biting plot will surely please even the pickiest of readers. Two years, two earth-shattering twist endings, and Abbott has knocked them both out of the park. If you thought the ending to Blame was shocking, prepare to be blown away with the conclusion to The Three Beths, the latest must-read thriller from Jeff Abbott, who remains at the very top of his game.
Many novels have been described as 'rollercoaster rides,' but The Three Beths is a ride and a half. As slowly and inexorably as those cars creeping up that steep incline, the mystery mounts, clues piling atop each other, tension becoming more taut with every movement. It seems the pinnacle, that dénouement, will never be reached, and when it is, the downward rush is both a relief as well as a shock. Some may argue Craig’s pursuit of his tormenter is a red herring; be that as it may, as a way of adding more tension, it works.
Mariah is a fascinating character. Since she’s in every scene in the book, Abbott makes sure she is multi-layered and engaging. When we first meet her, on a rare outing to the mall with her dad, she is driven to rashness by her yearning for answers and resolution. As her search goes on, we see layers of grief, anger, and loneliness. Always digging deeper, Jeff Abbott becomes an archeologist of the stages of grief. Jeff Abbott knows his way around a suspense thriller.
A year after Beth Dunning disappeared from Lakehaven, Tex., in this gripping if flawed standalone from Thriller Award–winner Abbott ... Only the heavy-handed conclusion mars this high-voltage psychological thriller. Readers will be riveted until then.
