Mystery Reviews: Behind the Red Door + The Night Swim

If you saw my post yesterday, then you know I’m here to share a couple reviews for mystery/thriller novels that I’ve read recently! I really loved both, so here we go—

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Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Review: Fern Douglas is called back home to New Hampshire by her father, who is planning a sudden move to Florida. Before she leaves though, she sees a woman on TV who is missing: Astrid Sullivan. Astrid had been kidnapped as a teenager, and now she was missing again – but by the same man? Fern doesn’t remember the first time Astrid went missing, but she’s certain she knows Astrid somehow.

Being in New Hampshire starts stirring up old memories and suddenly, Fern is absolutely sure she knew Astrid – on some level, at least. She keeps getting flashbacks and seeing a man pulling Astrid away in dreams. Did she see Astrid be kidnapped and say nothing?  Using Astrid’s memoir as a guide, Fern begins digging into the past to figure out why she’s getting these “visions” and what she actually knows about Astrid’s first abduction.

Behind the Red Door had such a great premise. I was just as confused as Fern most of the time, thinking I had things somewhat figured out and then being presented with a new clue – or a different suspect – and wondering all over again. I can’t say that people won’t ultimately guess what is going on, but I didn’t have definitive answers until it was revealed, so it’s still a book that kept me wondering. I was never sure if I had things correct or not. Fern is a relatively easy character to like. She suffers from a lot of anxiety, and as you learn more about her childhood, you definitely feel bad for her and wish she had an easier life with more loving parents. I admired her courage in confronting her own past and memories in order to help bring Astrid home a second time. This book is full of all sorts of different characters-  most of whom live and act in shades of grey. It’s not easy to point to one person and say “that’s the villain, and the only villain.” Definitely a great character study, along with being a fascinating mystery that kept me reading!

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin 

source: personal copy from Book of the Month; all opinions are my own

Review: I know some people are getting tired of the podcast trend in mystery novels, but I love it. The Night Swim is essentially two mysteries in one. Podcast host, Rachel Krall, is staying in a small town, recording episodes as a rape trial plays out. A teen girl is accusing a college boy of raping her, but this boy is a local legend. He’s handsome, rich, and a great swimmer that could probably make it to the Olympics. He would never have to rape a girl, so this teen has to be lying. Rachel’s third season is sharing the mystery and the trial as they play out, instead of looking back.

While this plays out, another story is being presented to Rachel in the form of letters being left on her car, outside her hotel room, and more. This former resident lost her sister, Jenny Stills, twenty-five years ago. It was ruled an accident, but she knows it was murder, and she wants Rachel to find proof. Rachel has a lot going on with the trial, but she feels pulled to investigate Jenny’s “accident” just as much as she investigates the rape allegations.

The past is told in the form of these letters, while the rest of the book is present day. I love that Rachel had such a keep sense of justice and was desperate to find answers about Jenny’s death. She could have ignored the letters and focused solely on the trial, but she felt the desperation in the letters and wanted to bring some sort of justice to Jenny’s last remaining family.

Both the current day rape and the supposedly accidental death of Jenny had a lot of parallels, and it was heartbreaking to see that some things just don’t change. Girls can lose reputations with just the word of a young man. Girls can get in bad situations at no fault of their own. And sometimes, girls can fight for justice, while others are never given the chance. There are a lot of tough topics at play in The Night Swim, but I think it was done well. I wanted all the mysteries to come together and for justice to somehow be done for both girls whose lives were wrecked by young men. In the end, I think the author did the stories justice, and personally, I’d love another book with Rachel Krall and her podcast!