THE ANNIVERSARY

 

SYNOPSIS

Eleven murders. Twenty-five years ago.

Are some truths better left buried?

On 15th June 1994, Travis Green - husband, father, upstanding citizen - walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The final victim was four-year-old Cassie Colman's father.

As the twenty-five year anniversary approaches, Cassie would rather forget the past - even as her mother struggles to remember it at all. Then something hidden in her mother's possessions suggests those eleven murders were not what everyone believes.

Once Cassie suspects she's been lied to about the most important event of her life, she can't stop digging up the past.

But someone will do anything to keep it buried.

Title: The anniversary

Author: Laura Marshall

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: August 5, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

June 15th, 1994 marked the day the town of Hartshead became infamous after Travis Green went on a killing spree, murdering ten people and then taking his own life. Now, 25 years later, Cassie, the daughter of one of the victims returns home to care for her mum who suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s and her newborn, when she is approach by Alison, a journalist asking for her help in finding some answers to what happened that fateful day.

I gotta confess that it took me a while to connect with the story and it was all because of Cassie’s character. I understand she was going trough a really distressing time with her mum’s illness and had no problem with that. My issue was with her relationship with her child. I know it can be hard dealing with a difficult newborn, but I don’t think it was needed to repeat several times how she would prefer to not have her so she could have an easier life. Although I had some problems with her attitude, I think both the dementia and the struggles of motherhood were well portrayed. 

As the story progressed and her relationship with Alison was developed, I found myself warming to her and got really invested in her search for the truth.

The little chapters about the victims of the shooting were interesting and a nice way for the reader to try and connect all the puzzle pieces.

The middle part felt a bit repetitive at times with many pub scenes that didn’t bring much to the plot.

Although the ending was not that surprising to me cause I called the “villain” early on, it still managed to deliver a final surprise I didn’t see coming (although to be honest, the reader didn’t have any info to suspect it either).

Interesting story about how a tragedy can impact not only those who went through it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book UK/Sphere for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.