The Safest Lies

Starred review from February 8, 2016
Miranda (Soulprint) explores the traumatic effects of fear conditioning while offering chills aplenty in this frightening thriller. Kelsey Thomas lives in a beautiful home with her mother, Amanda, who hasn’t left for 17 years, since Kelsey was born. The house is a fortress meant to keep any threat at bay. When Kelsey is involved in a car accident and rescued by volunteer fireman and classmate Ryan Baker, it kicks off a series of events that bring to light the horror that her mother suffered all those years ago. Then Kelsey’s mother disappears. Someone has Kelsey in his or her sights, and it’s surely connected to her mother’s past. Desperate to find her mother, Kelsey, with Ryan’s help, begins sifting through clues about her mother’s abduction and discovers that nothing is what it seems. Writing from Kelsey’s first-person perspective, Miranda expertly builds a sense of dread, leaving readers to uncover the truth right alongside Kelsey. A touch of romance adds levity, and the breathless cat-and-mouse game between Kelsey and her shadowy pursuers makes this a fast-paced, suspenseful treat. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.