All of the reviews on the front cover of Ruth Kelly’s The Escape were true: the book was a “twisted thriller” that was “tense and shocking” and “addictive:” I started the book one day and finished it the next.

And while I liked the book and the characters, the content was horrific, terrifying because I would imagine it can be true.

Influencer couple Adele and Jack post a crowdfunding plea asking for help to buy a chateau in France where they will start a new life and make Adele’s dream about being a princess in a fairytale castle come true.

The couple is excited when an anonymous benefactor helps them purchase the crumbling house located on the outskirts of a small town. Adele continues to post videos of the renovations as well as her “perfect” life until she suddenly stops.

Her sister, Erin, comes to check on the couple, but they have disappeared and “between the obsession of Adele’s fans and the claustrophobic secrecy of the nearby town, Erin must unravel the shocking truth behind the couple’s disappearance.”

Adele and Erin are both interesting characters, but I found myself connecting more with Adele despite her poor choices (if something is too good to be true, it usually is). I think author Ruth Kelly did a great job at showing what life as an influencer would be like and a reminder that what people are presenting, isn’t usually the full story. Erin, I found to be a bit too much and Kelly did a great job of showing family dynamics.

The book had a great pace, lots of suspense and doubt, as well as great villains.

The book was a fast read and an interesting one. But a reminder the content is not for the faint of heart. It was disturbing and it got worse.

The Escape retails for $19.99 and is from Pan MacMillian. A copy of The Escape
is courtesy of PGC Books for an honest review. The opinions are my own.