Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Tessa Cartwright was 16 when she was found, barely alive, in a shallow grave, together with the bodies and bones of other young girls. She can barely recall what happened, least of all her abductor’s face. Nevertheless an arrest is made, and a man jailed for the crime.

I am the star of screaming headlines and campfire ghost stories.
I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susans.
The lucky one.

A “Black-Eyed Susan”, as they became known because of the flowers growing around their grave, she now has a daughter of her own, but has never shared the information that she finds these flowers around various anniversaries, in places meaningful only to her and the killer. When the jailed man’s guilt is called into question, Tessa must go back to that dark place again, only now the stakes are even higher.

Dark and edgy, this will have you on the edge of your seat. The story jumps between teenage Tessie and current day Tessa, and moves at a satisfying pace.

A little frustrating towards the end, when it is becoming clear, and there is still unfolding of details before the big reveal.

This was another audible read for me – the narration was excellent, but the jumping between Tessa and Tessie a little confusing at first.

A really good thriller.

ISBN: 9780804177993

4 stars

You may also enjoy Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton or The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer