Told using dual narratives, the story is centred around an unlikely friendship between Hazel, a rich woman and Lee, a homeless woman whose lives intersect, and their destinies become entwined. I love it when an author tells a story from one POV and then retells it in the POV of another character, bringing different facets of the plot to light. Harding excelled at this with Lee and Hazel's stories.
The plot features manipulation, deception and has a chilling vibe, but could have gone even darker in some spots and lagged a bit for me in the middle. But I appreciated Harding's inclusion of important social topics - homelessness, impact of the pandemic and abusive relationships - into her story.
The Drowning Woman is a story that is a bit over the top with a satisfying but predictable ending, both of which require readers to suspend disbelief. Overall, I enjoyed this dark and twisty read and eagerly look forward to what this Canadian author comes up with next.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the complimentary arc they provided in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 4 stars
Author: Robyn Harding
Genre: Suspense, Canadian
Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Hachette)
First Published: June 13, 2023
Book Description from GoodReads: The bestselling author of The Party returns with a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies.
Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets—no one ever does—but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move—until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.
Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.
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