The Dangers of an Ordinary Night – ARC Book Review

Perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott, Lynne Reeves’ The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is an exploration of the explosive family secrets that are often hidden in plain sight.

On a chilly fall evening at the prestigious Performing Arts High School of Boston, best friends Tali Carrington and June Danforth go missing after auditioning for a play. They’re last seen in grainy, out-of-focus surveillance footage that shows them walking away from the school. Two days later in a town south of Boston, Tali is found disoriented and traumatized by the ocean’s edge, while June is pronounced dead at the scene.

Tali’s mother, Nell, is so bent on protecting her daughter from further emotional harm that she ignores rumors of her husband’s involvement and enlists the help of Cynthia Rawlins, a reunification therapist with personal insight into the riptide that hides below the surface of every unsuspecting family. Meanwhile, Detective Fitz Jameson uncovers a criminal undertow involving the high school’s overachieving students, and finally sees an opportunity for personal redemption from a secret that’s haunted him for years.

As Nell, Cynthia, and Fitz confront their own contributions to the scandals that beleaguer them, their lives turn out to be more deeply intertwined than they’d ever imagined. In the end, they must decide what lengths they’re willing to go to protect the people they love while also saving themselves.

The summary when I read sounded interesting to me that I was glad that Netgalley and Crooked Lane gave me an opportunity to read this novel. But unfortunately, this is not my cup of tea.

Plot:- Two girls Tali and June goes missing after auditioning for a play. They are both best friends. Few days later, the two girls were found–Tali is disorientated and seemed to be traumatized while June is pronounced dead. Nell, Tali’s mother is bent down in protecting the well being of her daughter while her husband Zeke is suspected for the case and meanwhile, the school where Tali and June are attending is holding a secret.

Writing:- The plot as I said earlier was interesting, prompting me to want to read this book. The first few chapters were good but then soon, it got boring that I almost DNF the book. I am usually one of those people who don’t DNF books as I would continue to read to finish the book. The pace was slow which was a negative thing about the book and I felt there was a bit too much talking and not much OMG moments. However, the ending was OK in my opinion–bit predictable but nonetheless it was OK.

Characters:- I am not sure what I can say about the characters but Nell might be probably one of the favorites.

Overall:- It’s a slow burn I have to say and for those who like slow paced thriller books, then this might be the one for you. But I prefer fast paced thrillers so I will pass out.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Publishers for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.