Does this book live up to all the incredible hype? Not particularly for me. Nonetheless the audiobook still was interesting enough for me to finish, even when I felt parts of the story dragged on a little too long for my taste.
I think I fall somewhere in the middle on this one. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. This is a plot-driven psychological thriller told in alternating flashbacks about Evie Porter (not her real name) who works for the mysterious Mr. Smith. Her current job involves a target named Ryan Sumner, but as she grows closer to Ryan she begins to imagine a life with him that doesn’t involve her assumed identities, or her dark past.
I enjoyed the cat-and-mouse aspect of the story as Evie must always be one step ahead of her employer and his network of colleagues. I felt as though there were a few too many past jobs in the book, which slowed down the momentum of the story a bit. I can see how the structure will lend itself to a miniseries adaptation, which is exactly where this book is headed on Hulu.
The ending was definitely a surprise. I guessed wrong on that one! 😉 Overall this was an entertaining thriller that kept me guessing until the very end.
About the Book:
Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity comes to Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the target: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.
Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time.
Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…