Book Review: "The Reappearance of Rachel Price" by Holly Jackson

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while, since I was a huge fan of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or the start of a new series, but it definitely was great either way!

Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price, a young wife and mother, disappeared without a trace. The only witness was her infant daughter, Bel, who was found alone in Rachel’s car, with the motor still running. The police and Rachel’s mother had some theories of what happened to her, but they couldn’t prove anything.

Bel has no memories of her mother, but Rachel is still a huge presence in her life, although Bel wishes everyone could move on. Yet when her father agrees that the family will participate in a documentary looking into Rachel’s disappearance, Bel is hoping it will end quickly and give everyone the closure they need.

One day, the unthinkable happens: Rachel reappears after being gone for 16 years. Her story of what happened to her is wild, and when Bel notices some inconsistencies, she starts to wonder what is true and what is not. Where was her mother all those years? Is Rachel the one she should be afraid of?

Bel decides she’s the only one that can figure out what really happened to Rachel. Along the way she realizes that lots of people know more than they’re sharing, and she uncovers a twisted web of secrets and lies that grows more confusing by the day.

I couldn’t put this down. The pacing is a little uneven but the twists toward the end come fast and furious. It’s a fun read, full of suspense and emotion.