A crew team infatuation turns into a deadly, yearslong obsession in Deering’s latest thriller.
Brenna Riley and Dennis Griffin both had controlling fathers, and both end up on the Stanford crew team. Brenna is a coxswain, in charge of steering the boat and commanding the rowers. Dennis is a stroke—a lead rower—and a man known for his intensity and ice-blue eyes. Brenna is drawn to Dennis but also a little afraid of him. After the two hook up following a meet in San Diego, Brenna decides that’s all she needs from him. Dennis, however, continues to harbor feelings that increasingly border on obsession. After graduation, Brenna marries another teammate, while Dennis—unmoored when he fails to make the Olympic rowing team—quits the sport and turns his attention on his old crush. An unplanned visit to Brenna’s new house leads to a second sexual encounter, one in which Brenna’s consent isn’t given. She gives birth to a daughter, Sadie, unsure if the father is Dennis or her husband. Meanwhile, Dennis marries a waitress who looks just like Brenna and takes a job as a handyman for Brenna’s wealthy father. It seems that Dennis may be hellbent on either possessing Brenna or destroying her life, even if it means resorting to murder. Deering’s understated prose captures both Dennis’s methodical madness and the horror of the other characters as they come to recognize it. Here Brenna finds mementos Dennis has kept in a locked briefcase: “Brenna struggled to control her shaking hand and get the key into the lock. She peered inside and saw an odd collection of items: a tangle of dark hair, a lighter, two framed photos….She examined the photos and saw that they were from her wedding and the San Diego Crew Classic.” Though some aspects of the novel strain credulity, Deering’s command of the creepiness will keep readers engrossed.
A claustrophobic, tense tale of destructive desire.
A psychological thriller involving Dennis Griffin and Brenna Riley who both have a gift for rowing. While on the surface rowing seems to be their number one passion, it would seem their desire for each other comes to the forefront. After convincing herself Dennis isn't the one, Brenna proceeds to start a relationship with Peter, a fellow rower. However, in a heat of passion, she hooks up with Dennis and this single decision alters their lives forever. Brenna eventually marries Peter and everything seems great in her world. Nonetheless, Dennis can not forget Brenna and ends up marrying a woman who looks eerily similar to her named Deirdre. A handyman job position opens up by no other than Jack Riley, Brenna's father, which hatches the perfect plan for Dennis to stay close to Brenna without arousing too much suspicion. Once the job is accepted, the reader experiences a journey inside the mind of an obsessed man with one goal, to make Brenna his.
The taste of a smooth whiskey late in the night. Tasting the complexities it has to offer, yet never harsh to the palate. Similar to the book written by Maura Deering, I consumed line after line. In reading this book I was impressed by the ease with which the writing style kept me interested. Trying to decipher who does it and why? I'll be honest I was Magnum PI, and it felt darn good. I found the rowing aspect of the book to be interesting as I know nothing about the sport it gave me some insight into the world. The characters in the tale were interesting, all of them offering some depth to the author's vision. Being invited into the mind of a proud parent, addict, killer, and obsessed lunatic all in the same 300-page book was a treat. The only detraction for me was the ending. The conclusion made sense enough but it seemed rather abrupt. This did not impact my overall enjoyment significantly, but I felt at the time of reading I should mention it.
This book will stir emotions. If you love to read a novel where this is the case, please read this now. I highly recommend and look forward to future work by the author. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars⭐
