First published 2010
Eliza Benedict has built a quiet suburban life with her husband and two children, thirteen-year-old Iso and eight-year-old Albie. Then a letter arrives from Walter Bowman, the man who kidnapped her when she was fifteen and held her captive for six weeks in the summer of 1985. Walter killed at least one girl and likely had other victims. Now he sits on death row in Virginia, convicted of rape and murder. His execution approaches, and he claims to seek forgiveness. Eliza wants nothing to do with him, but she remembers how dangerous Walter becomes when ignored. She never told her family about her trauma, and she will do anything to protect them from this knowledge. Reluctantly, she makes contact. She has always wondered why Walter let her live while killing others. But as their correspondence deepens, Walter's true motives emerge. He wants more than absolution. He wants Eliza to remember exactly what happened that summer, and he wants her to save his life.
Genres: fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Virginia
Period: 1985
373 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: abuse, kidnapping