Publisher's Weekly Review
Unescapable, festering secrets underlie this tense, unsettling novel from Spanish author Pen (Desert Flowers). Frank attempts to rescue his family from a run of calamities--most seriously, the loss of his nine-year-old son Simon's eye in a gun accident--by packing his wife, Grace, their 16-year-old daughter, Audrey, and Simon into an RV for a move from Seattle to Boston. One night in Idaho, Frank is unable to stop in time to avoid hitting a young woman on an isolated road. Circumstances, such as lost cellphones and damage to the RV, contrive to strand the woman, Mara Miller, who's not badly injured, with Frank, Grace, Audrey, and Simon for the short term. While they wait for help, Frank worries about his family's safety around Mara, who exhibits in turn depressed angst, understandable rage, and a sort of twisted feminism. Meanwhile, Frank dances between being a wonderful father trapped in his bad choices and a monster wearing civility's mask. This tosses readers disconcertingly between sympathy and revulsion, and perhaps toward consideration of their own moments of cowardice. Fans of character-driven suspense will be rewarded. (Oct.)
Booklist Review
Forty-somethings Frank and Grace are a married couple in need of a new start for their family after several devastating set-backs and loss of the spark in their relationship. Frank is leading the charge, moving the family across the country in a luxury RV; he is determined that the new memories will override the pain they are leaving behind. What Frank doesn't realize is that not everything they are trying to put in their rear-view mirror is willing to stay there. One evening on a deserted Idaho road the family nearly runs over a young, troubled woman named Mara. At first believing her to be dead, they are relieved to find her alive and offer to let her recover under their care in the mobile home. Her strange appearance begins to reveal secrets, and Mara isn't the only one who has them. This story, translated from Spanish and containing a strong story arc and well-developed characters, is filled with revenge, sexy scenes, and plenty of violence for those seeking a thrill.--Margaret Howard Copyright 2010 Booklist
