Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake @AuthorRDrake @StMartinsPress #bookreview #thriller
Title: Just Between Us
Author: Rebecca Drake
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Page Count: 353
My rating: 4 stars
About the book:
Four suburban mothers conspire to cover up a deadly crime in Just Between Us, a heart-stopping novel of suspense by Rebecca Drake.
Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their houses. But each of them has a dirty little secret, and hidden behind the veneer of their perfect lives is a crime and a mystery that will consume them all.
Everything starts to unravel when Alison spots a nasty bruise on Heather’s wrist. She shares her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, compelling all three to investigate what looks like an increasingly violent marriage. As mysterious injuries and erratic behavior mount, Heather can no longer deny the abuse, but she refuses to leave her husband. Desperate to save her, Alison and the others dread the phone call telling them that she’s been killed. But when that call finally comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In a moment they’ll come to regret, the women must decide what lengths they’ll go to in order to help a friend.
Just Between Us is a thrilling glimpse into the underbelly of suburbia, where not all neighbors can be trusted, and even the closest friends keep dangerous secrets. You never really know what goes on in another person’s mind, or in their marriage.
Praise for JUST BETWEEN US
“A twisty, domestic thriller […] tense, bombshell-laden, and action-packed.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“Female friendships flourish, then falter, under the weight of chance events underlaid by secrecy and deceit […] Drake shows a sure hand in spinning suburban thrillers.” —Booklist
“Fans of Liane Moriarty and B.A. Paris are going to love this twisty, diabolical suburban thriller. Clear your evening, you won’t be able to put it down.” — J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Lie to Me
“Rebecca Drake’s Just Between Us is a stunner – a tense, twisty thriller about four ordinary women that begs the question: When a friend is in trouble, and all you want to do is help, how can everything go so terribly wrong?” — Karen Dionne, author The Marsh King’s Daughter
“Rebecca Drake’s Just Between Us is a riveting thriller that reveals the dark heart beating in the middle of American suburbia. Every character in this rich novel has a secret, and the secrets get deeper and darker as the pitch-perfect plot unfolds. This is a stunning story of friendship and the tangled lies that bind four women together. Don’t miss it!” — David Bell, author of Bring Her Home
My review:
Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake is the tale of four friends, Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. The story switches the point of view between these four ladies as we get to know them and their bond as friends and the secrets they are hiding.
Alison has played the what if game with herself wondering if anything had changed would she still be as close to these women or would she ever have met them? Their lives are perfect from the outside with their lovely suburban homes and healthy kids and the great friendship they have formed. But one day Alison spots a bruise on Heather’s wrist which starts the questions between them.
What should one do if they think their friend is being hurt somehow? Fearing for Heather the other ladies want only for her to know that they are there for her and will do anything to help her out. Then one night a phone call comes and instead of Heather being harmed as they fear and nightmare begins leaving the question of just how far do you go for friendship?
Right from the start I was completely hooked on the story of these four women as I began to know them. Just Between Us was just one of those books that I didn’t want to put down until every little dirty secret of the characters had been unearthed and discovered. As the pages kept turning the twists and suspense would build.
My only complaint with this book was that I think the author could have done a better job distinguishing the four women from one another as the point of view changed. Early on while reading I would have to pay close attention to whose voice was telling the story at any given time before I knew things about them to tell them apart. Once getting to know them better though the story really came together. Other than that one complaint I found this one an extremely compelling read from start to finish and would definitely recommend checking it out.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Find this book online:
About the author:
Rebecca Drake is the author of the novels Don’t Be Afraid, The Next Killing, The Dead Place, which was an IMBA bestseller, and Only Ever You, as well as the short story “Loaded,” which was featured in Pittsburgh Noir. A graduate of Penn State University and former journalist, she is currently an instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction M.F.A. program. Rebecca lives in Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband and two children.
Website: https://www.rebeccadrake.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.drake.writer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorRDrake
Carries Book Reviews 
Sounds really good, even if the characters weren’t as distinguished as they could have been. Great review!
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Thanks! This was definitely an engaging read even with a sort of slow beginning trying to distinguish the characters better.
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You’re welcome! ah fair enough!
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Nope. Nuh Uh! I’m backing away slowly, making the sign of the cross!😱
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LOL!!! But you know you’d like it…. 🙂
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I wished for this one and got it!!! Yay!🎊💖💚💙💛 Fantastic Review Carrie. I’m playing catch up from being away because of a family emergency but great posts Carrie!🎆🎊💖💚💙💛
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Thanks Dani! I think I wished for this one too way back when and had the wish granted. I do warn to pay attention to who is who when the POV changes because they don’t stand out enough in the beginning but otherwise a good read. 🙂
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Okay I will try to focus and use my jedi mind tricks on this one!😊
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Haha that will be interesting to hear about.
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