A couple months ago, I searched through the thriller section of Barnes and Noble, hoping to find my next favorite book. The Last Mrs. Parrish, the debut thriller novel by Liv Constantine (who is actually two sisters using a pen name), caught my eye when I saw the Reese’s Book Club emblem on the front, and I knew I had to pick it up. I read the blurb inside the cover and couldn’t wait to dive into the promised addictive plot twists.
We see the world through the eyes of Amber Patterson. To those around her, the young woman comes off as timid with little self respect or much going for her. But in reality (or at least Amber’s reality for herself) her plans for her future are much more exciting and sinister. She targets a wealthy family who live on the coast of Connecticut, lying her way through the relationship until she’s uncomfortably close with the people that were quite recently strangers. As Amber grows closer with the Parrish family, her plan to tear them apart materializes. Halfway through the novel, the narrator switches to Mrs. Parrish, and from her perspective, we see just how dark a “perfect” life can be.
I always appreciate alternating perspectives in a novel, and there were several plot twists that I didn’t see coming in the slightest. However, this novel seems more like a cautionary tale than a “psychological thriller”. It tells the tale of two women with complete opposites experiences and knowledge on a seemingly perfect life, reminding us that not everything is what it seems. The authors’ ability to plant evidence in your head without you even realizing it is impressive, and made reading this novel feel like watching a movie.
If you’re looking for your next fiction read that will have you eager for every next page, this is the one for you.
I do want to warn any readers that if sexual and physical abuse are triggering to you, you may want to skip it.