Review: Desire Lines by Christina Baker Kline

Desire Lines

by Christina Baker Kline

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 320

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  On the night of her high school graduation in 1986, Kathryn Campbell's best friend, Jennifer, vanished without a trace. It's been ten years since then, but Kathryn still feels the conspicuous void in her life - and the nagging, guilty sense that she has failed her friend.

When a divorce sends Kathryn reeling back to the Maine town where she grew up, the young journalist finds herself face-to-face with her past. At twenty-eight, she's been living for far too long on memories and questions; now she needs to take a hard look at her own life at the same time that she is delving into the mystery of what happened to her friend.

As she explores the seemingly random series of events that led up to Jennifer's disappearance, a pattern slowly begins to take shape. All the puzzle pieces are at her fingertips - it's a matter of whether Kathryn can put them together in a way that makes sense. As she faces her own fear and grief, she is finally able to come to terms with the ways in which the loss of her friend has shaped her life and the lives of those who knew her. In the process, Kathryn realizes that if she is ever going to understand the circumstances of Jennifer's disappearance, she is going to have to expose herself to the same risks and dangers. Ultimately, Kathryn's quest to find out the truth becomes a quest to save her own life as she races against time to keep Jennifer's fate from becoming hers.

Kritters Thoughts:  An interesting take on a mystery/thriller with a disappearance of a high schooler right near graduation and ten years as they gather for a reunion, there is still no body and no clues as to where she could possibly be.  With a tight knit group of friends, they all didn't know the secrets that were between them and as Kathryn tries to find more clues about Jennifer's disappearance some of their secrets will come out into the light and may cause some drama.

I loved that the author used Kathryn's journalistic profession to get her to go looking into the clues from the past and to try to find new ones.  It was a perfect avenue to get her into interviewing the players from the past and trying to put the old pieces together with new puzzle pieces.  I thought I had a clue as to the truth behind Jennifer's disappearance and I was pleasantly surprised by the real truth and even how it unfolded.  I was glad I was wrong in my guessing!

This was a great mystery thriller who dun it with past and present combining to make a full story.  There were some moments when the main character took her mind into the past and I had to really pay attention, but it didn't take away from the reading of the story.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.