Review By Gabrielle
The latest twisty psychological thriller from Jessica Knoll is a total mind-bender.
Favourite Quote:
“Henry is across from me, monitoring me without expression. I can’t look at him looking at me like that, and so I stare at the lines in the wood of the table until they swirl like I’ve microdosed too many times to have any business using the made-up word. I am, at the moment, tripping all over my mutinous unconsciousness. My feet catching on the corners of everything I refused to see before. Henry has always been my captor, even when I thought I was free.”
Book Synopsis:
It’s been twelve years since Faye Heron broke Henry Spalding’s heart. Henry was her college boyfriend, her first intense love, but Faye was in danger of being subsumed by him.
Now, Faye is one half of a power-producing duo with her Hollywood husband. Henry is a married father running the family business. Both of their lives have essentially gone to plan.
When a former and beloved college professor suddenly passes away, Faye and Henry find themselves back on campus for the funeral, circling something old and dangerous. Something, if Faye is honest with herself, she has been trying to duplicate for years. But Henry is one of a kind.
The kind who delivers a hypnotic apology for the way things ended.
The kind who suggests they go back to the hotel for a drink.
The kind who drugs and kidnaps her.
When Faye comes to Henry’s remote mountain cabin, she’s beside herself. Has Henry brought her here to punish her? She did, after all, write and star in a lauded episode of television based on their indelicate appetites and vicious breakup. As her week of captivity unfolds, Henry’s wanton demands intensify, and a sprawling, years-old mystery begins to take shape—one that will rewrite history as Faye remembers it and reveal an astounding, cataclysmic truth.
Review:
Jessical Knoll has long been on my TBR, so when the opportunity to read Helpless came along, I jumped at the chance. I’m so glad I did. This book is a wild ride.
The plot kicks off when Faye attends a college professor’s funeral and runs into her ex-boyfriend, Henry, leading to a shocking kidnapping that lands her at his cabin. The pacing of this book is absolutely spot on, building a slow-burn mystery that intensifies with every single chapter. As a years-old secret begins to take shape, the story moves forward in a way that makes it almost impossible to put down. Knoll knows exactly how to string the reader along, dropping hints about their shared past while keeping the ultimate truth hidden until the very end.
Knoll is a master at character development, and she has created some incredibly complex figures here, even if they are all horrible in their own way. If you are the type of reader who needs a relatable protagonist, fair warning that there isn’t really anyone you’ll be cheering for in this book. Everyone has their own dark secrets and questionable behaviour, which actually made the story even more fascinating for me. Even though the characters are deeply unlikable, they are so well-developed and layered that I couldn’t help but be completely captivated by their actions.
A huge highlight for me was the setting, as the remote mountain cabin completely heightens the tension and creates a wonderfully claustrophobic atmosphere. This isolation provides the perfect backdrop for the intense and interesting relationship between Faye and Henry. There is a real erotic tension to the book, and their chemistry is absolutely electric, crackling with a dangerous energy that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is a dark, complicated bond that makes their interactions feel totally hypnotic.
Helpless is a thrilling, dark ride that is perfect for anyone looking for a suspenseful mystery that will stay with you long after you finish.
Thank you, Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
