He Started It by Samantha Downing

 

Berkley | 21 July 2020 | 400 pgs

Source: Library 

Road trips are supposed to be fun, right? Well, not the case in this book.

Beth, Portia and Eddie Morgan are siblings and they haven't contact one another in years. When their grandfather passed, the three siblings come together not to grief but to go on a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish before securing their inheritance. There are some "rules" to follow stated on the will; and one of them is not losing their grandfather's ashes as they go on the trip. Beth and Eddie brought their spouses along while Portia is single. 

Now family ties and relationships can be complicated; and the reader soon learned about this three siblings' childhood and their memories and secrets surrounding their missing elder sister. Most of all, it also tells about their road trip with their grandfather when they were young; along with the family dynamics and how it'd implicate the current situation they're all in now. 

As they begin their road trip, they soon learn that trust could be easily diminished by a simple act and it'd be hard to earn back that trust especially if that person happens to be your spouse. Secrets aside, the group of five also faces the threat of a black car following them and finding ways to disrupt their journey, although they couldn't find any proof and the driver is good at playing cat-and-mouse game with them. It's no surprise that this trip get them all on edge and agitated, but they'll strive on since money is a powerful motivator and nothing could get in their way, not even murder. 

This book wowed me on so many levels. First, there's the plot which I find it so refreshing. The dynamics between this group of dysfunctional siblings and their spouses add some drama and intrigue to the story, but most of all, Beth's voice and her inner thoughts really got to me. She's sharp, snarky and she knows how to hide her feelings well. She has a dark side, but then so do her other siblings so no one is likeable or trustful here. Aside from Beth's narrative, I was also drawn by the anonymous journal entries written during the past and they definitely add some mystery and depth to the story. Overall, this was a highly addicting read albeit some craziness to it (the ending left me stumped, though); and I bet once you've closed this book you'll be thinking of this story whenever you go on a road trip. 

Note: The author stated that all of the attractions, tourist sites, and museums in this book are real (e.g. Helen Keller's House in Alabama to Codger Pole in Washington, just to name a few). 

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