You Should Have Told Me

Janie, the overwhelmed new mother at the center of this uneven domestic thriller set over two fraught days from Konen (The Perfect Escape), is grateful for the support of her partner, Max, who assists with night feedings at their home in Kingston, N.Y., close to Max’s parents. Then early one morning, Janie wakes up to find their six-week-old baby, Freya, screaming and Max missing. When she calls his friends and family, no one knows where Max is or seems overly concerned. Janie takes it upon herself to determine what happened, only to discover that he was last seen at a local tavern near an alley where a young woman was found murdered. The murder victim, who was married to a jealous husband and had a young child, turns out to have been an ex-girlfriend of Max’s. The tension rises as it becomes clear that the husband had reason to target Max’s parents and that Janie and Freya are in danger. Janie’s narration, however, often bogs down in complaints and distracts from the suspenseful, twisty plot. Hopefully, Konen will do better next time. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, Book Group. (Jan.)