Or Else

Thriller author Andy Drake, the narrator of this gripping thriller from Hart (Obscura), returns to Sandford, N.Y., to care for his ailing father, who’s slowly declining from dementia. Restless and lonely, Andy doesn’t hesitate when a hometown friend from his past, Rachel Worth, wants to start an affair. Though Andy knows that an affair with Rachel is risky, as her marriage to David Barren united the town’s most powerful families, he doesn’t fully understand the danger it poses until he receives an anonymous note threatening consequences if he fails to end it. When Rachel and her sons disappear after David is murdered in a possible home burglary, Andy decides to keep the note hidden, fearing the police will consider him a suspect if they learn of its existence. The tension builds as Andy searches for Rachel and the pieces in the puzzle of David’s murder start to snap into place. Andy’s guilt over his affair and the sorrow he feels for his father help humanize him. Hart remains a suspense writer to watch. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (May)