- Paperback:336 pages
- Publisher:William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (July 26, 2011)
- ISBN-10: 0061999687
- Source: Publisher
Just weeks before her wedding, Samantha Moore was viciously attacked and beaten, leaving her in a coma for two months. When she awoke, the perfect life she had before was shattered. Incredibly weakened, unable to fully use one of her legs, Samantha is just a shell of the woman she was before. Now on medications that leave her nauseous and delirious, she’s angry with her parents and fiancee for shipping her off to a small, remote town to recuperate.
She is placed under the care of Anne, a resident of the town, to assist her with her physical therapy. Angry at all she’s lost due to what her family refers to as “an accident”, Sam lashes out against all those around her. Luckily, Anne won’t put up with that sort of behavior and forces Sam to realize she must relent to therapy in order to get back to her life in the city.
Meanwhile, Sam learns the small town and the very cabin she’s staying in has quite the history. Blanche, a former resident of the town, disappeared decades ago, mysteriously. She was the talk of the town, and not necessarily in a good way. Sam is somehow drawn to Blanche, begins dreaming of her despite never meeting her. She soon discovers a secret kept hidden for decades and a town full of people desperate to keep that secret hidden. Why is Sam drawn to Blanche? Can she help discover what happened to Blanche and put an end to the mysterious incidents surrounding the small town?
Wow..did this book floor me! A mere 100 pages in and I was CERTAIN I knew who the “bad guy” was. Interspersed in the novel are chapters in voice of the villan. Descriptions given of this character are so similar to other characters in the book I was certain I had the case solved. Boy, was I wrong! I was beyond shocked when the true culprit was revealed!
McConkey does an outstanding job of portraying Sam as an individual recovering from a horrific attack. She has all the physical and mental symptoms; she withdraws from her family and attempts to wrap a protective cocoon around herself. She’s so heavily medicated (by her own doctor as well as her fiance, a cosmetic surgeon) she doesn’t know what to believe. When she starts having visions, hearing voices, she doesn’t know whether to blame the medications she is on or wonder if she is losing her mind. It is when Sam stops taking the pills that she’s truly able to heal, becoming the individual she was meant to be, not the person her family believes she should be.
Love Lies Bleeding is not only a positively addicting suspense/thriller, but also a story of healing and recovery. While Sam is recovering from her own trauma, she also allows the small town to discover and heal from its own wounds. The chilling history of the town and the very cabin in which Sam is staying adds another layer to the story. Bottom line, Love Lies Bleeding is one of those books that will keep you all night reading, desperate to uncover the mystery before you can bear to close the book.
While the title refers to a flowering plant, I can’t help but think of Elton John’s song of the same title. Like the song, Jess McConkey’s novel has tremendous suspense and build-up, lasting through to a wonderful conclusion. Highly Recommended.
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