Follow Her Down by Victoria Helen Stone
A Gripping Dive into Past Trauma
As an avid reader with a hectic schedule, finding time to indulge in my favorite books has been a challenge. However, when I stumbled upon “Follow Her Down” by Victoria Helen Stone, it quickly ascended to the top of my TBR pile. Victoria Helen Stone consistently delivers gripping thrillers, and this book is no exception.
The story revolves around Elise, who has been haunted by the murder of her sister during their teenage years, a tragedy that fractured her family. Her mother became agoraphobic, her brother saw conspiracies everywhere, and Elise herself struggled with alcoholism. Despite a local boy confessing to the crime, the aftermath left permanent scars on their lives.
Elise tries to rebuild her life by purchasing and managing an old mountain lodge near her hometown. She is determined to move forward, refusing to revisit her painful past, even when an old ex-boyfriend reaches out to reconnect. But her resolve is shattered when this ex turns up dead, in the same area where her sister was murdered. This forces Elise to confront her past head-on. As her brother’s conspiracy theories deepen, Elise finds herself struggling to maintain her grip on reality, bombarded by trauma from all sides. She must navigate these challenges while seeking answers to the lingering questions surrounding her sister’s death.
“Follow Her Down” was a solid four-star read for me. While it didn’t compel me to read it in one sitting, I was thoroughly engrossed whenever I could steal some time to dive back in. The book masterfully blends several of my favorite tropes: revisiting the past, complex family dynamics, unreliable narration influenced by a vice, and a small-town setting. The atmosphere is tense and the semi-isolated mountain lodge adds an unsettling edge that borders on horror—a delightful touch for thriller enthusiasts like myself.
Elise is a fantastic character. Her unreliability never becomes frustrating; instead, it makes her deeply human. I felt her pain and rooted for her as she grappled with her flaws, hoping she would find the strength to overcome her challenges. The twists throughout the book kept me guessing, but it was the final twist that truly blew me away.
In conclusion, “Follow Her Down” by Victoria Helen Stone is a must-read for thriller fans. Elise’s journey through trauma and the haunting suspense of her story makes this a gripping and atmospheric novel. I would gladly read more about her in the future.
