Girl in the Rearview Mirror

They are Phoenix’s First Family: handsome Philip Martin, son of the sitting Senator, an ex-football player who carries himself with an easy grace and appears destined to step into his father’s seat when the time is right; his wife Marina, the stylish and elegant director of Phoenix’s fine arts museum; and their four-year-old daughter Amabel, beautiful and precocious and beloved.

Finn Hunt is working a dull office job to pay off her college debt when she meets Philip and charms Amabel. She eagerly agrees to nanny, thinking she’s lucked into the job of a lifetime. Though the glamour of the Martins’ lifestyle undeniably dazzles Finn, her real pleasure comes from being part of the family: sharing quick jokes with Philip in the kitchen before he leaves for work; staying late when Marina needs a last-minute sitter; and spending long days with Amabel, who is often treated more like a photo op than a child.

But behind every façade lurks a less attractive truth. When a young woman approaches Finn, claiming a connection with Philip and asking Finn to pass on a message, Finn becomes caught up in a web of deceit with the senate seat at its center. And Finn isn’t exactly innocent herself: she too has a background she has kept hidden, and under the hot Phoenix sun, everything is about to be laid bare.



My Review

Ok, so I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it as far as thrillers go but at the same time I felt it was lacking on the strong character connection and storyline.

From the summary, I knew that everyone had a secret and no one was innocent. Yet, when all of the cards were laid on the table, the secrets were not that jar dropping. Maybe I am being a bit harsh as this is my favorite genre. Finn's secret was most disappointing. I thought it was going to be something huge. Not to excuse what happened in the past as horrible but I just thought it was going to be dark. This is because of who she was working for. Speaking of the Martin's. They were kind of dull. Philips's father had a stronger commanding presence then his son.

The last third of the story seemed rushed. This is where all of everyone's secrets and the storyline came together but not much details were spent on these events. The ending was fine. Overall, not as strong a showing as I hoped but I am willing to give this author another chance.