GRETA

In the wake of the death of a tiny Welsh town’s star student and resident cool girl, police and journalists descend to find out what really happened the night she died and who she might have been when she was away from prying eyes.

After Greta Pugh’s body is found in the local quarry, residents are sent into a rapid tailspin as they grapple with her death and the sudden knowledge that there is a murderer among them. No one in the town of Bethesda appears to be telling the truth, but with reporters looking for headline news and law enforcement hunting down a killer, it’s really only a matter of time until toxic small-town secrets are flushed out, for better or worse. As Shane, Greta’s classmate and the son of the Pugh family’s housekeeper, watches authorities questioning his classmates—many who have secrets of their own—he has questions. Who was Greta really, underneath the blond hair and perfect grades, and why would someone have wanted to kill her? Shane decides to look into Greta’s death, risking family and friendships along the way. While Ros has outlined an intriguing story with the trappings of a classic thriller, she falls flat on its execution, continually struggling to show (rather than tell) her readers what is happening. Pages of information dumps and indistinguishable character voices continue to hinder reader engagement as Shane works to find the truth.

A fast-paced tale of small-town drama that lacks depth and character.