For our summer family trip I picked a different book, but couldn't get into it. So while browsing the Kindle store, I found another book by Lisa Jewell and didn't have to think twice about it. And it delivered!
The story centers around the Swann family, grieving over the unexpected loss of husband and father, Paddy. When his old acquaintance, a man called Nick Radcliffe, enters their lives, Nina (Paddy's widow) is quickly charmed. Her daughter, Ash, however, is suspicious and begins to investigate. In separate storylines, we discover other women who are concerned about the frequent disappearances of their husband or partner. As the narratives unfold, it becomes clear that these women's lives are all connected by one man, a serial con artist who goes by multiple aliases, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
It's not a spoiler to say that Nick Radcliffe is not who he wants others to think he is. What initially seems to be almost harmless behavior turns out to be a prelude to a much more sinister masterplan. Chapter by chapter you are drawn into the web of deceit and manipulation that Nick has woven around himself. The book is a chilling character study, exploring the depths of his psychopathic nature and the thin line between being a charming, charismatic "nice" guy and being a monster.