Title: Poison
Author: Galt Niederhoffer
Publication: November 21, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Thriller, Suspense
Pages: 304
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Poison is a literary psychological thriller about a marriage that follows minor betrayal into a bubbling stew of lies, cruelty, manipulation, and danger.
Cass and Ryan Connor have achieved family nirvana. With three kids between them, a cat and a yard, a home they built and feathered, they seem to have the Modern Family dream. Their family, including Cass’ two children from previous relationships, has recently moved to Portland —a new start for their new lives. Cass and Ryan have stable, successful careers, and they are happy. But trouble begins almost imperceptibly. First with small omissions and white lies that happen daily in any marital bedroom. They seem insignificant, but they are quickly followed by a series of denials and feints that mushroom and then cyclone in menace.
With life-or-death stakes and irreversible consequences, Poison is a chilling and irresistible reminder that the closest bond designed to protect and provide for each other and for children can change in a minute.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Poison was not a book I would originally snatch up from a shelf at a bookstore, but something about the synopsis made me think it was going to be more than met the eye. I was pleasantly proven correct. Galt Niederhoffer delivered a book that was suspenseful, terrifying, and mind boggling all at the same time.
Cass is the typical house wife and working mom who seems to have the perfect life. Husband, 3 kids, great house in a nice suburb, good job, and just overall happy. Unfortunately, not everything is as it appears. Cass was living a silent horror that so many go through. Domestic violence masked by the “perfect” family and no one to believe you when you cry for help. The suspense throughout this novel was my favorite. I felt the terror that Cass felt. I felt that maternal instinct you have to protect your children at all cost, even harm to yourself. I commend the ability of Niederhoffer to be able to draw the same emotion from the reader that the characters are feeling.
The only part of this book was some of the sections felt drawn out. It felt like the comparisons to situations or the little tidbits of wisdowm mixed in when explaining Cass’ feelings or her reason for doing something were drawn out. Instead of one or two comparison, it was an entire paragraph or two of the same though stated two to three ways. I felt this dragged out sections of the story and made me have to put extra effort in to staying interested while those paragraphs went on. Those were not too frequent, though, so it did not completely dissuade from the story line.
I love a good suspense story and one that I am constantly trying to figure out what is next. Galt Niederhoffer did that with Poison. This book is the perfect mixture of intense and heartbreaking. Definitely not a light, fun read, but a great read that will hold you until the very end.
STAR RATING: 4/5
Poison by Galt Niederhoffer will be available November 21st on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and bookstores near you. Make sure to pick up your copy! Also add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. You can check out more books from author Galt Niederhoffer on Goodreads here.
