ARC Review: Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis

Blurb

A literary page-turner about a beloved college professor accused of murdering his entire family, and one small-town cop’s dangerous search for answers.

Thomas Huston, a beloved professor and bestselling author, is something of a local hero in the small Pennsylvania college town where he lives and teaches. So when Huston’s wife and children are found brutally murdered in their home, the community reacts with shock and anger. Huston has also mysteriously disappeared, and suddenly, the town celebrity is suspect number one.

Sergeant Ryan DeMarco has secrets of his own, but he can’t believe that a man he admired, a man he had considered a friend, could be capable of such a crime. Hoping to glean clues about Huston’s mind-set, DeMarco delves into the professor’s notes on his novel-in-progress. Soon, DeMarco doesn’t know who to trust—and the more he uncovers about Huston’s secret life, the more treacherous his search becomes.

Review

Two Days Gone b Randall Silvis is a about a man on the run. This man is suspected of having killed his whole family and then taking off. On the other hand, Sergeant DeMarco is the detective on the case who is more interested in this particular case especially because he knows the man. Based on their interaction, he has doubts about the guilt of the man. In addition, he also wants to find him before anybody does in an effort to keep him safe.

The story is narrated in these two main perspectives. Sergeant Demarco gives the perspective of the investigation. It was interesting to watch him put the pieces together as he got clues to solve the case. The second narration is by Huston. It is clear to see his desperation and struggle while on the run.The two protagonists both have very complex lives. They are both suffering from loss that threatens to overwhelm them. Sergeant DeMarco is haunted by a loss in his family that broke his marriage. It was  sad reading about his anguish over his wife and the turn that both their lives have taken. The author created two complex yet very sympathetic characters.

The book has quite a number of twists. Huston is a writer who was working on his latest novel before the murder of his family.  I found myself trying to figure out what was fact and what was fiction. I also liked the fact that his book was inspired by the classic Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. In addition, finding the actual book and then trying to link fictitious characters to the real ones is a struggle in itself for the detectives.

I recommend  Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis  to fans of police procedural and thrillers. It is well-paced with enough suspense to keep you guessing to the end. I kept trying to guess whether Houston committed the murders and if so, why. If it want Houston then who was it and why? The answers were not obvious hence making this book suspenseful to the last page.

About the Book

• Date Read: September 20^th 2016
• Publication date: January 17^th 2017 by Sourcebooks Landmark
• Paperback, 400 pages

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.