Book Review: The Old You

THE OLD YOU | Louise Voss
05.15.2018 | Orenda Book
Rating: 4/5 stars

Lynn Naismith has had many happy years with her husband Ed. She’s never once regretted her decision to give up her career for their marriage or the fact that he’s quite a bit older than her. When Ed is given a diagnosis for a rare form of dementia known as Pick’s disease Lynn begins to second guess her decision. Suddenly the years of growing old together are stripped from her future and she must now learn to care for Ed’s rapidly deteriorating condition. She watched Ed’s father succumb to the same disease, so she knows the road ahead will be a challenge.

You know who I am. You know what I’m capable of when I want something. Don’t you?

After ten years of marriage Lynn is confident that she can handle this difficult change and is determined to stand by Ed’s side no matter what. When Ed’s behavior starts to get increasingly erratic, past the point of lost words and socks in the dishwasher, Lynn starts to wonder if her own mind is playing tricks on her. Ed begins withholding information from her. Appointments and passwords are kept secret. Lynn knew Ed Naismith had a shady past when she met him, but was positive she grew to know the real him over the years. Is Ed truly the man she thought she was married to? Will this disease reveal more than Lynn was bargaining for?

It must have been the disease…he didn’t know what he was saying…he did know…he was hiding something from me…I was in danger…of course I wasn’t in danger, it was Ed…but which Ed?

Wow! Louise Voss certainly knows how to weave a twisty tale! What starts out as a seemingly innocent story of a couple faced with an unfortunate dementia diagnosis slowly escalates to an intense game of finding out the truths buried in both Lynn and Ed’s pasts. I would definitely classify THE OLD YOU as a slow burn crime fiction piece, as Voss drops subtle hints or revelations to the reader as the book progresses. It is not until about halfway through that the momentum truly accelerates and the reader simply cannot stop flipping the pages. I just had to know what move Lynn or Ed was going to make next! Without revealing too much, I will say that just when you think you know everything, Louise has another surprise twist in store for you!

Thank you so much to the amazing Karen Sullivan AKA the mastermind behind Orenda Books for sending me a free copy of this book!