Book Review: Never Turn Back

NEVER TURN BACK | Christopher Swann
10.06.2020 | Crooked Lane Books
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Ethan Faulkner was a precocious child with a troublesome sister, a war veteran father, and a weary mother trying to keep them all together. One night there was a pounding knock at their door. A young girl on the run from someone dangerous and seeking shelter. When Ethan’s family took her into their home they didn’t know that his parents would be left dead and the siblings struggling to survive their wounds. Years have passed, but Ethan can never really forget what happened during his childhood and the reappearance of his sister into his life only serves to open old wounds. A budding relationship with a coworker, Marisa, could be just the thing that Ethan needs to get his life back on track. Lurking just around the corner is a turn of events Ethan never saw coming.

NEVER TURN BACK is an entertaining domestic thriller surrounding two siblings, Ethan and his sister, Susannah. They had a horrific childhood trauma that left them without their parents. Over the years their lives have been filled with a multitude of unanswered questions, leaving them with a strained relationship. I genuinely loved the portrayal of these two characters that Swann created and their dynamic together. I found both Ethan and Susannah to be equally interesting and was quickly able to become invested in their lives. While Ethan becomes the central character to driving the plot forward within this story, Swann smartly makes room for fully developed secondary characters.

The pacing of NEVER TURN BACK is quick and kept me on my toes while reading. There were a few times throughout the story that I felt things took a turn for the repetitive and left me feeling a bit bored. I enjoyed the interesting twists that Swann threw into this story, however, be wary about reading the full synopsis on Goodreads because most of them are given away there. This is a story that begs to be gone into blindly.

NEVER TURN BACK is a great shorter read that fits the bill for a lighter domestic thriller. If you’re looking for something fun and fast to read, this is a great option!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Crooked Lane Books for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.