Kit Doyle, a California blogger and crime themed radio host, is confronted with a hard truth when her mother suddenly passes and she is left with a "If anything should happen" letter. Realizing everything she knew about her life had been built on a foundation of lies, she goes on a dangerous search for those who might be able to give her the answers she so desperately seeks. Meanwhile in Arizona, we meet Rena and Kendra—two old friends with skeletons in their own closets, attempting to cobble together fresh lives in the face of tragic pasts, navigating rocky and precarious paths that they hope will lead them to relative peace. All the while, the wealthy, political, and well-connected Brantingham family in Sacramento grapple with the murder of Alex Brantingham, a beloved son and brother, enlisting Kit to help connect the dots in an ongoing investigation. What Kit uncovers might be enough to topple what she now sees as a house of cards, but only if she is willing to risk the possibility of being crushed along with it.
If Anything Should Happen pulled me in from the start with an engaging and deeply layered story line. The intensity of its rising action is measured, peeling through these layers in a way that only an author as seasoned as Bonnie Hearn Hill is able to do—and she does it brilliantly. Balancing what can only be described as two parallel plots (since calling one a subplot would be disingenuous to its impact on the overall story), If Anything Should Happen also touches on the atrocities of "gay conversion" programs, a profoundly relevant theme in view of the pending US legislation of Leelah’s Law. Hearn Hill brings us to a blazing climax through a series of twists that deftly converge, the force of which is rounded out with fluid humor and easy dialogue. Her characters are authentic and believable, the narrative is exceptional, and the story itself is wholly absorbing. An easy and highly recommended five-star read.
I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher Severn House for providing a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest opinion, which this is.
FIVE STARS
Amazon Link: If Anything Should Happen: A new California-based mystery series (A Kit Doyle Mystery)
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