I must have been living under my to-be-read stack because Such a Quiet Place was my first Megan Miranda thriller. It will not be my last. Hello, exploring the backlist.
Fourteen months ago, Harper discovered her neighbors, Brandon and Fiona Truett, killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. No one really liked the Truetts. Still, the investigation zeroed in on Harper’s houseguest, Ruby Fletcher, who, after a short trial, was convicted of their murders… only to be released. Turns out she (probably) didn’t kill the Truetts after all. But then, who is the killer — the murderer hiding in the idyllic gated community of Hollow’s Edge with lake access and a communal swimming pool?
It’s the feeling of the calm before the storm when Ruby turns back up on Harper’s doorstep. Although there is nothing calm about Ruby, she’s clearly got an agenda. Harper stands by rather mutely as Ruby reclaims her old territory (her room in Harper’s house, her place in the locked-gate community), which is relatable for anyone who struggles with conflict. Readers don’t know if Ruby has been wronged or what her plans are for the residents of Hollow’s Edge, and it sets the storyline wonderfully off-kilter. Is Ruby the reluctant hero or the villain?
Because, of course, someone here is a killer.
Hollow’s Edge is a sprawling, quiet subdivision with nosy neighbors who spy on each other in the name of keeping the neighborhood safe. The narrative flow is structured in days, each with a community message board that makes the reader feel like a fly on the wall (or a detective) in this unfolding mystery. With Ruby exonerated, at least by law enforcement, the police are back to using doorbell cameras to piece together the original crime, creating a locked-community spin on the locked-box mystery.
Such a Quiet Place is a smartly plotted piece of domestic suspense fiction that focuses on the why as much as the whodunnit of the mystery and leads through twists and turns to an unexpected finale.
Book: Such a Quiet Place
Published: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 352
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021
Stars: 4/5
Penguin Random House kindly sent me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion, rating, or the content of my review.
meredithmara 
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