Review: Until The Day I Die by Emily Carpenter

Title:  Until The Day I Die 

Author:  Emily Carpenter
Publisher: Lake Union Publisher
Publishing Date:  March 12th, 2019

Pages: 325
Genre: Adult Suspense Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

If there’s a healthy way to grieve, Erin Gaines hasn’t found it. After her husband’s sudden death, the runaway success of the tech company they built with their best friends has become overwhelming. Her nerves are frayed, she’s disengaged, and her frustrated daughter, Shorie, is pulling away from her. Maybe Erin’s friends and family are right. Maybe a few weeks at a spa resort in the Caribbean islands is just what she needs to hit the reset button…

Shorie is not only worried about her mother’s mental state but also for the future of her parents’ company. Especially when she begins to suspect that not all of Erin’s colleagues can be trusted. It seems someone is spinning an intricate web of deception—the foundation for a conspiracy that is putting everything, and everyone she loves, at risk. And she may be the only one who can stop it.

Now, thousands of miles away in a remote, and oftentimes menacing, tropical jungle, Erin is beginning to have similar fears. Things at the resort aren’t exactly how the brochure described, and unless she’s losing her mind, Erin’s pretty sure she wasn’t sent there to recover—she was sent to disappear.

I read my first Emily Carpenter book last year, Every Little Secret. I read this at at time I was taking off from blogging, so I didn't review it. I remember loving it and when I saw this book was coming out this year, I knew I wanted  to read it. I grabbed it first chance and dove into it. I loved it. The writing is good, atmosphere and setting, so creepy. The story was good and the mystery was good too. Great cast of characters but really the suspense and mystery steals the show. 



Erin and her daughter Shorie, have recently had a tragedy in their life, Erin's husband and Shorie's father died in a car accident. Now Erin is left to pick up the pieces of her life, decide what to do with the company they created, and send Shorie off to college... which by the way Shorie is strictly against. Shorie wants to be a part of the company and Erin wants to see it. 

The company was started by Erin, her husband, her best friend and her husband. They have all become successful and they make lots of money. Erin doesn't know how to go on with her husband and wants to end that part of her life. In her grieving she makes a few mistakes in life that deem her crazy by her own company, her best friend, and her daughter. They send her off to a remote island for some peaceful healing time. 

Meanwhile back at college, Shorie discovers some information that some one is stealing from the company and starts her own investigation to see who it is. This leads her to believe that the people she has come to trust has sent her mother off in hopes to take it all. 

Back on the island, Erin discovers someone is out to get her and this island is not your normal rehab and rejuvenation getaway. There is something sinister going on and it seems her life just might be in danger. Someone has plans to get rid of her... but who and why?

This book was pretty intense. First off there are lots of different little stories feeding into the bigger story. There are flashbacks and storytelling time through memories. This is how we get to know all the characters. There are many too. Which I enjoyed. It wasn't too many. I was able to keep up with them all and the entire time I was anxious to find out who the bad guy was. 

The mystery of who is stealing from the company and who is trying to off Erin.. or if Erin is just crazy... this mystery is only half the story and about mid way through things start to come together... most of it but not all of it. Some of the mystery is left to the very last page... but the mystery is just a portion of what is going on. The other part is the suspense and the thrills of Erin on this crazy island. There is a real question of who will survive, and what is going to happen. So I was on the edge of my seat quite a bit. 

Erin and Shorie are both great characters. They are both grieving and have their own way of getting through the tragedy of losing someone very important in their lives. Erin, I felt, was more in shock and just didn't know how to carry on from day to day anymore. She was strong but just couldn't find her strength. It was there though and it came out when she felt her life and possible her daughter's life was in danger. She was a great character. She was loyal to her family and friends. Almost blindingly so. I was able to connect to her, feel for her, and root for her. 

Really though, Shorie stole the show for me. She was a storm, coming on strong and destroying anything that got her in way. She was full force at all times. She knew what she wanted and she was going to find a way to get it.... until she realized something sinister was going on then she went full on protective mode for her mother and her family's company. Smart and headstrong, I loved her. 

There were many other characters, like I said tons. It would be hard to go through them all and they are all secondary and bad guys... or suspects. The most important ones.. Erin and Shorie and I just adored both of them.  

The writing, pacing, story, characters, setting, it was all spot on for me and this would make for a great stormy night read. I feel this book was very balanced. Nothing really took over, each part of the story was as important as the others and it all blended together to make a perfect read.  I just loved it and look for so much more from this author in the future. 

I really did love it! 

EMILY CARPENTER, a former actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Auburn University. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she now lives in Georgia with her family. You can visit Emily online at emilycarpenterauthor.com.