Marilyn's Mystery Reads

Book Author: Christina Kovac

Four graduates of Georgetown University are living in an elegant, if somewhat down-at-the-heels, row house in the Georgetown section of Washington, D. C.  Strangers before the housing lottery put them together, the young women, from different states and backgrounds, nevertheless fit together perfectly.  Now, a year after their graduation, they are still living together and sharing everything about their lives.  At least, that’s how it seems.

Lucy Ambrose, one of the novel’s narrators, is the woman who has not told the others the truth about her pre-college life.  Addie James is a track star from the nation’s capital, Estella Warbler is a party girl from California, Penelope Zamora is a medical student from D. C., and Lucy–well, we won’t find out about her until quite a way into the book.

The women always told each other their thoughts and plans until Addie begins acting mysteriously.  She starts to stay away from their Georgetown home for days at a time, isn’t reachable by phone, and ignores pointed questions from her housemates.

Finally, another friend sees her with Noah Egan, the handsome and charismatic television news anchor, and Addie can’t hide their relationship any longer.  Their romance is hot and heavy until there’s a breakup four months after it began; she will only say that Noah scared her in a way she never wants to be scared again, and that is the end of it as far she’s concerned.

Addie returns from a run with a bruise on her cheek and blood on her warmup jacket.  Finally, after much prompting from Lucy and a promise from her not to tell anyone, Addie says. “We collided on the towpath, and I thought, oh my God, it’s Noah.” And then, a few days later, a police detective arrives at the house, asking for Addie.  He says no one has seen Noah in days or knows where he is.  Then a mammoth snowfall hits Washington, and the city grinds to a halt.

Watch Us Fall is told in two voices, Lucy’s and Noah’s.  Lucy’s narrative is in the present tense; Noah’s is mostly in the past.  Both are keeping secrets that will impact all those around them.

Christina Kovac has written a tense thriller about the dangers of keeping secrets and loving too much.  Her characters are intelligent and strong but not perfect; each one reveals a flaw that is their undoing.

You can read more about the author at this website.

Check out the complete Marilyn’s Mystery Reads at her website.  In addition to book review posts, there are sections featuring Golden Oldies, Past Masters and Mistresses, and an About Marilyn column that features her opinions about everything to do with mystery novels.