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[The One I Left Behind] by Jennifer McMahon
3.5★
The summer of 1985 changes Reggie's life. An awkward 13-year-old, she finds herself mixed up with the school outcasts. That same summer, a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her mother, Vera, the most, Vera's hand is found on the steps. But after five days, there's no body and Neptune disappears. Now, 25 years later, Reggie is a successful architect who has left her hometown and the horrific memories of that summer behind. But when she gets a call revealing that her mother has been found alive, Reggie must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.This was not my first Jennifer McMahon book nor was it my favorite. That honor belongs to [The Winter People]...but it was one of the most devious of her books thus far. Her characters are so flawed that they become believable and unbelievable all at the same time. Because of that, you can’t stop reading. By the time you want out, you’re too far in and you need to know how it’s all going to turn out for the good or the bad. The subject of this one and the character of the Neptune Killer was just plain creepy but at the same time...mesmerizing. So if you choose to read this book... lock your doors...pull your drapes...and for goodness sake, leave the light on!
