The Drifter

The prologue of Lennon’s deeply felt but flawed debut, more a coming-of-age novel than a thriller, centers on Betsy Young, who 20 years earlier “left her friend alone to die,” the victim of a serial killer. In 2010, Betsy is a seemingly successful New Yorker with a glossy job at an auction house; a supportive husband, Gavin; and a feisty four-year-old daughter she’s terrified to let out of her sight. The reason for this fear emerges exceedingly gradually as the narrative jumps back to Gainesville, Fla., in 1990 and a very different Betsy, then a rebellious but thoughtful University of Florida senior trying to navigate her relationships with her best friend, Ginny; demanding frenemy Caroline; and the simpatico guy who has caught her eye, Gavin. Though Lennon hooks readers early with her dramatic premise, the choice to focus for most of the book on the minutiae of Betsy’s life over a several-day stretch and a contrived denouement keep this from becoming the compelling read it might have been. Agent: Brettne Bloom, Book Group. (Feb.)