The Life I Left Behind

Trust, obsession, and survival provide the foundation for British author McBeth’s outstanding second novel, a standalone like her 2014 debut, Precious Thing. Melody Pieterson nearly dies during an attack by a London neighbor and friend, David Alden, who was convicted of the crime and sent to prison. Six years later, Melody’s physical pain has abated, but she still feels the emotional pain of being betrayed by David. She lives with her fiancé, but seldom leaves their secluded house a few miles from London. Melody is forced to relive the violence when another woman, Eve Elliot, is murdered shortly after David is paroled. McBeth smoothly alternates points of view among Melody, who struggles to rejoin humanity; Eve, who speaks from the grave; and Det. Insp. Victoria Rutter, who investigated both cases and begins to question David’s guilt. The author avoids gimmicks as the action realistically builds to a surprise finale. [em](Feb.) [/em]