Twist of Faith

Ava Hope Saunders, the narrator of this creepy thriller from Green (The Book of James), was told by her untrustworthy adoptive mother, Claire, that she was found as an infant in a church, but she’s skeptical of this story. While Ava was growing up, Claire repeatedly moved the family, sometimes in the middle of the night, leaving her feeling unconnected, unloved, and friendless. After Claire dies of a heart attack, Ava finds a photograph that belonged to Claire of a house with an open door inscribed “2/15/10. Destiny calls us, bound by Loyalty.” Ava easily identifies the now-abandoned house and soon discovers that the couple who lived there were murdered on February 15, 2010. Convinced this house is a key to unearthing her past, Ava enlists a coworker of hers at the Camden County (N.J.) Courthouse and an investigator from the local prosecutor’s office to help her uncover the mystery of her origins. Their search turns up other photos, each picturing a house with the door left open where an occupant died. This well-crafted tale builds to an unexpected, chilling ending. Readers will wonder what Green will come up with next. (Feb.)