Title: The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Mystery
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
The acclaimed author of Gone Without a Trace delivers another twisting novel of psychological suspense in which a woman is backed against a wall–with nothing left to lose…
The morning after real estate agent Gemma Brogan has dinner with a prospective client, she’s furious at herself for drinking so much. But there will be more to regret than a nasty hangover.
She starts receiving mementos from that night: A photo of a hallway kiss. A video of her complaining about her husband. And worse…much worse. The problem is she doesn’t remember any of it.
As the blackmailing and menace ramp up, Gemma fears for her already shaky marriage. The paranoia, the feeling that her life is spiraling out of control, will take her back to another night–years ago–that changed everything. And Gemma will realize just how far the shadows from her past can reach…
Review:
The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen is a suspense-laden mystery about a woman who is being harassed by someone she barely knows for unknown reasons.
Fifteen years ago, Gemma Brogan’s life was forever altered at a party with her classmates just as she was about to go off to University. By the time she meets her now husband, Joe Brogan, she has finally moved past her demons and they are now settled into married life. Gemma owns a thriving real estate business and she puts in long hours so Joe can be a stay at home dad to their three year old son, Rory. Her life is shockingly upended following a dinner with prospective client, David Sanderson, who begins sending her harassing photos and threatening messages. With few memories from that night, Gemma is desperate to keep Joe from finding out she was less than truthful about how she spent her evening whilst she was at a business conference. When she uncovers stunning information about her stalker’s identity, will Gemma stop him from ruining her life?
Gemma puts in long hours at her business which means little time to spend with Joe and Rory. She desperately misses her little boy, but with Joe not working and the downturn in the economy, she cannot afford to hire another employee. She loves Joe with all her heart, but Gemma is becoming resentful of being the family’s sole breadwinner. Unfortunately, she risks losing her husband and her son if she reveals to him that someone is threatening her. One innocent lie about how she spent her evening during her business trip soon becomes a tangled web of mistruths as she tries to uncover the truth about David’s identity.
The first half of the novel is written entirely from Gemma’s perspective. Her exhaustion, frustration and fear are keenly felt as she tries to keep her life together. After she stumbles onto shocking information at about the halfway point, the novel then alternates between two points of view: Gemma’s and one of her employees. She then discovers who is harassing her and why, but will the two of them take their discovery to the police before it is too late?
The Girl I Used to Be is a fast-paced and compelling mystery. Gemma is a well-drawn character and it is very easy to empathize with her as she tries to disentangle herself from this stunning turn of events. Although sharp-eyed readers will most likely zero in on a suspect fairly early, Mary Torjussen has a few clever plot twists that will keep the pages turning at a blistering pace. The novel’s conclusion is just the teensiest bit predictable but this does not detract from the overall enjoyment of watching the perpetrator get exactly what they deserve for their despicable actions. An outstanding read that fans of the genre are sure to love.
