I’m excited to help kick off the tour for this book! It’s a fast-paced read, and I think it’s a pretty good read for anyone who enjoys thrillers and scavenger hunts.

About the Book

A cryptic puzzle. A family secret. A deadly betrayal.

When her dad dies during a business trip to Romania, Kat Barrett blames herself for their failed relationship. She’s racked with guilt, haunted by strange dreams about the crash that killed him, and she’d do anything to have him back.

Then a package arrives. It’s from her dad and contains a list of clues — one of his classic scavenger hunts. Desperate for answers, she follows the clues to Bucharest and meets Maksim, a local with a dark past who offers to help. Kat doesn’t trust him, but when she hits a dead end, she’s left with no other choice.

As they work together, decoding the clues and trying (unsuccessfully) not to fall for each other, the scavenger hunt reveals a deadly secret the dreams have been pointing to, something Maksim’s old crime ring has been hiding all along and Kat has walked into their trap.

Can she beat them to the final clue — and solve it — before she suffers the same fate as her dad?

My Thoughts

I really felt it was a unique take on the mystery genre, with a scavenger hunt possibly sent by a dead man. Though maybe I’ve seen a Hallmark movie like that when they stumble on one in an old attic box or something, this had its unique flair.

As someone who has loved romance and mysteries since I was a teen, I feel like this one was a great read for teenagers. It didn’t feel too overly mature, though it did have some scenes that were a little tense, including a very serious near S3xual assault. So, parents need to practice caution and consider the maturity of their teens.

Those young at heart who just love a good thriller will probably really enjoy this one. It had a good, unique storyline and some interesting cultural exploration, including some exploration into the Romani people. It also used many Americans’ total lack of knowledge about world history and current affairs as an interesting plot line and social commentary.

I really enjoyed the story, and I especially enjoyed the two main characters and the blossoming friendship between them. I can’t wait to see how that develops in future books. I’m so excited to see that this is a series because I need to know what happens to these characters!

I’m so grateful to the author and LBT for including me on this tour, and I look forward to more work from this author!

Question of the Day

Have you ever traveled internationally by yourself?

Answer of the Day

I did actually travel to Paris (from London) while on a semester abroad by myself. Everyone else was taking a fall break to Ireland, but I really wanted to go to Paris. They were doing a few weeks of travel afterward and I was not and I didn’t want to miss Paris!

Who’s It For?

Anyone who loves a good, teen/new adult based thriller will love this. It’s strongly-puzzle based and features a strong, but clean, romance thread. There are a lot of triggers, so check the warnings.

Content Warnings: Attempted Sexual Assault, Parent Death, Crime, Kidnapping, High Levels of Fear and Danger, Betrayal, Allusions to War Crimes, Torture

About the Author

When Ellis isn’t moonlighting as a coffee aficionada, you might find her adventuring through Transylvania, doing photoshoots in Old Town Bucharest, or otherwise trying to talk her husband into moving to Eastern Europe. She’s a lover of history with a penchant for World War II and the Cold War, and her favorite places in the world are Wallachia in beautiful Romania and the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.

(She’s also an award-winning writer and budget-minded travel expert.)

Links

As a Bookshop.org (US) Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org purchases support local, independent bookshops. My chosen affiliate bookshop is Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, a local, queer-owned bookshop in New Orleans.