Shell Games by Bonnie Kistler ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

 

A dazzling thriller about a young woman whose fabulously wealthy mother might be the victim of an elaborate con or might be losing her mind––and the daughter can’t tell where the truth lies.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

November 2024; Harper; 978-0063378933
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); psychological thriller

Shell Games grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the very satisfying ending.  There were numerous twists and turns and I kept changing my mind over who was being gaslighted and who the 'bad guy' was.  

Kate is a 70-year-old woman who is known throughout Florida.  She is a self-made real estate agent, responsible for lots of new housing developments, a well-known socialite, and well-known in Florida politics.  As the book begins, she is getting married to her long-lost high school boyfriend.    She is ecstatic over Charlie and thrilled to go on their honeymoon.  But after Charlie tells her a secret from his past on their wedding night, she calls the police in hysterics and soon plans to annul the marriage.  Charlie claims to the police that she imagined it all after having too much to drink.  Her son-in-law (who never did like her) claimed that she had dementia. And her only daughter Julie, isn't sure who to believe. Is Charlie gaslighting Kate to gain control of her money?  How is her husband Eric involved and why is he keeping secrets from Julie?  At times I believed Kate that Charlie had confessed to her.  At other times, I thought that Eric was somehow involved and he was trying to get Kate's money, and that he was gaslighting his wife.  I also wondered if maybe it was all due to dementia and there was no crime.  As I rapidly turned pages, I couldn't figure out who was doing what to who.  Every time I thought that I had it figured out, something new happened to make me change my mind.  The ending was a big surprise but it was the perfect ending for this book.

The characters were very well written.  My favorite was Julie, Kate's daughter.  She loved her mother and believed her no matter what else was happening.  My least favorite character was Eric, Julie's husband.  He always seemed to have an ulterior motive for everything that he did and I never really trusted him.  Charlie was easy to like and it was also easy to blame him for what was happening.

This is my first book by this author.  Based on my enjoyment of this book, it won't be my last.  I just ordered several of her earlier books and am looking forward to reading her again.

NOTE:  Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic that involves making someone question their own thoughts, feelings, and reality. The goal is to make the victim doubt their own instincts and self-esteem and to eventually depend on the abuser. Gaslighting can happen in any relationship, including between friends and family.

Buy Shell Games at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

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