Ed Weatherup is a family man, successful, and the perfect employer—except for the fact that he may quite possibly be a murderer. He served five years for his wife’s death before the Innocent Blood podcast helped overturn his conviction. Now he’s back home with his second wife and blended family, vowing publicly to find the real killer.
With her past coming to collect, Renee has no choice but to become the Weatherups’ new housekeeper. Suddenly privy to their family secrets and furtive phone calls, she turns to the podcast to learn more about her mysterious employers. But the details don’t add up. And the closer Renee gets to the truth, the more sure she becomes that the killer will strike again.
While the plot itself was interesting enough to pull me in at first, the overall execution ended up being a letdown; especially considering what I had been expecting going in. The pacing was painfully slow, the character development was practically non-existent, and by the time things finally picked up, I found that I wasn’t nearly as invested as I should have been.
It did remind me of other books that use the same general trope; specifically the “hired help” turns investigator one, but if I’m being honest, I didn’t particularly enjoy those either. At this point, I’m starting to think that might just not be a trope that works for me.
One of my biggest issues, however, was the podcast element. I wasn’t a fan of how it was handled at all. The hosts repeatedly claimed they weren’t making accusations, yet they seemed entirely too comfortable heavily implying guilt without doing the kind of in-depth research you would expect from people presenting themselves as journalists. We’re supposed to believe that Renee, with limited access and knowledge, was able to uncover more information than two people who were actively investigating the case for public consumption? That alone strained credibility. Even more baffling was their failure to thoroughly investigate the person they were so determined to defend. That felt like the most obvious step, and yet it was glossed over.
At times, Renee’s ability to piece everything together so quickly, when even the police had failed, pushed the story out of psychological thriller territory and into something that felt closer to a mystery (and a cozy one at that). The tension never quite landed for me, and I unfortunately guessed the killer early on. With so many possible suspects available, that was one of the most disappointing things for me.
And then there’s the ending. It felt rushed, almost as though the story suddenly realized it needed to wrap up. The resolution didn’t entirely ring true given what had previously happened between certain characters (especially those who seemed included more for added drama than because they were essential to the plot). What stood out most was the lack of meaningful fallout. After such significant events, the minimal media coverage described felt unrealistic. We get the trial outcome and a brief look at how Renee moves on, but very little exploration of the broader consequences.
In the end, while the premise had promise, the pacing, shallow character work, and underwhelming resolution made this one miss the mark for me.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
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