Colette McBeth follows up her debut, Precious Thing, with a suspense-filled novel told from three women's perspectives: Detective Inspector Victoria Rutter; crime survivor Melody Pieterson; and the spirit of murder victim Eve Elliot.
The paths of these women cross when Eve is found dead, clutching a chain with a small birdcage pendant. Six years earlier, Melody narrowly escaped the same fate--grasping a similar necklace--saved purely by luck thanks to a casual passerby. David Alden, the man convicted of Melody's attack, is out of prison and the prime suspect in Eve's murder. However, unbeknownst to Melody, who remembers nothing of her assault, Eve had been investigating her case in an effort to clear David of the heinous crime.
Now trapped between earthly life and whatever comes after, Eve observes as DI Rutter and Melody pour through the investigation files she left behind. A tangled web of deceit unravels through the pages of Eve's documents, and David's innocence becomes clear, meaning DI Rutter has to race to identify the true killer before he can finish what he started with Melody.
The Life I Left Behind is a spellbinding thriller with several strong plot twists that will likely have seasoned mystery readers second-guessing their early whodunit predictions. The novel is also a compelling look at the devastating psychological effects violent crime wreaks on everyone connected.
The role DI Rutter plays is ultimately inconsequential to the story, and focusing solely on Melody and Eve could have tightened the plot. Still, McBeth's sophomore novel is captivating, capable of stealing hours before readers ever notice they're gone. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts