Synopses & Reviews
Thirteen, awkward, and without a father, in 1985 Reggie finds herself mixed up with her school's outcasts. That same summer a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her mother, Vera, the most, Vera's hand is found on the steps. But after five days, there's no body and Neptune disappears.
Now twenty-five years later, Reggie is a successful architect who left the horrific memories of that summer behind. But when she gets a call revealing that her mother has been found alive, Reggie must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.
Review
“Haunting and harrowing, The One I Left Behind offers enthralling suspense but also so much more: a richly poignant tale of the families were born into and the ones we build ourselves.” Megan Abbott, author of < i=""> Dare Me <>
Review
“[A] haunting work of literary suspense ...Grippingly plotted, this intricate, character-driven story seamlessly shifts time.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“McMahon scores a solid touchdown in this creepy but engrossing thriller....Readers will find themselves unable to turn the pages fast enough in this perfectly penned thriller.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
“McMahon expertly ratchets up the suspense, but its her full-blooded characters that make this thriller stand out from the serial-killer pack.” People (3 ½ stars)
Review
“Totally engrossing...Hard to put down...A quick read that is highly entertaining.” Oklahoma City Oklahoman
Review
“A mesmerizing psychological thriller...McMahon fills THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND with unpredictable twists and turns as she explores that great mystery of the human heart.” South Florida Sun Sentinel
Synopsis
"One of the brightest new stars of literary suspense."
--Los Angeles Times
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McMahon is back with a gut-wrenching mystery about an architect whose troubled mother has been found 25 years after being kidnapped--by a killer who is still on the loose
The summer of 1985 changed Reggie's life. Thirteen, awkward, and without a father, she finds herself mixed up with her school's outcasts--Charlie, the local detective's son, and Tara, a goth kid who has a mental hold over Reggie and harbors a dark secret. That same summer a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her mother Vera--an ex-model with many "boyfriends" and a thirst for gin--the most, Vera's hand is found on the steps. But after five days, there's no body and Neptune disappears.
Now a successful architect who left her hometown behind after that horrific summer, Reggie doesn't trust anyone and lives with few attachments. But when she gets a call from a homeless shelter saying that her mother has been found alive, Reggie must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.
With her signature style, Jennifer McMahon portrays the dark side of adolescent friendship and introduces characters who haunt the imagination, along with a disturbing web of secrets, betrayals, and murder.
About the Author
Jennifer McMahon is the New York Times bestselling author of Don't Breathe a Word, Dismantled, Island of Lost Girls, and Promise Not to Tell. She grew up in suburban Connecticut and graduated from Goddard College. Over the years, she has been a house painter, farm worker, paste-up artist, pizza delivery person, and homeless-shelter staff member, and she has worked with mentally ill adults and children in various capacities. She lives in Vermont with her partner, Drea, and their daughter, Zella.