TELL ME MY NAME by Erin Ruddy

 

This is my first by this author. I really enjoyed it and will read more of her work. 

This book starts out with Ellie and Neil headed to their new home after dropping their two children off at camp. Now they can begin a couple of weeks being alone and getting back to knowing each other again.  A kind of honeymoon for them. Little do they know what is about to happen. Their world is going to be turned upside down and things will never the quite the same again. Things will come out that they don't want each other to know. At least for Neil. Although Ellie knows one of Neil's dirty little secrets. I tried to feel bad for him for that one but I just couldn't. Cheating is cheating no matter the reason. 

I loved the story here. I was wondering from other reviews what Ellie's sister's stories would have to do with this one but fully understand after reading the whole book. Laura, Ellie's older sister is a model. Suppose to be a world famous runway model in fact. That being said, I didn't find her life to go with what I know of runway models. She was basically a drunk and strung out on drugs and different men almost every night. Her life was a constant party. A model has to look nice. Be pretty and ultra skinny. A person who parties like Laura can not possibly stay fresh faced and concentrate on a job like that when she's doing so much partying. I didn't find that part believable. Also she meets a man during a photo shoot with her two sisters and gives up her partying life like it's no problem at all. I didn't find that believable either. Though I did think her and Abeer were perfect for each other later in the book when they are mentioned again. I was glad Laura got her life together and found happiness. All that partying was because of the sister, Bethany, who they lost years before. From what I read Bethany would not have wanted Laura to do that to herself at all.

Bethany was a very outgoing and athletic young girl. She was in great shape and could do anything she set her mind to. She played all kinds of sports. She was basically killed in a head on wreck. The woman driving and her daughter, Bethany's best friend, were killed and Bethany left in such a shape she had no quality of life. Brain damaged and severed spinal cord. After three years of that she died. Ellie survived so much because of hearing what Bethany said to her. How to not ever give up. Keep on trying until you achieve what you need. 

In my opinion both of these sisters played a big part in this story in some sense or the other. One who gave Ellie a place to live when she started a job and needed a place. One who was in Ellie's head when she was going through such a horrific thing at the hands of a madman. Both played out great in this story. 

Neil was Ellie's husband and the love of her life. He had a one night stand several months prior to what happens and was living with that guilt. While I am totally against affairs, I felt bad for Neil. But I felt more sympathy toward Ellie when she found out. Neil did it and he should have felt bad. I understand that he loves Ellie and would do anything for her, but he was not going through what Ellie was. Neil did not give up though. He would have moved mountains if he could have to find Ellie and bring her back home safe and sound. He was a decent man who made a mistake.

Clive on the other hand was a crazy man. He was obsessed with Ellie and wanted her. He would do anything and I do mean anything, to have her. He had plotted for a while to do what he did. He had obsessed over her for twelve years or longer. He was a deranged man but I did feel sorry for him too. His life was set on a collision course at a very young age. As the child of a woman who was a drunk and a tramp. A very abusive mother to Clive. He thought the things she did was her way of loving him. The name calling and the hitting were things he thought were normal. A normal part of life and they were for him. Shows that a child can be trained at a very early ago to grow up to be evil. The things that a parent does shapes children. It sure did for Clive. In that way my heart broke for him. While I did think he should have to pay for the things he did, it was sad that it happened at all. 

The detective in this story was a bit aggravating at times but she was also good at her job. She had a way of talking that made me laugh at times. The one thing that I didn't find real was that she decided they should stop at a motel and sleep when they were on their way to possibly find Ellie and Clive. I mean they were only like I think about half an hour away. Though even that was a very necessary stop. It was the beginning of the end of Ellie's nightmare. Almost.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ErinRuddy, #DundurnPress for this arc. This is my review in my own words.

4/5 stars and I do recommend this book. It's very good.