Review: Black Eyed Susans - Julia Heaberlin

 

Review: Black-Eyed Susans - Julia Heaberlin - August 2015

Have you read The Never List by Koethi Zan or Have you Seen This Girl ? by Carissa Ann Lynch ? If so, then you will love Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin. This story introduces us to Tessa aka Tessie whom in 1994/1995 was kidnapped and taken by a serial killer and left to die. Tessa was the only survivor as the others had been dead when found. Now she has to testify against the killer or whom the police believe is the murderer . In 1995 we read about her doctor's visits, the process of her testifying and her best friend Lydia who is obsessed with serial killers, mystery and horror. The novel then flips back to current time - twenty years later and Tessa is a mum to a daughter called Charlie and the killer Terrell's execution date is looming and now she has decided that he really is innocent if only she could remember and prove that he wasn't the serial killer of the Black Eyed Susans. As the novel weaves between the two times , we wonder what happened to Lydia as she disappeared near the end of the following year just after the trial finished and now with all these memories resurfacing, Tessa can't help but think back to her friendship with Lydia as well as the memories of who the real killer could be. In places the book was quite slow especially with the forensics side as it seemed to drag a bit but in other places it was quite suspenseful. I really liked the twist of the ending where Tessa's past comes back with full blows and the true identity of the killer is revealed and I have to admit - I did not see this coming and the twist at all.