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Reviewed by Danelle Petersen for Readers' Favorite
Twisted Lives by Tamara Merrill is a psychological thriller about abuse in relationships and knowing when to leave. Sarah knows she divorced Rodney two years ago, and that she lives in a cabin in Seattle with her 6-year-old son Jeremy. But when she wakes up from a coma supposedly caused by a fall down the stairs, nothing is as she left it. According to Rodney, there was never a divorce, and they’ve lived in this house in Wenatchee for years with a strange boy whom Rodney insists is their son. Mrs. Hendricks, the housekeeper assigned to help care for Sarah while she recovers, seems to know more than she lets on, but why would she agree to such a nefarious plan? Concerned for herself and Jeremy, Sarah tries to develop a strategy. She will find her son, but she needs to know how to beat Rodney at his own psychotic game.
Right from the beginning, Twisted Lives gives a sense of foreboding, a warning of darkness and sinister characters in the complex storyline. From the abuse Sarah suffered at the hands of Rodney, a deceptive charmer, control freak, and master of manipulation, it was evident that he was a textbook narcissist. I like how Tamara Merrill structured the plot with flashbacks, as it gave readers a deeper understanding of who Sarah was before meeting Rodney, making her evolution even more incredible. Her decision to leave Rodney took courage, and I know many women will recognize much of themselves in Sarah. I greatly enjoyed the questionnaire at the end, as it also is a method of encouraging abuse victims.
