by Dervla McTiernan
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2024
Publisher’s blurb
Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun, and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his family’s cabin in Vermont, and only Simon comes home.
WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?
Nobody knows. Simon’s explanation about what happened in their last hours together doesn’t add up. Nina’s parents push the police for answers, and Simon’s parents rush to protect him. They hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm that quickly ramps up a vicious, nothing-is-off-limits media campaign.
HOW FAR WILL HIS FAMILY GO TO KEEP HIM SAFE?
Soon, facts are lost in a swirl of accusation and counteraccusation. Everyone chooses a side, and the story goes viral, fuelled by armchair investigators and wild conspiracy theories, and illustrated with pretty pictures taken from Nina’s social media accounts. Journalists descend on their small Vermont town, followed by a few obsessive ‘fans.’
HOW FAR WILL HER FAMILY GO TO GET TO THE TRUTH?
Nina’s family is under siege, but they never lose sight of the only thing that really matters – finding their daughter. Outgunned by Simon’s wealthy, powerful family, Nina’s parents recognize that if playing by the rules won’t get them anywhere, it’s time to break them.
Review
by Carol Woeltjes
How far would you go to protect your family or find out what happened to someone you loved?
Nina and Simon, the picture-perfect young couple, go away for the weekend, but only Simon returns. His explanation for Nina’s absence is riddled with holes and inconsistencies. Fearing the implications for their son, Simon’s parents hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm skilled in misdirection.
The story goes national. The photogenic couple and by extension their families become media fodder with accusations and outright lies mixed with conspiracy theories and small-town gossip.
What Happened to Nina?, a standalone novel by Dervla McTiernan, is not your traditional whodunit, but a gripping thriller that focuses on the behaviour of those impacted by the crime. It’s told from multiple perspectives, those of Nina and Simon’s parents and the lead police detective, but none of these narratives overlap. This structure gives the novel much of its pace and tension.
It means the reader knows what’s happening before key characters do. We see first-hand the impact of one person’s behaviour on that of someone else and the flow-on effect of decisions made in the heat of a moment. This results in a compelling read. You feel right at the heart of the story.
The behaviour of the characters also highlights the broader themes of the novel, the impact wealth can have on justice, the role social media plays within society and the roles and responsibilities of the media to fact-check their stories.
Quite simply this book was bad for my health! It had me up reading far too late, my mind whirling with questions and accusations, my heart racing, and no doubt my blood pressure soaring. I found myself questioning what I would do, hoping I would do the right thing, but wondering if that was really true. Tragic events change behaviour, at times beyond recognition. One of the best novels I have read, would highly recommend.