Come With Me by Erin Flanagan is a narrative of reconnected friendship of two women, hidden motives, and growing fear. What seemed to be the perfect opportunity, turned out to be the biggest nightmare.

Gwen Maner, recently lost her husband. Trying to pick up the pieces along with now being a single mother, she decided to move in with her mother until things become more stable. In moving forward, she decided to reconnect with an old acquaintance, Nicola Kimmel, who more than generously gave her the opportunity needed to start her next chapter.

As they get to know each other more, Gwen finds herself in a situation where Nicola seems to take control over every decision involving her life. At first, Nicola’s altruism was welcomed because it made her life easier but doubts crept in as her friend's behavior became increasingly controlling. Beneath Nicola's charming exterior, an uneasy growing suspicion that not everything is as it seems began to surface.

As strange things started to happen, Gwen began to feel uneasy and unsettled. When a tragedy close to home happened, it opened her mind to the possibility that all with Nicola wasn’t what she seemed. When Gwen starts to put the missing pieces together, she finds herself in a situation that literally becomes life or death.

Come With Me was an unexpected thriller that delivered a satisfying blend of suspense, engaging characters and a plot that grabs your attention. The slow build of tension with the unexpected plot twists keeps you anticipating what’s going to happen next.

I loved the contrast of the psychological depth of the characters. Gwen was likable and relatable but Nicola, you couldn’t figure her out. I had a love-hate relationship with her. As much as I hated her, I found her really fascinating. With the alternating povs spanning over time, you learn so much about her past. As manipulative and cunning as she was, you want to feel sorry for her because of her childhood but then it contrasts with the actions she chose to do which she absolutely deserves to be hated. Not to give anything away but there are a couple lines in the end that reveal something major about her that is so shocking. You might have to reread it to be sure you read it correctly. She ends up not being who we think she is. The psychological grip to the plot she brings was definitely a rollercoaster.

Overall, this was an interesting psychological thriller. This was a subtle, slow build that you will appreciate the more you read. That plot simmered until it boiled with a surprising end. This was my first read from this author and I will definitely be looking out to read her other books.

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