Our book group enjoyed this page-turner. We all learned new information on DUI offenses. The suspense kept you reading to find out what was going to happen to Ryan and Jake. There were many points to discuss. Fun, Easy, Read.

Jake Whitmore and his son Ryan are not very close. He has been a workaholic and has left most of the child-rearing and nurturing to his wife Pam. One night, Pam suggests that he pick Ryan up from his evening out at the movies so he can try to bond a little with him. On their way home, there is a tragic accident which leads to a series of events that upends all of their lives. Evidence is concealed, lies are told, and fear and tension build until they are all at each other’s throats as their future is threatened. One mistake leads to another, until the hole they dig for themselves becomes very deep.
As the story develops, it becomes more and more implausible. It is another in the genre of books about situations that test the limits of a parent’s love, the lengths to which the parent will go to protect the child and the effects of all this protective behavior on the family as their values and ethical beliefs are stretched very thin.
Jake seems like an immature and irresponsible parent. He makes one foolish choice after another. Pam seems preoccupied with herself and her own importance, and she enjoys her position as the most important parent. Ryan, at 16, is the nicest of the three characters, and he often seems like the adult in the room.
The plot is convoluted, and although it has moments when it will capture the interest of the reader, for the most part it feels too contrived. There were many twists and turns which led to a surprising, but again, far-fetched conclusion. Briefly, the dialogue was trite, often redundant and repetitive, and overall, I found the story disappointing.

Very upsetting at times with the situation,but very quick read

I found myself frustrated with decisions that the various characters (built up to be an almost perfect family) made--somewhat unconvincing for me. While the book held some surprises, several times I had strong hunches about what would happen. I\\\'d give this 2.5 stars, mainly because it would be good for discussing how morals and values impact decisions.