★★★☆☆
Dawn Schiff is an accountant at Vixed, a nutritional supplement company. While a little quirky and turtle-obsessed, she’s a reliable employee. One day, the always-punctual Dawn doesn’t show up for work. After blowing off a meeting with Dawn, Natalie Farrell, her coworker, and someone Dawn considers a friend, isn’t concerned until she gets an anonymous phone call and is drawn into a series of mysterious events.
Told in alternating viewpoints, the unfolding plot involves workplace liaisons, coverups, and deception. McFadden jumps from the past to the present and uses embedded letters as storytelling devices.
“After all, there’s nothing that binds two people like a shared secret.”
Freida McFadden, The Coworker
This was my first read by the thriller queen Freida McFadden. After hearing so many rave reviews about her books, this novel was a bit of a letdown. The twists were predictable, and Dawn’s endearing qualities weren’t enough to offset how annoying, entitled, and self-absorbed Natalie came across. I had a hard time caring about her parts of the storyline. As much as I enjoyed learning fun facts about turtles, the book felt repetitive, and I found myself rushing through it just to get to the end.
Even though I didn’t connect with this book, I still plan to try another book by McFadden. There’s every chance I will enjoy a different selection written by her.
For more thriller reviews, visit my Thriller category.