Title: The Swimmer
Author: Loreth Anne White
Publication: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Pages: 349

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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

Socially awkward Chloe Cooper divides her time between dog walking, bartending, caring for her ailing mother, and at a safe distance, watching people and inventing the stories of their lives. Like Chloe’s new neighbors: glamorous influencer Jemma Spengler and Jemma’s husband, Adam, a renowned surgeon. They’re attractive, wealthy, and in a house of open windows, so exposed.

A move to the Pacific Northwest is supposed to be a fresh start for Jemma and Adam. It’s a renewed commitment to a marriage fractured by secrets. A chance to work through the tragic losses in their past. For Jemma, however, this new beginning also comes with an unnerving sensation that she’s being watched.

Then, on a fog-shrouded beach early in the morning, Chloe witnesses the murder of a swimmer. Her suspicions aroused, she suddenly sees her neighbors in a sinister new light. But as a detective and her partner close in, nothing is quite as it seems. Because the Spenglers are not the only ones with secrets. And Chloe isn’t the only one who’s been watching.

REVIEW

**A copy of this book is provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I have only read one other book by Loreth Anne White, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but The Swimmer shook me! I don’t think I have ever read a book so twisty in my life! When I say, White kept me surprised the entire time, I mean it!

The story follows Chloe as she witnesses a crime and tries to do the right thing, but her quirky personality and traits rope her into trouble from the start. Chloe was definitely a little odd from the beginning of the book. I really liked her and I found myself wanting her to be all the good things I hoped for, but White wrote Chloe as this incredibly deep character that I could tell we were only scratching the surface of. I just knew she was going to surprise me in the end. Then you had Jemma and Adam and Gloria… so many characters with twisty backgrounds of their own. They all added so much to the story and almost always added another surprise coming out of left field.

Normally, I would write what I didn’t like here about the book, but I honestly have no complaints. White writes in a way that is high-paced and never dull. Her characters are interesting and layered. Every twist and turn had my jaw literally dropping as I read. If I had to label this book… it would be “Surprises Incoming!”

When I finished, the first thing I did was look up Loreth Anne White to see if she had more books I hadn’t read. Spoiler… she does! So run, don’t walk, to pick up this gripping, high-drama story. You will not regret it! Now excuse me while I go read the rest!