Released July 7th, 2020, Hurry Home by Roz Nay is an engaging thriller that focuses on a dysfunctional family dynamic of two distant sisters, Alex and Ruth, who are desperate to keep their pasts buried. Alex’s upbringing was often filled with conflict caused by Ruth as Ruth tended to drag Alex into her messes. As they grew older, Alex was able to escape this.

Without her sister, Alex is able to have a peaceful reality; she resides in a paradisal town, working in child protection services and bettering innocent lives. However, her idyllic life becomes threatened when her estranged sister, Ruth, shows up at her apartment years later. Alex’s perfect life is in shambles once again as Ruth asks for her help. Alex reluctantly agrees when her one condition is met: the events of their childhood stay hidden. This happens to be easier said than done as their secrets have to be confronted when a local child goes missing.

Hurry Home is told in both Alex and Ruth’s perspective, and they both seem like unreliable narrators as their recollections of the past differ. This creates an off-putting feeling, suggesting that there has to be another piece to the puzzle that can make their accounts more cohesive. 

The story has a relatively strong plotline, but it is hindered by its execution.  It is best to view the novel as a work of mystery, rather than the thriller it has been typed. It lacked the necessary suspense needed to drive the present plot forward: the missing child. It was far more interesting to uncover Alex and Ruth’s past, with most of the story’s shock value circling around their old secrets. 

Despite its underdevelopment in certain areas, Hurry Home is an easy read that is worth checking out. Although it should be approached as more of an exploration of a domestic relationship than a thriller, Nay’s writing still makes the plot entertaining to see unfold.