Just imagine having to tell your friend that her child went missing under your watch. How would you feel? Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks explores just such a scenario.
This novel is an easy book to get lost in as you race to the end to see what happens.
Charlotte is used to the antics and energy of her three children. Harriet, on the other hand, has one child, Alice. Charlotte is always on the go while Harriet is withdrawn and doesn't make friends easily. But Charlotte and Harriet are friends. Charlotte is always offering playdates which Harriet usually turns down. Until one day, Harriet takes up Charlotte's offer to take Alice to the school fair day along with her own brood. Harriet is going to take a bookkeeping class that day.
Having fun at the fair, the children decide to enter the Jungle Run, a type of bounce house. Charlotte decides to check her phone while she waits for the kids to return. Her children run out of the exit, but there is no sign of Alice. The police are called and the search for Alice begins.
The police question both women in an effort to put the puzzle pieces together of what happened to Alice. And this is when secrets begin to emerge. Has Charlotte lost a child before? What is the deal with Harriet's husband? Is Harriet losing her mind?
The book is told from the perspectives of the two women and alternates timelines of "Now" and "Before." It also includes excerpts from Harriet's diary. The characters are well-drawn, and the plot contains a twist that will send the reader off into many possibilities. Just what did happen to Alice? Heidi Perks has written a compelling novel. I can't wait to read her next one!