The novel The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard, written by Kate Robards, is a debut thriller about two sisters and a missing child. Devastating secrets abound in this book.
Sawyer Stannard can’t believe that her sister Willa committed suicide. After all, Willa was working on a story for a local newspaper and writing a book. Even though Sawyer has grown apart from Willa, she doesn’t believe Willa would be the type of person to kill herself. In order to prove herself right, Sawyer begins to trace Willa’s movements during the last months of her life.
Willa was investigating a missing child case from over 20 years ago. Sawyer decides to visit the community and the people involved in the case. She meets the parents of the child and one of the suspects in the kidnapping. She receives no encouragement from Deputy Corbin Campbell who was the lead investigator on the case. However, she does hear from her sister’s literary agent who is reluctant to publish the book because Willa’s ending lacks evidence. Can Sawyer find that evidence?
There are several twists in this mystery, including the one at the end. Sawyer learns secrets about her own family along the way to finding the truth. This book is an interesting debut. Hopefully, Kate Robards will continue on her journey as an author.
