If You Were Here: A Novel of Suspense
Burke seems less confident in this book than she was in Long Gone (2011), her previous stand-alone thriller. Where Alice Humphreys came off as strong and directed in the earlier novel, New Yorker McKenna Wright seems insecure, much less comfortable in her skin. Plotting, too, is a little less focused than usual for Burke, whose Detective Ellie Hatcher series has earned accolades for character development and tightly controlled plotting. Even so, Burke manages to deliver some exciting moments here, as lawyer-turned-journalist McKenna finds her life turned upside down when she recognizes a friend from her college years who disappeared without a trace a decade before on a video of a near-tragedy on the subway. At the same time, McKenna’s career takes a devastating hit when evidence turns up that compromising e-mails she used in an article about a judge originated not from the public but from her own computer. Stubborn curiosity about her friend and anger about unjust accusations propel McKenna forward into what others assert is ridiculously wild speculation. Not Burke’s best, but still a solid thriller that will engage her growing audience. --Stephanie Zvirin