Review: Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (April 22, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0061656003
Source: Publisher

Hilary Blum is a single-monther, struggling to make ends meet after her husband left her and their autistic son. Losing her job is the last straw and decides to confront her ex-husband. It when she is on her way home from this less-than-productive meeting that she witnesses a horrific accident. Right before her eyes, she watches as an inbound vehicle swerves to miss a deer and goes toppling over the side of the road. Hilary rushes into action and runs to the scene only to find that the man was killed on impact. Sitting on the seat next to him is a bag stuffed to the rim with money. The kind of money that would allow Hilary to continue to send her son to the school he needs so desperately. And so, she makes a decision that will put into motion a series of events that will forever change her life.

With a community still suffering from Hurricane Sandy as a backdrop, Gross has developed a thriller that is intense from the very beginning. Readers won’t help but question what they would do in Hilary’s shoes, in her situation. Three seeming different story lines parallel one another through the novel, coming to a stunning intersection near the end, surprising this reader (who has a talent of tying connections long before a book is over.)

Originally, I thought the backdrop of Hurricane Sandy might be a dud, but was throughly impressed at how well the author blended it all together. Gross has a talent of creating genuine characters you can’t help but connect and sympathize with, individuals who are so true that you feel as if they are part of your world. On the completely opposite sides of the spectrum are those characters that are evil to the core. The balancing act Gross plays between the two is wholly captivating.

I’ve been fan of Gross’ from his early thrillers and it excites me that he can continue to churn out thrillers to keep me captivated. I read this one in a matter of hours; I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from it. Perfect for fans of intense thrillers with strong, developed characters. Highly, highly recommended.