THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR by Liv Constantine - New York Journal of Books review

New York Journal of Books | July 8, 2021

Addison Hope is living a new life in Pennsylvania. Two years prior she was found confused, disheveled, and wandering down a lonely country road. Middle-aged cross-country trucker Ed stops and offers her a ride.

Though hesitant, Addison is exhausted and climbs aboard. She requests water after Ed assures her he is not going to harm her. Her pants are ripped, and she has dried blood on her hands. They travel a while before Ed asks why she is hitchhiking and, seeing her condition, suggests taking her to the hospital.

Each character offers their own voice in this moving storyline, giving credence to each disturbing scenario. Beautifully written and articulate, the only puzzling portion of this novel is in Part III, (Four Years Earlier) before Addison/Cassandra fled. As Julian works with her through hypnosis, he discovers she has a Facebook page where she sends pictures of Valentina to Ed and Gigi. But she does not meet Ed and Gigi until two years later after fleeing from Julian with no recollection of him. An uncaught glitch? If so, the completely unexpected and shocking conclusion more than makes up for this error.

It must be difficult to lose everything one remembers of their life, and there should be a legitimate reason for this after medical explanations are ruled out. Did Addison/Cassandra commit a crime? Did she witness a crime? The Stranger in the Mirror is a nail-biting, page-turner with several subplots. The suspense and terror prove to be horrifying, making this a powerful read.

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