The House Beyond the Dunes
A tragic accident or something more sinister? A woman's buried memories put her life at risk in a novel of shattering psychological suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.
Lane McCord wakes up in a hospital having survived a near-fatal fall at a North Carolina beach cottage. Her boyfriend, Kyle, wasn't so lucky. A senseless tragedy on their first romantic getaway. All Lane remembers is lying at the bottom of the stairs in Kyle's pooling blood.
Confused and grieving, Lane plans to return to the cottage, collect her personal belongings, and get out. Until a winter rainstorm leaves her stranded and vulnerable, but not alone. A concerned neighbor, who claims he heard a violent argument before the accident, has come out of the storm. So has a suspicious detective on the trail of a missing woman, whose diary deepens the mystery--and raises more questions that fill Lane with dread.
How well did she know Kyle? How well does she know herself? What really happened at the cottage on the beach? And when the answers come, who can Lane trust to get out of this waking nightmare alive?
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
The House Beyond the Dunes starts as a romantic getaway to the Outer Banks and ten turns deadly when Lane McCord survives a mysterious fall that kills her boyfriend, Kyle. Her memories are fractured and a detective investigating the disappearances of two women is closing in on the home Lane is staying in. Lane finds herself trapped between a past she cannot remember and a truth someone desperately wants to keep buried.
The plot of this psychological thriller followed a twisty path filled with suspicious characters, unsettling secrets, and reveals that kept me second guessing my theories. The pacing was excellent and kept me on the edge of my seat. I managed to predict several twists, but plenty of surprises still caught me off guard.
The developing relationship between Lane and Detective Becker was enjoyable. His concern for her felt sincere. I could sense the deeper feelings beneath his professional determination to uncover the truth. I would have appreciated a flashforward showing where their relationship eventually led.
The exploration of memory and trauma was a fascinating element. Although, I wished Burton developed the psychological aspects further. My own experience learning about parts therapy during trauma recovery made me curious about Lane's fragmented identity. Is it too much to ask for a novella exploring Stevie's perspective and the psychological journey of reconciling the two pieces of herself?
Pick up The House Beyond the Dunes if you love twisty psychological mysteries, unreliable memories, and suspenseful stories filled with secrets.