Publisher: Dafina (October 25, 2022)
Paperback: 320 Pages
From bestselling author Briana Cole, an enthrallingly suspenseful new story of secrets, sibling rivalry, and a woman searching for a missing sister who may not want to be found. For fans of multicultural psychological thrillers and edgy dramas by Shanora Williams, Kiki Swinson, Saundra, Wahida Clark, Ashley & JaQuavis, Victoria Christopher Murray, and Shelly Ellis.
“That’s not my sister.” Overwhelmed by shock and relief, those are the only words Deven can muster when she is called to identify the body of a suicide victim. A body she was informed was her sister, Kennedy. But as she stares at the lifeless stranger, she’s filled with questions: Who is this woman? Why was Deven listed as family? And most important, where is Kennedy? Her intuition tells her just one thing: this can’t be a total coincidence.
Desperate to put the pieces together, Deven launches her own investigation. Soon, she finds herself tangled in a web of secrets and lies so twisted that it blurs the lines between fact and fiction. And between the sister she thought she knew and the one who seems to have many hidden, dangerous lives. But only Kennedy would have the answers to increasingly urgent questions. Just one possibility is clear: Kennedy isn’t missing. Maybe she just doesn’t want to be found. And maybe you can never truly know another person. Even your own sister.
My thoughts:
In Behind Her Lives, Deven is told her sister has died. Except the woman in the morgue is not her sister. She set out to find out where her sister is and who is in the morgue. I thought this was fine. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I wasn't a fan of Deven. I didn't love some of the choices she made. I did like the twist at the end. The ending kind of leaves the potential for a second book. However, I would be OK with this current ending. Give it a try.
Chapter One
Something
was off about today.
Deven could
sense it.
Her sister called it a devenstinct, her therapist
called it anxiety. And her boyfriend "joked" it was borderline crazy
(though she’d been particularly repulsed by his comparison). A Navy friend of
hers once called it a lull--that calm before the storm. Either way, the
moment her eyes flipped open, only seconds before her alarm pierced the eerie
silence, she felt disturbed.
Reaching for the clock on her nightstand, Deven fumbled
blindly with the buttons, pushing on each until one of them abruptly suppressed
the noise. She sat up
straight in the bed, shrouded in darkness, her eyes scanning the shadows of her bedroom
as if the source of her trepidation would be evident. Deven could make out the
silhouettes of her furniture, her mounted big screen TV, the full-length mirror
positioned in the corner to catch the perfect angle of the less-than-spacious
master suite. Nothing out of the ordinary, it seemed.
As if to serve as a bitter reminder, the mattress shifted
next to her. Deven glanced over as the stocky figure turned, the sheets doing
little to shield his naked frame. Justin. The memory of last night came
barreling back, the images calibrating in and out of focus like a camera lens.
His call had been out of the blue, like all his calls had
been for the past six months since the two had begun this long distance
"thing" (could she really call it a relationship at this point?). And
since he’d been ignoring her calls for days, Deven had wanted to reciprocate
the disrespect. But as pathetic as it was, loneliness eclipsed the stubbornness
and she had answered on the first ring, accepting the dinner proposal before
he’d even finished asking.
Knowing his track record, Deven shouldn’t have been surprised
when he'd come over straight from the airport feigning jetlag. Too tired to
take her out but evidently not too tired for sex.
Deven was frustrated at
his antics. Well, she needed to call it for what it was, downright pissed.
One minute, Justin was the doting boyfriend with impromptu gifts and calls. His
spontaneity had become a staple and Deven had begun to anticipate arriving home
to find him waiting outside, ready to whisk her away to some fancy dinner or
event. But then on a whim, Justin requested for his corporate job to transfer
him to Baltimore because it was a “better opportunity.” Suddenly, his impulsive
nature wasn’t quite as attractive anymore and his decision to leave created
more distance between them than the three-hour plane ride. Still, it was clear
Justin expected her to go-with-the-flow. His flow. Whether it was
loyalty or sheer stupidity, she always did.
Deven frowned as Justin slept on peacefully, completely
oblivious to her growing agitation. It was her own damn fault for ignoring her
common sense. Now here she was, dissatisfied in more ways than one. On a sigh, she tossed her legs over
the side of the bed, suddenly restless and eager for light. As soon as she
peeled back the curtains to allow the first strips of the New Jersey dawn to
peek through, she immediately felt soothed. And just like that, that ominous
feeling was gone, for now. Which was enough to calm her nerves. Thank God.
Still, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she looked out at the courtyard
of her apartment complex. She was too damn old to still be afraid of the dark.
The apartment was situated in a prime location for Deven’s
prying nature. The courtyard was below her second story view, a stone T-shape
walkway with benches and picnic tables resting underneath a covered pergola.
The walkway was flanked by neatly trimmed hedges opening to plots of gardens
that did little to deter the dogs from fertilizing it, despite the sign that
clearly read No Dogs in the Courtyard.
A few tenants began to dribble from their apartments, cutting
through the courtyard to head to their daily regimens. The two women who worked
out together every morning and always dressed in matching yoga pants and sports
bras, the family of four that were headed to church in their Sunday best, and
the college student who always wore those plaid pajama bottoms since he was
usually making a quick run to the neighboring bodega for coffee. Deven
should've been in her scrubs, ushered right alongside them on her way to work,
but she couldn't bring herself to move from the window. Something was still
nagging her. But just like she had deduced only moments before, everything
appeared normal.
Deven glanced to the parking lot as a police car pulled in
and stopped directly in front of the office. They were probably headed to the
couple in apartment A121. It wouldn't be the first time their domestic violence
disputes had gotten out of hand.
"You're up early."
She turned her back on the hum of morning activity and
watched Justin groan and stretch, the muscles highlighted in his body with the
movement. She had to stop herself from staring. Probably one reason why she was
in the predicament in the first place. Plus, she had to remind herself that no
matter how sexy the man was with his champagne complexion and chocolate brown
eyes, that was where it ended. The sex was less than mediocre, or as Deven’s
sister once described unsatisfactory sex, "like that sneeze that wouldn’t
come out." Yeah, that was it.
Justin sat up then, the sheets pooling at his waist as he
leaned against the headboard. "You working today?" he asked.
Deven sighed and nodded, already dreading the 12-hour shift
at the hospital. "Maybe we could go get some breakfast before I go
in," she suggested. The decline in his eyes was prominent before he had a
chance to open his mouth again. "You know what, nevermind. Don't worry
about it." Dismissing her own proposal, Deven turned back around, willing
herself to ignore the sting of rejection.
"Aw sweetie, I'm sorry." Justin rose and crossed
the room, closing the space between them. He caressed her shoulders while
placing gentle kisses on the nape of her neck. Deven felt her skin warm under
his touch. It was a shame he still had that kind of effect on her body.
"It's not that I don't want to," he reasoned. "It's just that,
I'm only in town for a few days and I got some running around to do before I
head back. But..." His hands were now making their way under her t-shirt
to cup her breasts. "You can do me for breakfast--"
The sudden doorbell startled them both as it echoed through
the room. Relief had Deven quickly stepping from Justin's embrace, glancing
towards the doorway as if she could see the visitor through the walls. Justin
frowned and sharing the curious sentiment, tossed a quick look to the digital
clock on the nightstand. 7:23 AM.
"You expecting somebody?" His question had more of
an accusatory undertone than Deven would've liked and had her rolling her eyes.
Did he really have the nerve to be jealous?
Rather than entertain him with a response, Deven shrugged
into her robe and belted it at the waist, murmuring a quick, "Be right
back," before stepping from the room. And just because she knew it would
raise his suspicions, she closed the bedroom door behind her for more privacy.
Pettiness aside, Deven was just as curious as he was about the unexpected house
call, so she hurried to answer the front door, flicking on lights as she passed
through the hallway.
Not bothering with the peephole, Devin flipped the locks and pulled the door open.
She froze, eyeing the two police
officers as the first swell of panic ballooned in her chest, tight and
suffocating. Now
she wished she had've made Justin answer the door. Maybe then she could cower
somewhere in the bathroom and pretend that these two weren't here for whatever
reason that brought them to her doorstep.
The female officer spoke first, her cinnamon complexion
blanched with, what looked to be exhaustion or discomfort, both of which were
plausible in her line of work. But still she attempted a smile. "Good
morning. Are you Ms. Deven Reynolds?"
Deven felt numb but apparently, whatever head gesture she
gave them was satisfactory because the woman continued, taking a tentative step
in her direction. "I'm Officer McKinney and this is Officer Wise,"
she introduced, motioning to the plump man at her side. "Can we come in
for a few minutes?"
Deven’s gaze volleyed between the two, her breath suspended
in her throat. The look the officers wore was all too familiar. Working as a
Labor and Delivery Nurse, it was unfortunately common to identify when tragedy
struck; a twin was stillborn, a wife hemorrhaged during her cesarean, that baby
girl didn’t make it out of NICU. Each time, the staff, herself included,
carried that same haunted look, eyes pained but hollow with desensitization. It
certainly didn’t calm her spirit seeing these two mirror that same demeanor.
Now it made sense. That feeling—that devenstinct—she had been experiencing all morning; like a foreboding pendulum teasing her, taunting her. Deven held her breath and shuffled to the side to let them enter. So much for the calm before the storm. Apparently, the storm had arrived.
About Briana Cole
Briana Cole is an acclaimed author, motivational speaker, sex educator and actress. Her novels are known for exploring unconventional relationships and making readers question all expectations about love, lust, and monogamy. An Atlanta native, she graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University and is a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Her motto and ultimate drive toward success is a famous quote from Mae West: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Connect with Briana online at BrianaCole.com, and on Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter @BColeAuthor.
TLC tour schedule:
Monday, October 24th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy – excerpt
Monday, October 31st: Run Wright and @karen_runwrightreads
Monday, October 31st: @books_wine_and_sunshine
Tuesday, November 1st: @booksnbikram
Tuesday, November 1st: Jathan & Heather – excerpt
Wednesday, November 2nd: @bearyintobooks
Wednesday, November 2nd: @beachesandreads
Thursday, November 3rd : @diveintoagoodbook
Thursday, November 3rd: @bookmarked.by.becky
Friday, November 4th: @bookish.kels
Friday, November 4th: Kahakai Kitchen
Saturday, November 5th: @books.with.courtney
Sunday, November 6th: @readergirlie
Monday, November 7th: @sometimesrobinreads on TikTok
Monday, November 7th: @nina_the_bookworm
Tuesday, November 8th: @angiearoundwonderland
Tuesday, November 8th: From the TBR Pile – review and excerpt
Wednesday, November 9th: @brianas_best_reads
Thursday, November 10th: @blackbiracialandbookish
Thursday, November 10th: @erynereads
Friday, November 11th: @readdrinkandbemary
Friday, November 11th: 5 Minutes for Books
TBD: Wednesday, November 2nd: @bourgeoisiebookworm on TikTok
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