3.5* ( )

I finished it. That's about the best thing I can say about this one. There were way too many story lines, and they didn't gel together very smoothly. Would have been a better story if they had left out the animosity issues between the younger sisters. And the whole released prisoner/murderer/crooked cop thing was stupid. That part was unnecessary and served no purpose to the larger plot. ( )

I liked the story behind the old inherited house and the murdered family much better than the second storyline about Tessa and the man she helped get out of prison. The ending to the second storyline was a surprise, but some things just didn't add up. That said, I read the book in 3 days, so overall it was good. ( )

Incredible story. Layer upon layer of twists and turns. You think you have figured out the answers only to find out, if you are lucky, you might get it half of it right, but you will not know the whole truth until you read it. Another fantastic aspect, there us about 4 stories rolled into one. If someone asked me what it was about it would take me an hour to explain it, and then I probably could not do it justice. Read it, thats the only way to do this book true justice. This is the first book I have read by this author, it won't be my last! ( )

THIS story will distract you from everything. Including dinner. And bedtime. And maybe sleep. I sat down to read this and stayed up until three in the morning because I couldn’t put it down. It was worth the sleep hangover the next day.

The Caretakers has two very separate storylines that eventually intersect, each with its own narrator.
Tessa’s tale is layered, kicking off with the betrayal and guilt she feels when the man she helped free from wrongful murder conviction kidnaps and possibly kills the daughter of the Sheriff who was responsible for his jailing. As this is unfolding, her mother’s death reveals one heck of a surprise (and mystery) and all of it complicates the estrangement with her sister.

Kitty’s tale jumps between past and present. The prologue reveals that something dark has happened, and this story unfolds very slowly through short glimpses into her childhood as the daughter of the cook for the big mansion. Interspersed with the flashbacks are scenes with the now elderly Kitty and her sister and brother, who still reside in the caretaker’s cottage, with more hints of secrets.

There is a certain mastery in how Maxwell’s stories unfold and then connect. While there is a lot going on in Tessa’s story, it moves in one direction, full steam ahead. Meanwhile, Kitty’s story jumps forward and backward, with bits of information doled out like breadcrumbs that the reader eagerly gobbles up.

While the latter is a longer trip to get to the final destination, the story does come together, but in the magic that belongs to this author, as the pieces begin to fall into place, so does one twist after another. And then, when you think you have your breath back, the story hands you another twist that you will not have seen coming.

The chapters are brief, however, so the plot moves swiftly, and it lives up to its genre of a psychological thriller – it’s packed with tension and, as I mentioned above, will have you GLUED to the edge of your seat. (I did mention there are twists!) The characters are well-drawn – imperfect and yet sympathetic. Tessa is a complicated but likable character; she is driven by curiosity as a filmmaker, and haunted by her past decisions. Kitty is a fascinating character, more so as the story unfolds. Maxwell also does a fantastic job with setting – it’s very visual, moody and creepy.

Themes of relationships between sisters, guilt, and forgiveness run through all of the storylines. How far would you go to protect a sibling?

The Caretakers is gripping and twisty to the very last page. I absolutely loved it and knew it was a book I wouldn’t be able to do justice in describing just how good it is. ( )