One of Us Must Die by Zelly Ruskin

 

Which domestic trope hooks you faster: a marriage full of secrets or a neighborhood where everyone is lying?

Happy #bookbirthday yesterday to One of Us Must Die by Zelly Ruskin.

Sterling and Keith have been married for over twenty years.  As their oldest daughter is about to be married, Sterling has realized she no longer wants to be married.  While she married Keith for love, it has become obvious through the years that he only married her for her trust fund.  He is flagrantly cheating on her and Sterling catch him during their daughter’s engagement party.  He is also spending all of her trust fund money.  Her parents put together a clause in their trust fund that she will lose her inheritance if she gets divorced.  How can she get out of this marriage when it looks like one of them must die to end it?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked how Sterling found herself throughout the course of this novel.  She loved her children and would do anything for them, including staying in an unhappy marriage and trying to make it look like a happy marriage.

·       Sterling believed hiding Keith’s bad behavior was a good thing until her almost son-in-law stated that he wanted a marriage just like theirs.

·       I liked how Sterling and her former best friend Whitney rekindled their friendship.  Keith hated Whitney and their friendship had fizzled because of that.  Together Sterling and Whitney investigate Keith and put together a solution.

·       I am still puzzled on why her parents have such a terrible clause in the trust fund.  Why would you want to trap your child in an unhappy marriage.  I was not a fan of Sterling’s mother. 

·       Keith’s character was one dimensional and just a villain.

·       It made me ponder, what lengths would you go to if you felt trapped?

·       The ending was very interesting, and I keep thinking about this.

·       I would classify this book as domestic drama, psychological drama, psychological suspense, mystery, contemporary, slow burn, and suspense.

Overall, One of Us Must Die by Zelly Ruskin was an engaging domestic suspense novel that kept me guessing until the very end.