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From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that spans decades.

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.

Thru page 119. (view spoiler)[ Grace and Patch are being held at the photographers place. Saint wouldn't give up and she eventually figure it out. Seems like the sheriff came to her rescue but don't know if Grace and Patch survive. (hide spoiler)]

Thru page 203, The Pirate and the Beekeeper: (view spoiler)[ So, Patch isn't dead, but I think he's town between Misty, Grace and Saint. He save Misty, Saint saved him and Grace needs to be saved. I'm not confident that the guy (the photographer) is the only guy responsible for the missing girls. Is the doc involved? (hide spoiler)]

The Pirate and the Beekeeper : 1975 (90 pages)
(view spoiler)[ I adore these two kids. it broke my heart when Patch was taken.
I love his nickname, his want to be a pirate. I'm so sad for his best friend Saint and all she is dragging herself through to find him.

But who did she find at the end. Was that Patch? Did she somehow find him?

photographer: Eli Aaron - that fight with her all across the house/barn/extra rooms area. I can't believe she made it out but so glad she did (hide spoiler)]

The Lovers and The Dreamers : 1975 (119 pg)
(view spoiler)[their time together, surviving - very sad. It makes you wonder who makes it out. Surely, not both?

it sounds like Patch is pretty injured, I'm not sure that's who Saint found (hide spoiler)]

The Painter : 1976 (205 pg)
(view spoiler)[

ooh I like your observation - saved, needs to be saved, he saved
it's an interesting web they find themselves in

I really like Saint. I feel so bad for her - that she's working so hard for her best friend who she thinks she could love - and that all he sees is Grace because of what they (he and Grace) have been through

I believe she's real. I'm not sure how he could have drawn her but man - do I wish this book had images!

I also feel bad for Misty but I feel like she's projecting her ideas onto who she thinks he is. Not really who he is. If she could see how hard he wants Grace, like Saint does, she'd help (and not just with a weird bus ride or random gross food).

I wonder if doctor is NOT involved but I wonder if he does like - side abortions or some other mild medical procedures that he doesn't tell anyone about. (hide spoiler)]

Thru page 294. (view spoiler)[ So, Saint married Jimmy. I'm not liking him. He seems really controlling. I'm not understanding why Patch would do something so stupid as to rob banks. Sounds like Saint may be tasked with bringing Patch to justice. This should be interesting. (hide spoiler)]

The Broken Hearts 1978
(view spoiler)[ ooh that was tough
I'm glad Saint found the lower area - we knew it was there but now everyone does.
but wow! His words to Misty - that she couldn't compare to her. heartbreaking

and I love that the Nix helped.
That fact about the sleeping pills was interesting - so did the town doctor help? (hide spoiler)]

Cops And Robbers 1982
(view spoiler)[ Saint is such an amazing friend. she is just there for him - over and over - even as she lets things for herself go.
she's quite the investigator too. I love that she's a cop now. But man, I do not like Jimmy as an adult. He was a needy boy that wanted her so bad. Now he isn't even glad he has her, just thought she was his due. Ugh.

but Saint getting FBI!!! OMG! I love this, just will her husband even let her. But can she actually hunt Patch? They want her to find Patch for the robberies. Yikes.

Patch's roller coaster of living on the road and then robbing the banks - ugh, it's heartbreaking. He's roaming looking for lost girls and is losing his own life. Is it bad to be sad he's back with Misty?

But what now? Saint is brought in to the FBI to get Patch - the one person she loves more than anyone else. How can she juggle that? And patch wouldn't even be mad. (hide spoiler)]

The Hunt & Fate

(view spoiler)[ wow, I never never never thought Saint would take that shot at him. Amazing that she only hit his leg.
and that he went to jail - we're through that now though.

and wow, Patch with a kid - and now that Misty is gone, he's a dad and really having to take care of a grumpy kiddo.

and all those girls Saint has been finding - all of them with Rosary beads. That means something, right? didn't his Grace have rosary?

where can this go from here, though? They are getting older and yet he's never found her.

where could she have gone? Was she really a victim or did she somehow participate? What did she mean when she told him he didn't do what he thought he did? There's still so much we don't know. (hide spoiler)]

The Break and The Prisoner

OMG so many reveals. here it is

(view spoiler)[I just knew the doctor wasn't involved. And even though abortions were legal, they were not accepted in the town.
him loving Nyx - that I didn't anticipate.

there were so many tough deaths in the end - omg. the captain leaving the house to Saint broke my heart.

and Patch - all those families helping him get out. Going to Grace Falls. WOW - and he found her!! It was hard to believe she was still around, still there!! I wonder what she thought and how she waited for him!!??

And Saint - always searching, always looking for Grace to help Patch. I just wish her grandma could have known how horrible her husband was, why she left him.

and I just knew it - I knew Grace was somehow tied to the Eli. Grace said he didn't do anything to her - it made me wonder. I think it's amazing she gave him all the clues to find the bodies and the rosary.

and it was amazing that Patch finally got to save Saint - after so long!

and I love that Saint is helping with Charlotte (hide spoiler)]

Myths and Legends - the end

(view spoiler)[ Eli was such a horrifying serial killer - the way he picked them, the way he hurt them - how many he was able to get. It's just terrifying.

and I love that we got Sammy in the end. I really did grow to love him, he was grumpy but such a good person. but to buy the land and give Tooms that ending, that house owning instead of losing it to the auction. I like to think that Sammy got a little faith in humanity restored in the end. God I love he was there to tell Charlotte her art was sh$t! lol

and I was shocked to know that Saint had gone through with the pregnancy - I really had thought she'd lost it and not given the baby away!! Surprised she kept it from her grandma!!

but I loved that Saint had given Charlotte a life - and took care of her. I love that she still had such a rich life even though she gave so much of it to taking care of Patch.

I loved their road trip and how it took them to a farm and then to search for a pirate! ha!

and so many of Patch's paintings changed all their lives!! I loved how it touched them all.

but god, that last one - that it was finally of Saint and Patch - those 2 kids so long ago
(hide spoiler)]