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A firefighter in his forties, Rick lives in New York and has decided to start dating again. He begins having text and phone conversations with a woman named Monica, who invites him to visit her house in New Jersey. He goes, although he is a little apprehensive as she has already begun telling him she loves him. They get along okay, but she is messy and cusses with her kids, which is not like Rick. Shortly after they make a quick trip to Florida, she gets extremely angry with him. Rick realizes that she is not the woman for him, but they try to remain friends.
Soon, Monica begins accusing the new woman Rick is seeing of threatening her life. Things escalate from here: there are multiple attempts on Monica’s life; the mob gets involved; Rick becomes Monica’s business partner; then Monica attempts suicide. It is a lot for Rick to deal with as he is trying to stay her friend and get her some help. Rick has started seeing someone named Nicole, and he runs the whole scenario by her. But is all of what he says real?
Dibble writes clear, grammatically clean sentences, and his novel moves at a quick pace. Once begun, the twists and the action do not stop until the very end. Readers who love a fast-paced story full of bizarre happenings and poor decisions made by everyone involved will devour this and be highly entertained. However, as a result of the novel’s speed, not all of the characters or plot elements are as developed as they could be. Still, those looking for an easy beach read involving a deranged ex will devour this thriller.