Nowhere Like Home Is Another Inviting and Delicious Mystery from Sara Shepard

Sara Shepard is no newcomer to the mystery genre. The author of such megasuccessful series as Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, she’s a writer who has proven herself more than capable of telling a complex, albeit unexpected and frequently mind-bending, tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and dark delight. This is precisely what we see in her latest novel, Nowhere Like Home, a thrilling mystery that keeps the reader enthralled until the final moments. 

Nowhere Like Home skillfully follows the protagonist, Lenna, through two distinct periods in her life. In the present, she leaves her life in the city, including her husband, with her relatively newborn baby in tow to find solace at a “community” (or “mommune”) in the Arizona desert. This is prompted by a visit with her old friend Rhiannon, who she became friends with and lost touch with about two years prior but who still holds a special place in her heart.

At the mommune called Halcyon, Lenna meets an eclectic group of people living together, sustainably, whilst all carrying their own secrets from their lives before. Which, of course, Lenna isn’t supposed to ask anything about, as part of the exclusive appeal of Halcyon—it’s invite-only—is that its residents are allowed a chance to start fresh. Lenna is also hiding a major secret, making this seem like the perfect fit for her. But, as Shepard frequently explores, there’s darkness lurking under the surface of anything that seems just a bit too idyllic to be true.

The second arc, which is told in alternating chapters, depicts the events that unfolded in her life two years prior when she first met Rhiannon and how the pair ultimately lost touch. This arc also involves another major player, Gillian, whose Instagram posts end each chapter with her take on the situations unfolding. 

Truthfully, this arc may be even better than the story set in the present day. Lenna and Rhiannon are both far more enjoyable during this time, not burdened by the secrets that haunt them in the present-day story and building a relationship that causes the heavy aftereffects we’re seeing two years later. Additionally, Gillian is such an unexpectedly enticing character. She is struggling with severe social anxiety, and her way of handling that and trying to achieve her ultimate goal is… interesting, to say the least.

However, it’s also our chance to see who the characters were before life hit them hard. They are fighting so desperately in the present day trying to be more like the person they were before. It’s a relatable struggle, as it’s human nature to ponder what-ifs and attempt to recapture your youth and the person you were before trauma shaped you in ways you maybe don’t even realize until later.

Nowhere Like Home intertwines the arcs with (mostly) alternating chapters that the reader can navigate with ease despite the large jumps back and forth in time. Each informs the other and is filled with twists, including a few jaw-dropping twists that forced me to set the book down to wrap my head around what I had just read. As such, this allows for both arcs to wholly entertain the reader while keeping them on their toes, unsure about where either part of the story may be headed. This should be of no surprise to any fan of Shepard’s, as we all know she can think up and deliver one meaningful twist with a heavy punch behind it.

In addition to the main players Lenna and Rhiannon, each arc also hosts a slew of different characters that bring something unique to the table, allowing this world to fully blossom into something twisted, sad, and enthralling. For instance, the women at Halcyon are all so deeply intriguing, as you have no choice but to wonder how and why they’ve all ended up here, just as Lenna does.

Something that I adore about all of Shepard’s work is her ability to create intense and almost enveloping friendships that, despite being unbelievably toxic, you can’t help but root for to some extent (if not just to see more of the twisted bond). It is, after all, one of the most captivating elements of Pretty Little Liars, as the girls’ friendship with Alison DiLaurentis was so obviously horrible but had a few bright spots too. Such is the case here, though perhaps not quite on that level, with Lenna and Rhiannon, but also a few other characters that will remain unnamed.

Ultimately, Nowhere Like Home is worth the read. Sara Shepard is simply one of the best mystery authors there is, whether it falls in the young adult or adult categories, and this is no exception. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat, deliver delightfully unexpected twists, and build to a satisfactory conclusion that nearly perfectly captures and completes the characters’ journeys throughout the novel. At the end of the day, isn’t that what any reader wants?

Nowhere Like Home is available now wherever books are sold.

Jay Snow is a freelance writer. He has published many places on the internet. For more of his thoughts on television and to see his other work (or to simply watch him gush again and again over his love for the original Charmed) follow him @snowyjay.