Map of My Escape by Cheryl Reed
Looking for a gripping, character-driven thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat? Then Cheryl L. Reed’s Map of My Escape is just what you need. It’s the story of a young woman on the run — from the law and from her traumatic past.
In high school, Riley Keane lost her younger brother in a mass shooting. Since then, she’s been an outspoken — and often arrested — anti-gun activist. This stands in stark contrast to the beliefs of her lover, right-wing Chicago politician Finn O’Farrell. Despite their political differences, the two share a deep connection — but can it withstand Riley’s sudden disappearance after her best friend, Chicago cop Reece Taylor, is shot?
Find Out What You’re Really Made Of
Riley didn’t mean to shoot Reece, but who would believe her given her outspoken history against the Chicago police force? With his blood fresh on her hands, Riley makes a daring escape to the remote Angelica Island on Lake Superior. There, she assimilates to island life and begins to build a new life for herself.
But there are those who still hunt her down — including a corrupt police lieutenant and a mysterious cameraman who’s extorting her family. Can Finn find Riley first? Or will his political ambitions drag him back to Chicago, where the media has him pinned for his association with Riley and the secrets of his own past?
Even if Finn manages to find Riley, will she still be the same person?
The island has a way of breaking down barriers. People come here thinking they know who they are, but they leave as someone else … You want to find out what you’re made of, who you really are? Spend a winter on Angelica.
Island That Harbors Its Own Secrets
This chilling thriller is sure to keep the blazing summer heat at bay. Map of My Escape is a tense and atmospheric tale set against the frozen backdrop of Lake Superior. Cheryl L. Reed proves herself a master of suspense throughout Riley’s journey, keeping readers breathless for more.
There’s never a dull moment on Angelica Island, with Riley’s months-long journey filled with the perfect proportions of danger-filled adventure and calm self-reflection. Just when readers think Riley is starting to settle into a new life, Reed throws us a curveball as tragedy strikes the tight-knit group of island friends.
Reed fills the pages with many engaging characters, particularly those Riley finds herself navigating island life with. But everyone on the island seems to harbor their own secrets — just like the lake’s frozen surface — leaving readers to wonder who exactly they can trust.
Map of My Escape is more than a simple cat-and-mouse thriller. It’s a powerful story of grief, redemption and self-discovery. I, for one, can’t wait to see what thrilling novel this author comes up with next.
Cheryl L. Reed is the author of the nonfiction book Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns and the novel Poison Girls, which won the Chicago Writers’ Association Book of the Year. A former staff editor and reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times and other publications, Reed’s stories have won multiple awards, including Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. She has twice been awarded a U.S. Fulbright Scholar fellowship, first in Ukraine and then in Central Asia. She currently lives near the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Visit her at cherylreed.com.
