"Not Who You Think"

Arbor Sloane grew up in the Midwest and earned her master’s degree of English at Iowa State University. She now teaches community college courses and resides with her family in the Des Moines area.

Sloane applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Not Who You Think, and reported the following:

Here is an excerpt from page 69:

Note: This is a meeting between Amelia, a true crime writer who is covering the case of a missing classmate of her daughter, Gabby, and the school counselor.

I sit down and give him an expectant look, wishing he would hurry up and get to the point.

"I spoke with Gabrielle this morning," he says, tenting his fingers.

"Oh?" I think of how she hugged me this morning, reassured me. Maybe she was putting up a stronger front than she really felt.

"It seems that she's pretty troubled about the Mahoney girl's disappearance. Would it be alright if I met with her a few times a week until all this is solved?"

I pause. For a long time, I've been wondering if it would be good to get Gabby into some type of therapy. Now, after she's read my book, I'm leaning toward yes. It can't be easy, realizing the terrible things that happen in this world and that your mother was tangled up in them somehow.

"You know, I think that might be a good idea."

He nods, pleased.

I think of how satisfying his job must be, seeing people in trouble and actively being able to help ease their pain in some way. I wish that I could take away what Bridget Mahoney is going through right now. It only makes me more determined to find her.

I get up to leave, but Mr. Blair holds out a hand, halting me. I sink back into the chair, but all the while I'm thinking that I can't wait to get out of here. I need to be helping the police. I need to be taking steps toward getting Bridget home.

"I shouldn't be saying this, but I think there's something you should know," he says, then hesitates for a moment.

The Page 69 Test worked pretty well for Not Who You Think! It reveals the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, how Amelia feels conflicted about her work of interviewing serial killers and how it might affect her daughter when she actually reads the book and sees what her mother is investigating. Her worldview might change, knowing that there are people capable of such atrocities. Her innocence will be shattered. It also touches on the current case she's working on, Gabby's missing classmate. It hints at a clue that will give the reader an idea of what happened to Bridget, as well.

In Not Who You Think, the main character, crime writer Amelia Child is determined to explore the causes that lead to a serial killer's development. Her first book is about Gerald Shapiro, a prolific killer who raped and murdered a number of women after catfishing them through social media. With her detective friend, she helped put Shapiro away for good. But then something baffling happens; women start dying again, and the new killer seems to be following Gerald's M.O. She reunites with her investigator friend in a race against the clock to save Bridget, her daughter's classmate, who has been kidnapped. The knowledge she gained about Gerald Shapiro will come in handy, and she turns out to be more embroiled in the case than she initially thought.

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--Marshal Zeringue