The Book:
The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh
Published April 25, 2023 by Flatiron Books
Date read: April 27, 2023
The Characters:
Daisy and Craig
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The Plot (from Goodreads):
Daisy and Craig’s marriage is in serious trouble. That’s why Daisy has signed up for The Eden Test, a week-long getaway for couples in need of a fresh start. Yet even as she’s struggling to salvage her marriage, it seems Craig has plans to leave her for another woman. In fact, his bags are already packed—long before he arrives to meet Daisy in this remote cabin in the woods of upstate New York.
At first, their week away is marked by solitude, connection, and natural beauty—and only a few hostile locals. But what Craig doesn’t know is that Daisy, a slyly talented actress, has her own secrets, including a burner phone she’s been using for mysterious texts. Not to mention the Eden Test itself, which poses a searing new question to the couple every day, each more explosive than the last. Their marriage was never perfect, but now the lies and revelations are piling up, as the week becomes much more than they bargained for…How far are they willing to go?
How did The Eden Test end?
The Reveal:
Daisy had set the weekend up as a test for Craig, to trick him into killing Frank. When she found out she was pregnant again, she knew Frank would come for her. She booked the marriage retreat, but added her own twist. She got actor friends from her past to pose as the townspeople: the waitress to tempt Craig into cheating, Christian to pose as “security”, and Mike the special effects guy to seem like he was threatening Craig. She told them she was hiring them for a dinner theater-type surprise for her husband.
She also contacted the stalker from her past (Frank) and invited him to the cabin. Christian and Mike were the “tests”, to see if Craig would kill for her. When Frank arrived, Craig passed the test. Unfortunately, Christian refused to leave (he had been in love with Daisy) and Frank killed him.
The Ending:
Daisy and Craig made up their own story of what happened–obsessed people from Daisy’s past tracking them to the cabin from NYC. The Ardens (the owners of the retreat) believed it enough not to question them, and they held enough sway in the small town to keep the police from asking questions as well.
The Review:
Thank you to Flatiron for this ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
This book gave me Rock Paper Scissors vibes! The Eden Test is the sort of book where nothing is as it seems, you know it, and you still have no idea what is really going on. This review will be short to avoid spoilers, but the ending makes the ride so worth it. It’s twisted and suspenseful, and the isolated cabin location gives the perfect setting. I definitely recommend this book for a fun thriller!
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