Summary
Late one night in the quiet Hudson Valley town of Havenkill, a distraught woman stumbles into the police station—and lives are changed forever.
Aimee En, once a darling of the ’80s pop music scene, claims that a teenage boy stole her car, then ran over another young man who’d rushed to help.
As Liam Miller’s life hangs in the balance, the events of that fateful night begin to come into focus. But is everything as it seems?
The case quickly consumes social media, transforming Liam, a local high school football star, into a folk hero, and the suspect, a high school outcast named Wade Reed, into a depraved would-be killer. But is Wade really guilty? And if he isn’t, why won’t he talk?
Told from a kaleidoscope of viewpoints—Wade’s mother Jackie, his younger brother Connor, Aimee En and Pearl Maze, a young police officer with a tragic past, If I Die Tonight is a story of family ties and dark secrets—and the lengths we’ll go to protect ourselves.
My Rating:
Spoilers
Wade was innocent. Liam’s best friend Ryan had run him over by mistake in a prank gone wrong–Ryan’s parents had a threesome with Aimee En, the singer, and to pay her back Ryan and Liam were trying to steal her car. Ryan hit the gas instead of the brake and killed Liam. Ryan went to his cop cousin for help after Liam died, and the cop suggested they frame Wade, the school’s weird kid. Wade’s family was harassed for Liam’s death, and his brother Connor was shot by mistake by the school bully. The cop was arrested. Jackie’s friend Helen was sleeping with Wade. Wade really had a crush on Helen’s daughter Stacy and slept with her mom to get back at her for standing him up. Wade tried to kill himself unsuccessfully.
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