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Vacations can be the perfect time to relax and unwind—to be the person we wish we were instead of the one we’ve become. But in author Kate White’s thriller The Wrong Man, one woman’s quest for romance and adventure during a tropical getaway turns deadly once she returns home.
The Wrong Man begins in the Florida Keys, where interior designer Kit Finn is seeking design inspiration for a new client while enjoying some much-needed down time. Desperately in need of a little bit of excitement in her life, Kit has a vacation fling with a handsome stranger who introduces himself as Matt Healy. Before she leaves the Keys, he offers to make her dinner once they’re both back in New York. But when she shows up at his apartment, the man who answers the door isn’t the man she met in Florida. And though the whole thing initially seems like just a cruel joke, Kit soon finds herself caught up in a deadly conspiracy.
Light but suspenseful—and loaded with twists and turns—The Wrong Man is just the kind of novel that you’d bring on your own relaxing tropical getaway.
The story of a vacation romance gone wrong is really nothing new—but this isn’t just about morning-after regrets. When Kit shows up for what she expects to be a romantic dinner date, she’s suddenly thrown into something much bigger (and more dangerous) than a frustrating mix-up. Though she’d like to write the whole experience off as an unfortunate side effect of her quest to be more adventurous, she can’t just let it go. And not only does she end up on a quest to discover the real identity of the mysterious stranger from Florida, but, when she finally finds him, she also has to decide whether she can believe his version of the facts. After all, lying seemed to come so easily for him before. So she’s forced to wade through the lies, cover-ups, and schemes, making important decisions based on what may or may not be true.
While the story is definitely intriguing, though, it doesn’t always feel completely natural. Some of the key details seem a little too convenient—starting with the one that brings Kit into the middle of the action in the first place. Some of the plot twists, meanwhile, feel forced and a bit too predictable. And the novel’s contrived coincidences keep it from being truly memorable.
The Wrong Man isn’t White’s best thriller, but it’s still a light and entertaining read. So if you’re preparing for your next vacation getaway, you might want to pack this one away in your beach bag. If nothing else, burying yourself in a book could prevent you from embarking on your own regrettable vacation adventures.
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