Or Else by Joe Hart

I've read a few of Hart's books and enjoyed them enough to see what else was at my library. Or Else came up, so I gave it a go. 

This mystery/thriller is about Andy, who is having an affair with his neighbor and childhood friend, Rachel. But then Andy receives a threatening note to stop the affair...Or Else. See how that works?

Then Rachel's husband is murdered and she and her kids disappear. Because there wouldn't be much of a book otherwise, Andy decides he is the best person to solve these mysteries and doesn't cooperate with the police. 

What I liked most about Hart's other books is what I felt was lacking in this one. In And the Sea Called Her Name and The Exorcism of Sara May, Hart creates sinister moods that pervade throughout the story. And there was a supernatural element to each that give the story just a little nudge into the fantastical and unique.

Or Else is much more grounded and realistic and probably my least favorite of the three. But it's fine if you like mysteries or thrillers. There wasn't anything that overtly turned me off to the book, so I'll probably check out Hart's other reads - but it didn't have the dark undercurrent in his other books that left me delightfully unsettled.