Title: The Anatomy of an Alibi
Author: Ashley Elston
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Format: Hardcover
Pages: ~ 337
Spice Level: 🌶️ 0/5 (no sex scenes)
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Quick Summary (No Spoilers)
In The Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston, Aubrey Price and Camille Bayliss both have their reasons for swapping places for a day. Aubrey is determined to uncover who killed her parents, while Camille is desperate to find out what her husband has been hiding.
But when that husband, Ben Bayliss, turns up dead in a shocking and violent murder, their temporary switch spirals into something far more dangerous. Now, in this gripping mystery thriller, Aubrey and Camille must rely on friends and family to uncover the truth behind the murder of Ben Bayliss; all while making sure they don’t become the prime suspects themselves.
First Impressions
When I first opened The Anatomy of an Alibi, it was very easy to get wrapped up in the storyline. Part of that was pure confusion, being thrust into the scene of Aubrey Price pretending to be Camille Bayliss. You’re not entirely sure of the motivations right away, but it is intriguing nonetheless. I found myself wanting to figure everyone out from the beginning, but every page turned showed that you never truly know anyone.
The plot of this mystery is both fast-paced, as information can change very quickly from chapter to chapter; but still feels like a slow burn because up until the final two chapters, you never truly know who killed Ben Bayliss. There are lots of misdirections in this book. Lots of plot twists that almost make you feel like you’re head is spinning. I really kept changing my suspect list over and over again as more information was revealed.
In the small town of Corbeau, it was easy to get to know all the players involved. There were not a ton of “new characters” introduced, so we get to pick from the same list of people. But some people you wouldn’t even think to put on the list (trying to so hard to keep it spoiler free!!! but here’s a hint: people in power, always are the ones!).
But like I said, going back and forth on my suspect list, I never would have guessed the one who killed Bayliss was who it would soon be revealed as. And I’m usually so good at figuring it out! However, this book does a pretty good job at revealing information, the reader experiences the information somewhat in tandem with the rest of the characters, finding out when those characters find out. It’s a great use of Shifting First Person.
The ending of this book was both satisfying, but still seriously chaotic. As it ends with more lies, more death, more secrets.
The Characters
Our main characters in The Anatomy of an Alibi: Aubrey Price and Camille Bayliss are the perfect example of unlikeable characters that you still champion.
Aubrey Price is a young woman who wants to know who killed her parents and seems to want to go to any lengths to get the answers, especially once the opportunity presents itself. But she still has some naiveté and is a little too trusting of those around her.
Camille Bayliss is a privileged woman who loses her husband after a night of sleuthing. With her privilege, she has the ability to ignore the ways in which her wealth was acquired, how her family plays a role in local politics/criminal activities, and how she has somewhat turned a blind eye to it.
Both of the main female characters have a hoard of people willing to protect them and go to bat for them, which is beautiful and how much of the story unfolds in their favor. Side characters like Deacon, Serenity, Silas, and Hank (who is somewhat more of a main character because he gets his own chapters from his POV) are the reason why things move along the way they do. The two main characters don’t actually take much action, apart from the day that they swap places and what transpires because of that.
Despite it not being conveyed outright, there is some character growth to highlight. Camille is no longer as naive in her family and she takes a stand to distance herself more than what she previously had. She also is less trusting, more discerning of who can be trusted. ALSO she gets to start over without her controlling and manipulative husband, which does wonders for her future! Aubrey also opens up to the people around her, letting them in to help and take care of her. She also does eventually learn who indeed killed her parents and that was the most important piece for her. But with that, I will say all of this transpires over about a week so there’s not an insane amount of growth that can happen for either of our main characters, it just would be unrealistic. However, I was happy with the growth that did occur!
Side characters that really stood out to me are Hank and Deacon! MEN! They went to any length to protect the two female characters. I know this wasn’t a smut book but a girl can wishfully think about what sex scenes between the main characters and their counterparts would have been like. Guess I’ll have to check AO3!
The Writing Style
Elston does a wonderful job of not being overly descriptive of places but it would have been nice to get more description. It was definitely an easy read and had me eager to find out what was going on. Elston does not confuse the author, but instead gently guides us along through the different days and perspectives that make the story.
Emotional Damage Report
- I definitely gasped and screamed at this book at some points. There’s a particular moment in the few final chapters where I had to put the book down and take a walk because otherwise I would have thrown it from how dumb one of the main characters acted, especially this far into the game.
- I had another moment when the reveal happened for who killed Ben Bayliss where I was so shocked because the person it was revealed to be was not on my radar AT ALL. It was truly humbling as a mystery girly, who can usually figure out who is the killer fairly quick.
- It also was quite shocking about who actually killed Aubrey’s parents, although in this regard, it was definitely hinted at multiple times.
What I Loved
- the small town feel of the book
- family lies
- everyone kind of got what they wanted in the end (KIND OF)
- a double storyline, we were trying to solve two cases at the same time
- when you thought you knew something, it would be either close or entirely wrong
What I Didn’t Love
- characters not advocating for themselves
- some of the ways in which information was revealed
- there was no clear indication that the killer was the killer, part of why I love mystery books is you can kind of get hints a long the way. I feel like if I reread this with the knowledge of who the killer is, it would definitely make sense. But this person was not really active in the story overall compared to some of the others I would have picked.
Final Verdict
The Anatomy of an Alibi is such a fun and wonderful read! It was a journey, for sure, but that’s what makes it so exciting. I could not put it down once I started and when I did, I was thinking about it. Ashley Elston definitely did her big one with this. Can’t wait to read more from her!
Who would love this book? People who love mystery, female led stories, a nice little swap of lives, guessing who the killer is and being surprisingly wrong!
Let’s Talk
- Have you read this?
- Did you guess the twist(s)?
- What mystery should I read next?
- Check out what else I’m reading
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