Follow her Down

Follow Her Down

• The first scene in this episode creates a sense of foreboding and fear with the mind and actions of Elise as she faces the death of a raccoon and a family who finds it in the water. Memories flood back as she remembers her sister who enjoyed drinking and was later missing in this very spot. Elise Rockwood relives the moment in time when her sister’s death created a fragile framework and shattered glass particles that would never heal the innermost wounds hidden within her. Her mother became a shell within herself and caused had to be housebound where her brother Kyle had his thoughts blaming it on some wild conspiracy theories. Elise kept it within herself closing herself off and emotionally draining all of her energy and hope of a calm and peaceful life. Kyle feels there’s more and when a local boy takes the blame for her sister’s murder and then takes his own life, you wonder what the underlying truth is.
• Elise needs to focus her energies on creating her new venture owning and operating a mountain lodge and doing all of the work herself. But events escalate as her former lover, Christian is found dead and the confession of the killer of her sister is suspected. Then the body of her ex is found in the exact spot of her sister in the forest, 25 years ago, she and the memories flood back and the 10 years passing before her family knew what appears to be the truth, as the past becomes the present and her brother claims more reasons for robins death related to the ones in the present, you wonder if Kyle invented the files and articles in the box or created it for his pleasure or deception. Elise deals with the revelations of the two murders and the author brings both Christian and Jeremy to light describing their company, their goals, and how technology can create your footprint and know everything about you and more: Daniel a close friend comes to rent a cabin and the story enveloping all three as Kyle’s past and youth are highlighted but he as Elise relates has trouble becoming obsessive when solving a mystery such as the three deaths. Her relationship with her sister battled better friends and enemies plus sharing a room then having to move into her mom’s room and robins a shrine.
• In the present Christian’s murder is now and not part of her life for a long time yet she becomes a primary suspect. Why? Then a call from the police and implications made plus having to answer questions in her office and at the station it’s like their minds were made up and she was it. Then a text from his wife asking who she was and questions she’d rather not answer. Why did the police drag the wife into her life? Chapter 9 lets you show how Daniel feels about her and is her true friend and in chapter 10 the intense questioning by the police leaves you wondering what’s next. Yet 11 forges ahead as the author takes her back making her Wilmer what if Robin never disappeared and learning when googling names that more about her death until the phone call from Kyle linking Christian and Jeremy’s deaths and partners in Stratum. Why was Kyle so determined to make her face up and listen to his theories? Stratum could learn anything and everything about your life and more, but first Elise remembers what happened before Robin disappeared and her excitement about college and the freedom she’d have to go and do as she pleased.
• The key was partly the company Christian and Jeremy opened along with Billy. Their goals meshed at first and then they didn’t. Learning about stratum is interesting and understanding their strategy and why they provided is chilling. Their company shot off the ground and websites first, smartphones hit the market and the rest took off their internet searches at that time could find data about where you lived, worked, shopped how you traveled, and your daily activities and life. Scary but true you can hide!
• The company traffics in information and can control anyone with the right data. You won’t believe how your information is sold and shared without our knowledge. Quinn and Christian were killed, and Jackson was left with total control. Why did the partnership blow up and sell his shares 6 months later? What did Christian know? The wife called Elise right before the funeral and a picture that the wife uses is one that Elise has seen before. Why?
• Everything comes crashing down on Elise when Christian’s wife comes to the reception area of the lodge and the conversation takes on dramatic turns she brings up that the partner of the firm is dangerous and ruthless plus digging for information about her and her husband leads Elise to Daniel and what he reveals shakes her trust in him, her brother and where to go next to uncover whatever she needs to learn about her sister but one thing will destroy it all as the author throws Elise a harsh reality about Robin she’s never suspect. Then the podcast and who will pay the ultimate price next as Elise begins to read Robins’s notes or emails and it sends her into a frenzy and warns Kyle to not reveal anything about her on the podcast.
• The pieces fall into disarray when Elise stays with Kyle after Smithers’s accident for someone close to Kyle. All the evidence points to the killer and a video the police claim says it all so why question Elise? Why call Christian’s wife? Her choices are not always right and when her mother talks to her you begin to wonder who she should trust as Elise goes off the handle at times and does not stop and think where her rage and overuse of alcohol will wind her up. An interaction with her mom and a revelation from another took Elise in a different direction than she ever thought would happen. Confessions were finally heard within her mind and world, the person she trusted was unstable and delusional coming up with a conspiracy theory that was never really true., speaking out, speaking up allowing the world to understand as the author teaches Elise and readers that violent crimes happen, more money time and training plus effort needs to be put into solving and preventing them. As else and the reporter learns more about her reasons her decision at the end will surprise readers. Elise and her mom have their own personal discoveries about the past and the changes in the present as lives are impacted, families living with guilt, moving on, and losing their best friend yet Elise made a life-changing choice that will not change the work but will give her a person that might help others with similar tragedies and lives understand and move ahead. A picture speaks volumes and inner truths come to light, but Elise now has a direction and only time will unveil what it is as so many in her world as so many including herself follow in the paths and direction of others in the same way or in this case she followed many downs as the title relates. Heartbreaking, thought-provoking, guilt-ridden, and enlightening as one overdone journey ends and a new one might save her and more.
• Fran Lewis just reviews