I’ve seen this book described as “quirky and irresistible” and I totally agree that both of those words are dead on. If you decide to open this one, get ready to stay with it through the decidedly strange first third, where Joy is alive and scrambling to stay on top of the monstrous lie she’s told her twin daughters (Andie and Cassie) for 20+ years of their lives – that they are from the future and will return there on their 21st birthday to save the world.

Outrageous, yes. But Mayne pulls it off and throws the reader into the second act, where the girls (sans Joy who was indeed out of time) start to piece together a bit about the world outside their cozy laundromat.

Is there a mystery? Of course. Are there cops? Yup. A body? Of course. How about really great neighbours? Sure, the locksmith and the cool tattoo artist are Mayne’s way of keeping the reader grounded in reality as the twins flit in and out of the world their mother created and the real, very scary one, outside their front door.
The third act? Well, I’ll leave that up to you to find out, because there are no spoilers here. Suffice to say that while this book is quirky, it’s also a savoury treat.