Our late teens are a time of self-discovery: figuring out who we are and what our identity means in the grander scheme of things. But what if that wasn't an option?

Harlow Ford, the heroine of Rebecca Barrow's new novel And Don't Look Back, has never known what it's like to be herself. She's constantly changing her name and personality, running from town to town with her mother Cora. But she's never known what they're running from. Then, Cora dies. And suddenly, Harlow is faced with the truth.

Now armed with money and an inherited family home, Harlow sets out to find out what her mother was keeping from her. The secrets run deep—so deep that the reader will continue to unearth them, even into the book's final sentence. And they start with the mysterious disappearance of Harlow's mother, Eve Kennedy.

Simultaneously tense and slow-burn, And Don't Look Back blends mystery with self-discovery. As Harlow attempts to piece together her family's fragmented past, she's also learning what it means to live as herself. A testing of the waters of friendship and romance intertwines with her dangerous search. Once people realize who she is and what she's after, faces from the past begin to emerge. And what Harlow discovers about herself, and her family, is more than even she bargained for.

Juggling the two facets of Harlow's journey is no easy feat. The juxtaposition of teen romance and a fight for one's life, of honest communication over burgers and running from a potential killer, could be this book's fatal flaw if not handled well. Fortunately, Barrow navigates this beautifully, tying every disparate piece into one breathless journey for the truth.

Because, as the book rightly shows us, everything—the lies, the disappearance, the teen awkwardness, and every last confusingly-captioned photograph—answers the same question of identity. The bulk of the story may have all the thrills and shocks of a true crime podcast, but in the end it's a search for truth. Harlow is at a vulnerable age we all know well, where honesty seems to be in short supply. Fortunately, readers are rewarded with all the details. While there may be some uncertainties still in the air as the book closes, there aren't any loose threads.

And Don't Look Back is a perfect chilling read for autumn. It twists and turns intriguingly right up until its final breath.

And Don't Look Back goes on sale October 3.