Karen Shepard

I read a review of this sometime last year and it stuck with me for some reason - and I'm glad it did. This is a dark, complicated story that focuses more on the choices people make than on the actual murder. The first three sections are told from the points of view of three different people, each connected in some way to the murder of a young single mother. They chronicle the time immediately after the murder, one year after the murder, and 10 years after, revealing secrets and intersecting show more relationships, but never clarifying what actually happened. The final brief section brings all the characters together several years before the murder occurs, and reveals - finally, surprisingly - the identity of the murderer. Though the final twist is unexpected, it feels plausible and satisfying. show less

I ordered this book from a catalogue that described it as "literary suspense". The story begins with a twelve-year-old boy discovering the murdered body of his mother. The book is divided into three main sections, each told from the perspective of someone who has some connection to the murdered woman. The final section brings all the pieces together, but in a unique way as it actually takes place four years before the murder.

The literary suspense description is perfect. The book is well show more written and explores relationships and the choices people make much more than it does the solving of the crime. It's also a page-turner...the anticipation grows as the pieces and characters come together revealing the answer (a surprising one) to the basic "who dunnit?" question. show less

Well, it started off really well. The murder, the setting, the characters... all of it. Halfway through it starts to loose you because it focuses on the same things over and over; but by the end it masters a decent finale. A 12 year old boy comes home to find his mother murdered. The story unfolds over time as we get to know the rest of the characters and the actual killer. In my opinion, the killer is revealed too soon in the story and that's where she lost me. Very predictable. Read if show more nothing else is at hand. show less

This book was fine. I enjoyed the writing and the character study, particularly in the first two sections. It fell apart in the end when the killer was exposed in such an offhand way. I know this is what the author was going for but it didn't work for me.