What would you do if you believed you murdered your best friend? That is the question Lucy Chase has been asking herself for the last five years. Before rebuilding her life in Los Angeles, Lucy Chase was labeled a murderer by the residents of her hometown for the slaying of her best friend, Savvy Harper, after wandering the town soaked in her blood. Only two people really know what happened that fateful night; one cannot remember the events, and the other is dead. Enter Ben Owens, the charming and handsome true crime podcast host who is trying to find the truth. Lucy returns to her small, Southern hometown to assist in getting justice for her best friend. Even if it means remembering things she doesn’t want to remember. Even if it means realizing she’s the killer.
Tag: Mystery
David Joy, Those We Thought We Knew (2023)
“What happens when the people you’ve always known turn out to be monsters, what do you do when everything you ever believed crumbles away?”
David Joy’s Those We Thought We Knew follows a young Black artist from Atlanta named Toya who returns to her home in the Appalachian Mountains in order to trace her history and unveil the systemic bigotry present even in the most unexpected people.
Through alternating perspectives throughout the novel, the reader gets to know, and ultimately trust, the inhabitants of Sylva, North Carolina. Some of the more significant characters include Sheriff John Coggins, the upstanding yet proud pillar of law enforcement and long-time friend of Toya’s grandfather; detective Leah Green, who appears later in the novel to solve one of its tragic crimes; and my personal favorite, Vess, Toya’s anxiously devoted grandmother. The reader slowly learns about the story’s events through the independent knowledge and experiences of each character. However, we additionally get to feel sympathetic toward or even betrayed by some of them in a way that mirrors how the characters feel about one another.
The novel’s Southern mountainous setting is brimful with Confederate monuments, corrupted government officials, and hatred-driven cults many would expect to accompany a small, rural community in the South. Whether the reader has been a part of these communities themselves, or identifies with Toya’s perspective on the community as an outsider, Joy allows everyone to be enveloped in the dynamics of this town. I got a clear mental image of each character while reading—their appearance, their voice, and their personality—as if I know them myself. Continue reading “David Joy, Those We Thought We Knew (2023)”
John Hart, The Hush
“What did you see in those terrible places?”
In John Hart’s evocative novel, The Hush, readers follow Johnny Merrimon, a now-grown man residing alone on the six-thousand-acre expanse of Hush Arbor, North Carolina. When people venture into The Hush and never make it out, Johnny uncovers long-buried secrets that threaten to destroy everything he has ever known.
Set in the same world as Hart’s preceding novel, The Lost Child, The Hush follows up on the adolescent adventures of Johnny and his best friend, Jack Cross. Readers who have followed Johnny and Jack from the beginning are invited to explore their evergreen friendship 10 years later, but if you’re like me and have not read The Last Child before— do not worry! It was a pleasant surprise to receive all the necessary context and backstory to understand the events of The Hush. Continue reading “John Hart, The Hush”
Mary Kay Andrews, The Homewreckers
Hattie Cavanaugh was only twenty-five when she became a widow, but she continued working for her father in-law renovating old homes and preserving the history of Savannah, Georgia. After a project ended in ruins and shook Hattie’s confidence, she got an offer she couldn’t refuse (even if she wanted to): star in a beach home renovation show called “The Homewreckers”. She’ll co-host with a hot shot from Los Angeles, Trae, who will drive her crazy. Or drive her right into his arms. And a producer, Mo, who hates everything about onscreen romance – or is he fighting his own jealousy? No one expects that this home renovation will stir up a murder that happened many years ago. The house preserves not only Savannah’s history but also hidden bodies and betrayal. Continue reading “Mary Kay Andrews, The Homewreckers”