Ratings7
Average rating3.4
One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel.
Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget.
As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge.
Reviews with the most likes.
I see a lot of people comparing this book to Where the Crawdads Sing. Though I've been curious about that book, I've yet to read it. I was kind of glad about this as I didn't have a comparison in mind. Dr. Erin Landry's body is found on Elijah Leith's property. The death is eerily similar to one of Elijah's novels, making him the prime suspect. Neighbors and residents of the town think him guilty and Elijah has to prove his innocence. This book had a calm intrigue. I didn't find it particularly gripping, making it difficult to endure the slow pace. I also found the characters unremarkable, treading on the path of irritating at times. In general, a lot of the story and situations felt unrealistic. What I did enjoy was the writing itself, particularly how well the author captures the tone and atmosphere.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a free digital ARC of the book to read and review!
I LOVED THIS! I felt like the trial itself was rushed but I hadn't even thought of the revenge plot. I thought the girlfriends or angry citizens may have killed the doctor. It was suicide to begin with but just done so well that it would look like the MMC killed her. I feel that this was one book I enjoyed even though the end began to slow down.