I wasn’t going to read the extract of the book. Busy week at work, tired of being at my computer – and the cover looked like one of those cosy mystery crafted in a rush that might have as well been self-published.
“It's the summer of 1959, and the well-trimmed lawns of Sunnylakes, California, wilt under the sun. At some point during the long, long afternoon, Joyce Haney, wife, mother, vanishes from her home, leaving behind two terrified children and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor . . .” Even the description is rather plain. Sure, the mystery is intriguing, but so are many mysteries in many books. Why should I bother?
But then, by chance, I read a few reviews from beta-readers that said there was more to the novel than it meets the eye. Talks about racism, sexism, and a proper thriller full of twists and curveballs.
And then there was that first line.
“Yesterday, I kissed my husband for the last time . . .”
Ok, I thought, I am in. Now, entertain me.
Chapter 1 - Joyce
The first page already does a good job. The incipit is a hook and even when it comes to description, it is not boring.
“The pool’s blue is so deep and vivid I want to fall in and go under, and dissolve like aspirin.”
Joyce’s internal dialogue is perfect to set the mood. The images are bright and the melancholy is heart-breaking.
“There is hope in the morning hours, just as there is desperation in the afternoon, which stretches like gum and yet contracts into nothing.”
Chapter 2 - Ruby
The register changes immediately with Ruby. We moved from the colour palette of a back garden to pants stuck in a sweaty hot bus. The hard life of a black woman working two jobs at the service of two white ladies sets the scene for the world we are in. 8 hours of work for three dollars tell us were are in the past, probably before the big inflation of the seventies.
Tension gradually builds up in the second half of the chapter.
“She rings again. The tingle in her stomach crawls into her chest. The way that baby’s crying. Hoarse and hopeless, as if she thinks no ones ever going to come.”
At the end, blood is found. But whose blood? And why did baby Barbara keep saying they made a mess? Who’s they?
Chapter 3 – Mick
The detective comes in. But he is not only is sleuth, he is also the outsider. He comes from Brooklyn and moved, decided to move, to Santa Monica. This is the fresh perspective that is likely to drive the whole plot. It is clear from the beginning dad he doesn’t share the same point of view as others in the police force especially with respect to black people. To be clear, he’s a good guy, at least he looks like.
He’s quick assessment of the crime scene makes a potentially boring task look like a quick stroll in the park. A pretty good writing technique if you need to hide a clue in there.
The character Mick is developed mainly through dialogues. His first proper chat is with his Sergeant. Beside the facts, we learn that, contrary to the Sergeant, Detective Mick is not quick to judge, open-minded and knows police procedures.
Chapter 4 – Mick
This chapter is a continuation of the first. The first interview happens with the neighbour who called the police. The neighbourhood in the meantime mobilises to search for Joyce. I reckon the neighbourhood will be another force Mick will have to reckon with during his investigation.
Opinion
The book flows like a river. I devoured the first 30 pages. The dialogues are natural and the characters relatable. The writing style is simple, effective and spotless. The mystery at the core of the story is captivating, but it is clear that the story is about the mystery just as much about the context.
I asked this book for some entertainment and I certainly got it.
I liked the extract. I liked it very much. And, it doesn’t happen often, I would buy this book!
“It's the summer of 1959, and the well-trimmed lawns of Sunnylakes, California, wilt under the sun. At some point during the long, long afternoon, Joyce Haney, wife, mother, vanishes from her home, leaving behind two terrified children and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor . . .” Even the description is rather plain. Sure, the mystery is intriguing, but so are many mysteries in many books. Why should I bother?
But then, by chance, I read a few reviews from beta-readers that said there was more to the novel than it meets the eye. Talks about racism, sexism, and a proper thriller full of twists and curveballs.
And then there was that first line.
“Yesterday, I kissed my husband for the last time . . .”
Ok, I thought, I am in. Now, entertain me.
Chapter 1 - Joyce
The first page already does a good job. The incipit is a hook and even when it comes to description, it is not boring.
“The pool’s blue is so deep and vivid I want to fall in and go under, and dissolve like aspirin.”
Joyce’s internal dialogue is perfect to set the mood. The images are bright and the melancholy is heart-breaking.
“There is hope in the morning hours, just as there is desperation in the afternoon, which stretches like gum and yet contracts into nothing.”
Chapter 2 - Ruby
The register changes immediately with Ruby. We moved from the colour palette of a back garden to pants stuck in a sweaty hot bus. The hard life of a black woman working two jobs at the service of two white ladies sets the scene for the world we are in. 8 hours of work for three dollars tell us were are in the past, probably before the big inflation of the seventies.
Tension gradually builds up in the second half of the chapter.
“She rings again. The tingle in her stomach crawls into her chest. The way that baby’s crying. Hoarse and hopeless, as if she thinks no ones ever going to come.”
At the end, blood is found. But whose blood? And why did baby Barbara keep saying they made a mess? Who’s they?
Chapter 3 – Mick
The detective comes in. But he is not only is sleuth, he is also the outsider. He comes from Brooklyn and moved, decided to move, to Santa Monica. This is the fresh perspective that is likely to drive the whole plot. It is clear from the beginning dad he doesn’t share the same point of view as others in the police force especially with respect to black people. To be clear, he’s a good guy, at least he looks like.
He’s quick assessment of the crime scene makes a potentially boring task look like a quick stroll in the park. A pretty good writing technique if you need to hide a clue in there.
The character Mick is developed mainly through dialogues. His first proper chat is with his Sergeant. Beside the facts, we learn that, contrary to the Sergeant, Detective Mick is not quick to judge, open-minded and knows police procedures.
Chapter 4 – Mick
This chapter is a continuation of the first. The first interview happens with the neighbour who called the police. The neighbourhood in the meantime mobilises to search for Joyce. I reckon the neighbourhood will be another force Mick will have to reckon with during his investigation.
Opinion
The book flows like a river. I devoured the first 30 pages. The dialogues are natural and the characters relatable. The writing style is simple, effective and spotless. The mystery at the core of the story is captivating, but it is clear that the story is about the mystery just as much about the context.
I asked this book for some entertainment and I certainly got it.
I liked the extract. I liked it very much. And, it doesn’t happen often, I would buy this book!