Thursday, November 20, 2014

Crooked River

I read a few reviews of Crooked River by Valerie Geary and the more I learned about this book, the more I wanted to read it.  

I was not disappointed.


Sisters Ollie and Sam are dealing with the sudden death of their mother and have been reunited with their father, Bear, who lives a minimalist life, shunning most of the conventions of everyday life.

Bear's appearance and lifestyle put him on the radar of law enforcement as most people don't understand his way of living.  When the sisters see a dead body float down the river near their teepee home, the two don't mention it to their dad. But, when the police show up  to ask Bear questions and later find evidence that Bear killed this young reporter, the girls can't ignore the fact that they don't know the entire truth about what went on the night this woman was killed.

The girls take turn narrating chapters, which is interesting since Ollie hasn't spoken since their mother's death.  She is able to see spirits that seem to communicate with her.  I don't much go in for spirits and communicating with the dead, but Ollie's story was still interesting and she reveals more as she narrates than she might if she were able to speak with her sister.

One thing both girls have in common is their steadfast belief in their father's innocence.  Even when all evidence points at their father, Sam continues to try to find out the truth about what happened the night the reporter was killed.

The tangled web she uncovers - about Bear's past, the tragic death of a young girl, Bears disappearance from their lives, all play a part in what occurred with the reporter and who is trying to cover it up.

The end wasn't a big surprise, even though I'm not usually very good at solving mysteries, yet I was totally intrigued by the twists and turns of the story and appreciated the suspense of it all.

I loved this book and will be awaiting more from Valerie Geary.

1 comment:

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Just reviewed this one as well; glad u liked it too.