I
really like this well plotted novel. It's an intriguing mystery, a
heart tugging exploration of family relationships, and a penetrating
look at small town morals.
I
like the plot. The novel starts with Allie getting out of prison,
having served ten years for voluntary manslaughter. She had been
convicted of killing the high school football coach. Allie had had a
young child when she entered prison. Caroline had been placed in the
care of Allie's parents and then her sister, Emma. Emma had strong
ties to Caroline and now with Allie getting out of prison, all that
might change. Allie had always declared her innocence and now that
she is free again, she aims to find the real murderer.
I
like how the plot develops. As a character thinks of an event from
the past we are taken there. Little by little the events leading up
to the murder are revealed. And the real murderer? I was surprised.
The
characters were well developed. I could really feel Allie's desire to
see her daughter, her daughter who was so unsure about meeting her
mom after all these years. A daughter who was being shunned at school
because her mom was a convicted murderer now back in town. Caroline's
experiences were agonizing. And then there is Emma. McNeill did a great
job of revealing all the aspects of Emma's personality as the novel
progressed.
This
is a great novel about family and small town relationships. It is a
graphic tale of the lengths people will go to get what they want,
whether it's a winning football team or another to take the
punishment for a crime they committed. I highly recommend it.
I
am taking part in a blog tour of this book. You can read other
reviews here.
My
rating: 5/5 stars.
Laura
McNeill was a television news anchor for CBS News affiliates in New
York and Alabama. She has a master's degree in journalism from Ohio
State University and is working on a graduate degree in interactive
technology at the University of Alabama. She lives in Mobile, Alabama
with her family. You can find out more at http://lauramcneill.com.
Thomas
Nelson, 400 pages. You can purchase a copy here.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse for the
purpose of an independent and honest review.
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