Patrick
Somerville sure can write. So well, in fact, that I didn’t even mind—or notice,
for that matter—that nothing much happened in the 450-page This Bright River until the last 100 pages. Actually, just as I was
starting to wonder how I would review the book in a mystery and thriller blog,
a bad guy finally appeared.
Upon his
release from prison, Ben Hanson moves to his late uncle’s house in St. Helens, Wisconsin.
There he tries to woo Lauren Sheehan, a woman he’d known in high school. Ben has a past, obviously, and Lauren does as
well. Ben’s history is more obvious; drug problems led to the arson that landed
him in jail. But Lauren has seen her share of violence, as well, and it makes
wooing her a difficult task indeed.
Living in
his old hometown makes Ben curious about his family. Years earlier, Ben’s
cousin froze to death in the wilds of Wisconsin. The family has always been troubled about the
circumstances of that death. In remembering conversations, searching through
files, and visiting the places of his youth, Ben finally uncovers secrets that
his family would have preferred he not know.
I hate when
people tell me their dreams, and I particularly hate when authors include
dreams in novels. Other people’s dreams
are boring, and when they go on for pages, they are excruciating. This book includes quite a few, and they are
the one flaw in an otherwise spellbinding story. I skipped them in protest, and found that I
could still follow the action with no trouble. Somerville’s descriptions are lyrical, and
his characters were compelling. This is
a beautifully written story.
No comments:
Post a Comment