Author: Wiley Cash
Genre: Literary Mystery
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: September 21, 2021
Book Description: The eagerly awaited novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home, a tender and haunting story of a father and daughter, crime and forgiveness, race and memory
When the roar of a low-flying plane awakens him in the middle of the night, Sheriff Winston Barnes knows something strange is happening at the nearby airfield on the coast of North Carolina. But nothing can prepare him for what he finds: a large airplane has crash-landed and is now sitting sideways on the runway, and there are no signs of a pilot or cargo. When the body of a local man is discovered—shot dead and lying on the grass near the crash site—Winston begins a murder investigation that will change the course of his life and the fate of the community that he has sworn to protect.
Everyone is a suspect, including the dead man. As rumors and accusations fly, long-simmering racial tensions explode overnight, and Winston, whose own tragic past has followed him like a ghost, must do his duty while facing the painful repercussions of old decisions. Winston also knows that his days as sheriff may be numbered. He’s up for re-election against a corrupt and well-connected challenger, and his deputies are choosing sides. As if these events weren’t troubling enough, he must finally confront his daughter Colleen, who has come home grieving a shattering loss she cannot fully articulate.
As the suspense builds and this compelling mystery unfolds, Wiley Cash delves deep into the hearts of these richly drawn, achingly sympathetic characters to reveal the nobility of an ordinary man struggling amidst terrifying, extraordinary circumstances.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review: This novel begins with a plane crash in a small North Carolina town. When our protagonist Sheriff Winston Barnes goes to see what is going on he finds that plane without a pilot, but a local man is found near the scene shot dead. This starts off this literary mystery.
This sets up a who-done-it where everybody is a suspect. We are not sure if this is a racially driven crime. Barnes is facing demons of times past, a re-election that seems all but lost and the return of his daughter who is dealing with serious issues.
The characters were so well written, there was not a main or supporting character that I did not sympathize with. With lush storytelling thee is so much to draw from. My one fault with this book is the ending, I absolutely hated it, but I am sure that is what Cash wanted us to feel.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Obsessed Bookaholic 