Poppy, the two-year-old granddaughter of the Haywoods, is diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer, the whole community rallies around them to raise money for her treatment. But not all is as it seems in this little town, and when someone turns up dead on the night of the Fairway Players’ dress rehearsal, the truth must be uncovered.
I picked up this book because someone here recommended it (thank you!) and because it’s been a while since I read a good epistolary novel. Certainly I’ve never seen one that’s a mystery, and I really enjoyed this innovative format. The gaps between what people say and what’s really going on makes for a twisty narrative.
I also liked how interactive the story felt, like a puzzle. The legal interns are studying the same documents as we are, sorting through them and searching for clues just as we are, and I felt a little bit like a detective doing it, which was fun.
However, I wish I liked the characters better. There was no one that I really wanted to root for, and I could not stand Issy, who is one of the main characters in the story. Therefore, while I went on to try and find out what had happened, the read wasn’t always enjoyable in a narrative sense.
Overall, a twisty and innovative read with complex characters. I would read more by this author as she seems to have a knack for complex but comprehensible mysteries.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
