Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Atmospheric and Haunting, The Cutting Season Gets High Marks From Me
1:51 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Caren Gray never intended to return to the Louisiana plantation where she grew up. Serving in the "big house" was her mother's ambition—never hers. But, here she is anyway, walking the land where slaves once toiled. If she'd been born 150 years earlier, Caren would have been working alongside those dark-skinned workers—her ancestors—cutting cane, polishing the master's silver, and raising a family in the tiny slave cottages that still stand on Belle Vie's vast grounds. Instead, she makes good money managing the plantation, inviting everyone from schoolchildren to senior citizens to visit and learn from its history. Maybe it's not the career she imagined for herself, but it works for the 37-year-old single mother.
Then, comes a terrible discovery: the body of a young migrant worker is found on the grounds of Belle Vie. Murder. Caren doesn't recognize the dead woman, but the vicious killing rocks her to her core. She's always felt safe at Belle Vie (the plantation's ghosts notwithstanding), but now she worries—are she and her 9-year-old daughter safe living in such an isolated spot?
As the police struggle to find the murderer, Caren finds herself and many of the people she works with at the center of the investigation. Caren knows she didn't commit the crime, but who did? Was it someone who knew the woman well, a fellow laborer, perhaps? Or a local, upset with the migrant workers for "stealing" jobs that could belong to him? And then there's Groveland—plenty of people are angry with the corporation's aggressive land-grabbing tactics. Could a fanatic protester have gone too far? Or is the killer something less down-to-Earth? Because, as no one but Caren knows, this isn't the first murder to have happened on the grounds of Belle Vie. Maybe the slaves are finally getting their revenge ...
Although I didn't care much for Attica Locke's debut novel, Black Water Rising, I loved her sophomore attempt. The Cutting Season offers just about everything I look for in a literary thriller—a twisty plot, complex characters, a vivid setting, skilled writing, etc. Atmospheric and haunting, the story kept me mesmerized from beginning to end. I don't give out A's very often, but this one definitely deserves—and receives—high marks from me.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a teensy bit of Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman)
Grade: A-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder invectives), violence and mild sexual innuendo/content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Cutting Season from the generous folks at Harper Collins. Thank you!
Then, comes a terrible discovery: the body of a young migrant worker is found on the grounds of Belle Vie. Murder. Caren doesn't recognize the dead woman, but the vicious killing rocks her to her core. She's always felt safe at Belle Vie (the plantation's ghosts notwithstanding), but now she worries—are she and her 9-year-old daughter safe living in such an isolated spot?
As the police struggle to find the murderer, Caren finds herself and many of the people she works with at the center of the investigation. Caren knows she didn't commit the crime, but who did? Was it someone who knew the woman well, a fellow laborer, perhaps? Or a local, upset with the migrant workers for "stealing" jobs that could belong to him? And then there's Groveland—plenty of people are angry with the corporation's aggressive land-grabbing tactics. Could a fanatic protester have gone too far? Or is the killer something less down-to-Earth? Because, as no one but Caren knows, this isn't the first murder to have happened on the grounds of Belle Vie. Maybe the slaves are finally getting their revenge ...
Although I didn't care much for Attica Locke's debut novel, Black Water Rising, I loved her sophomore attempt. The Cutting Season offers just about everything I look for in a literary thriller—a twisty plot, complex characters, a vivid setting, skilled writing, etc. Atmospheric and haunting, the story kept me mesmerized from beginning to end. I don't give out A's very often, but this one definitely deserves—and receives—high marks from me.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a teensy bit of Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman)
Grade: A-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder invectives), violence and mild sexual innuendo/content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Cutting Season from the generous folks at Harper Collins. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
The Widow of Falbrooke Court4 hours ago
-
-
The Cultist’s Wife by Bj Sikes6 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
The Humans: Matt Haig18 hours ago
-
-
-
Books from the Backlog #91 day ago
-
-
-
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!2 days ago
-
-
-
Audiobook: The Mango Tree3 days ago
-
-
-
-
Final Cut by Marjorie McCown5 days ago
-
-
-
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth6 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Reading as a retreat from reality1 week ago
-
Reading Recap March 20243 weeks ago
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up4 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?6 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ▼ 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)