This is an excellent read from such an engaging storyteller! It really sucked me in. That last page did cause a triple-take, quadruple-take, and whatever comes after, up to about eight. Jones is definitely one of my favorite authors.

A smart, thoroughly entertaining, and suspenseful mystery novel, which is not so much a who-done-it as a how-and-why. The characters are universally well-drawn and quirky, and the relationship between Evan and Naomi is fresh and romantic. I loved it.

I have long been a fan of mysteries and my favorites include most John Grisham books, Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels, and Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series.  What I especially enjoy about those and what I enjoyed about this book are the complexities of the main character’s personality/background and relationship with the crime/victim that naturally reveal important clues and context. The constant shifts in trust and tidbits of new information kept me guessing until the end who was friend or foe and the ‘need’ to find out kept the pages turning.The events and people around Bob Taggart’s apparent suicide really illustrate the ripple effect these deaths have in communities and how many people are deeply affected beyond the immediate family. Many of the common stigmas, questions, and feelings suicide deaths leave in their wake were also addressed in a responsible way, which will help the conversation around suicide in general.