Libby Day was a child when her mother and two sisters were murdered in their home, and her older brother Ben has spent over twenty years in prison for the crime. Though there were a number of holes in the case against Ben including a lack of physical evidence, Libby’s testimony was enough to convict him. Now Libby is re-examining what she saw happen that night and trying to come to terms with her part in the consequences.
Told from current day perspectives from both Libby and Ben, and 1985 perspectives from Libby, Ben and their mother Patty, this is a twisty whodunit. I liked the dual time narratives, especially as we see items fall into place that we know were cornerstones of Ben’s conviction, but are given the opportunity to see them completely differently when put into context. Ben’s conviction really seemed to stem from his taste in “satanic” music, his family’s poverty, and that he was a loner. Not too dissimilar from some other real life convictions, which I felt gave the story a really sad relevance.
In my opinion, not as amazing as Gone Girl, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Cannonball Read V 