by Liz Moore
Memories, mystery, and family all take center stage in Liz Moore’s best-selling novel Long Bright River.
Two sisters bound by blood, experiences, and memories, grow up in the same house, under the care of the same grandmother, and in the same Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. They walk the same block… but are on entirely different paths. Mickey is a cop, Kacey a drug addict living on the streets.
The sisters were inseparable… until they weren’t. Now Kacey is missing, a killer is on the loose, and Mickey is on the hunt for both. But she is not getting much help from the force, and her memories, rich and raw, are an ever-present source of grief, guilt, and hope. Long Bright River is wonderfully written. It is rich in characters and full of left turns. It shouts, “life is complicated!” It delivers a fresh picture of Kensington, the drug epidemic, heartache brought on by loss, and love in the most unlikely places and offers glimpses of redemption.
The recommendations for Long Bright River comprise a veritable Who’s Who of the well-known and well-connected. Seeing the praise, I bought it and dove in. I must say, it was tough swimming until I got in sync with Moore’s prose and literary style. Her flashbacks (Then and Now) were clever and added depth, but were to me (at times) a tad too intricate. Still, a great format and style overall.
My ultimate tests for novels are (1) Does it give me insights into the human condition? (2) Does the research shine through the story? (3) Does it touch me… in the heart? (4) Are the characters believable and the prose engaging? (5) Do I remember it two months later?
In the case of Long Bright River, all the answers are “Yes.”
