Review by Booklist Review
In her debut novel, journalist Joseph crafts a surprise-filled whodunit that starts with a shocker of a first line: My brother drowned in a bathtub that was less than one foot longer than he was tall. The tale begins 23 years after 9-year-old Lucas dies, when his brother, Francis, returns to his hometown and a job at the Lansing News. Still mum is the only known witness, Sam, 10 years old then, now the father of a missing child. Still haunted are Francis, the narrator, and his parents. Was Francis involved? After all, he has made a mess of his career and his relationship with his daughter. Was his mom? Was his revenge-seeking dad, who is still furious that Sam refused to speak up? Or were others to blame? Meanwhile, what about Kira Jones, who is writing a book about Sam's family? Joseph brings a reporter's talent for creating scenes with specific details (Lucas dies wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt that billowed around him in the tub) to this satisfying page-turner, which ties up the loose ends with a not-easy-to-guess conclusion.--Springen, Karen Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Joseph's debut is a heart-wrenching chronicle of two families, one with a missing son, the other still reeling from the death of a son years before. In 1992, nine-year-old Lucas Scroll was found dead in a bathtub in his parents' home in a Chicago suburb. The last person to see Lucas alive was Sam Farr, a classmate who was over for dinner that fatal night. Fast forward to 2015, when Sam's nine-year-old son, Matthew, has gone missing, and former cop Alex Scroll, Lucas's father, is the prime suspect. Caught in the middle of the maelstrom is Francis Scroll, now Francis Clarke, Lucas's older brother. Confronted by the missing boy's mother, Miranda Farr, Francis doesn't want to believe that his father is involved, but he can't be sure. So he sets out to find Matthew and end the newest chapter of a drama he's tried for decades to leave behind. Only a few forgotten details, which don't affect the overall storytelling or denouement, mar this page-turner with its haunting, well-developed characters and tantalizing plot. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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