Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Secrets of Eden: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Secrets of Eden: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Secrets of Eden: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Secrets of Eden: A Novel

    Written by Chris Bohjalian

    Narrated by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Kathe Mazur and Rebecca Lowman

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.

    "There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels.

    Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice's daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen - who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.

    But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.

    Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives.  Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems.  As one character remarks, "Believe no one.  Trust no one.  Assume all of our stories are suspect."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 2, 2010
    ISBN9780307705044
    Unavailable
    Secrets of Eden: A Novel
    Author

    Chris Bohjalian

    Chris Bohjalian is the author of twelve novels, including the New York Times bestsellers, Secrets of Eden, The Double Bind, Skeletons at the Feast, and Midwives.  His work has been translated into twenty-six languages.  He lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.   Visit him at www.chrisbohjalian.com or www.facebook.com .

    Related to Secrets of Eden

    Related audiobooks

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A Marriage Made in Heaven

      May 19, 2020

      A Marriage Made in Heaven
      8 min read

    • Article

      Amazing Grace: Reading Kelly J. Beard’s ‘An Imperfect Rapture’

      Sep 30, 2019

      For another memoirist, it would be easy to resort to a rhetoric of absolutes, but Beard’s elegant and direct prose teems with complexity and nuance. The post Amazing Grace: Reading Kelly J. Beard’s ‘An Imperfect Rapture’ appeared first on The Million

      5 min read

    • Article

      Wednesday, May 27

      Apr 15, 2020

      WHEN A NEIGHBOR RENELLA INTRODUCED me to one of her longtime friends and quilting-group buddies, I fell in love with her on the spot. At ninety years young, Laverne’s sparkling personality spilled over with joy, wit, and a sense of fun. But soon afte

      1 min read

    • Article

      From vicar TO WICCA

      Nov 23, 2021

      Standing in the wooden pulpit dressed in my long black cassock, I smiled down at the congregation before me, but my heart was heavy. I had just finished preaching a sermon about forgiveness. I was hoping that when the time came, my flock would find i

      4 min read

    • Article

      Breaking With Christmas Tradition

      Nov 15, 2022

      “WHAT YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS?” I shouted in disbelief. “What? do you mean there wasn’t a donkey?” Clearly this nun had gone mad. She smiled angelically at me and persevered. “Most scholars agree that given Mary and Joseph’s social and economic position

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Seven Signs That You’re in a Cult

      Jun 18, 2014

      A former member of a tight-knit college prayer group describes his community’s disintegration—and how one of its members ended up dead.

      11 min read

    • Article

      What Makes a Modern Mystic?

      Mar 24, 2020

      What Makes a Modern Mystic?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Till We meet Again

      Aug 27, 2021

      Till We meet Again
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Rhythm Becomes a Thing of the Spirit: On ‘Religion Around Billie Holiday’ by Tracy Fessenden

      Aug 14, 2018

      Billie Holiday appeared on the cover of the July 1949 issue of Ebony magazine; inside her essay “I’m Cured for Good Now” was a short but heartfelt testament of her recent struggles. She’d pled guilty to drug charges “on the promise of treatment for a

      4 min read

    • Article

      Escape From A Kidnapper

      Mar 23, 2023

      Alicia Kozakiewicz’s childhood was nothing short of perfect. The bright, blue-eyed, blonde-haired teenager from the Pennsylvanian city of Pittsburgh adored her stay-at-home mum, Mary, who was always there for Alicia and her older brother, Chuck. And

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Art of Reading James Baldwin

      Oct 11, 2017

      WILLIAM GIRALDI is the author of the novels Busy Monsters (Norton, 2011) and Hold the Dark (Norton, 2014), and a memoir, The Hero’s Body (Norton, 2016). A collection of criticism, American Audacity, is forthcoming from Norton in 2018. I WENT looking

      14 min read

    • Article

      Ghosts Who Walk Among Us: The Millions Interviews Claire Cronin

      Oct 19, 2020

      It wasn’t ghosts and demons that most frightened me while writing; I was haunted by God. The post Ghosts Who Walk Among Us: The Millions Interviews Claire Cronin appeared first on The Millions.

      8 min read

    • Article

      ‘I Am 100% Woman’

      Jul 29, 2022

      ‘I Am 100% Woman’
      4 min read

    • Article

      GIRL Power

      Mar 17, 2020

      GIRL Power
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Gilded Crown

      Dec 1, 2023

      ▶ RELEASED OUT NOW! 384 pages | Hardback/ebook/audiobook ▶ Author Marianne Gordon ▶ Publisher HarperVoyager The well-worn phrase “No good deed goes unpunished” proves most apposite for Hellevir, the heroine of Marianne Gordon’s impressive debut novel

      1 min read

    • Article

      My Father The Murderer

      May 19, 2021

      My Father The Murderer
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Ella Baxter

      Dec 6, 2021

      The lowest standard I hold for a book is that I want it to be so psychedelic, so completely discombobulating, that I am torn asunder. I want to read words that turn my bones to dust. The post A Year in Reading: Ella Baxter appeared first on The Milli

      4 min read

    Reviews for Secrets of Eden

    3.5/5

    441 ratings66 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Secrets of Eden is about domestic violence. The story is told through the eyes of the neighborhood preacher, an author who wrote a book about angels, the state attorney and the 15-year-old daughter who is a witness to some of the abuse.My main reason for reading this was because it was written by Chris Bohjalian, and I have a lot of respect for him. I find him to be a man of integrity. Also, I find that his writing has unique characteristics, and I enjoy it.Secrets of Eden maintained the Bohjalian feel, so I wasn't disappointed in that respect. I was, however, not jumping for joy for this story as it was being revealed. I did like the variety of narrators, but I didn't care for the author's book. Nothing against the topic of angels, but it just didn't appeal to me. I felt it placed a hokey aspect to the novel. Other than that, it was very good. I did solve the puzzle towards the end, but it was fun to find out if I was correct.Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
    • 5/5
      I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful SECRETS OF EDEN is. Every sentence is so well written, and the story is arranged so well. SECRETS OF EDEN begins with the first-person account of a Baptist minister, Stephen. After he baptizes one of his parishioners, Alice, she says, “There,” and Stephen forever blames himself for not realizing what she meant by that word and for not saving her from her husband.Part II is the account of the state’s attorney, Catherine. She suspects that Alice’s husband did not commit suicide. She then suspects Stephen and looks for evidence against him.Eventually Stephen meets Heather, an author of inspirational books about angels, who helps him and Alice’s daughter, Katie, with her first-hand knowledge of wife abuse, murder, and suicide. Part III of SECRETS OF EDEN, is Heather’s first-person account.The final part of the book is Katie’s first-person account.Every part of SECRETS OF EDEN sounds like it really is written by that person who narrates it. The writing and the story are mesmerizing as each part builds suspense, adds clues, and moves the story further. This is one fine literary thriller.
    • 2/5
      This book was sooo slow and having worked out who killed Alice and her husband early on, I found myself just wanting to get to the end to see if I was right. As for Heather Laurent, the writer and angel authority, she was a ridiculous character. The only one I really liked was the investigator, Catherine Benincasa. Having read "The Double Bind" by the same author, which I loved, this was a real disappointment.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book as much as The Double Bind, however, I did figure this one out long before it was revealed. I absolutely loved how it featured each of the characters telling their own version of the story.

      Chris, why didn't you have a section for Alice and George to tell us what happened? That would have made this a 5 Star read.

    • 2/5
      I just have to quote another reader who said it perfectly!


      "Tell me, what happened to the man who skillfully channeled 360 degrees of the female soul in "Midwives"? Where might the author be who so cleverly knit elements of Gatsby in with a modern story in "The Double Bind"? What has become of the writer who bravely took on the tired topic of WWII and crafted a gorgeous story in "Skeletons at the Feast"?"

      I am woefully disappointed in my favorite modern author. I felt no connection or "soul" from the characters. The plot was too simple to deal with such an emotional social issue! I wanted to feel all the character's pain but could not.

      Did Bohjalian sell out? My assumption is this: it must be tough to produce a good novel when a movie version is a sure thing! I hope the screenwriter's do a better job.

      I'm sorry Chris, better luck next time.
    • 5/5
      Remains an excellent writer
    • 5/5
      Very well done,...good character development...thought provoking...I have enjoyed most books by this author.
    • 4/5
      Chris Bohjalian does not shy away from the difficult topic when he writes. This time, it's domestic abuse and violence within the setting of a bucolic Vermont village. Everyone assumes this is another abuser-kills-spouse-turns-weapon-on-himself type of murder/suicide. Or is it? Once the local DA gets involved, anything seems possible. Written from the multiple view points of the local pastor struggling with a crisis of faith, an intrepid woman DA, a beautiful New Age-y author with multiple books on angels, and the dead couple's teenage daughter. The author kept me going, although the 'whodunit' was pretty evident from early on. Most successful for me was the ambitious prosecutor and the young girl. The angels were just a distraction and did little to carry the plot forward. I also felt the pastor was given too much of a pass for his apparent transgressions. Recommended for people drawn to psychological examinations of evil. People troubled by graphic descriptions of abuse should steer clear.
    • 1/5
      No words!
    • 4/5
      3.75 starsSteven is a minister in a small town. ****This may be a SPOILER, but it’s revealed fairly early on.**** Little do most people know, he’s been having an affair with one of his parishoners, Alice. ****END POSSIBLE SPOILER**** Alice is married, but her husband is abusive toward her. Alice and her husband have a teenage daughter, Katie. When Katie’s parents are discovered one Monday morning by Alice’s best friend, Ginny, it appears that Alice was murdered by her husband, who then killed himself. Overall, I thought this story was very good. I listened to the audio, which was done well; there were four different narrators for each of four parts, each part told by someone different. We got points of view from Stephen; Kathleen, a lawyer; Heather, an author who is famous for her books about angels, whose parents also died when she was a teen via a murder-suicide by her father; and Katie. I would have given it 4 stars, except for a quarter star deduction for Heather’s boring angel stuff. I could have done without any of the angel stuff. Heather’s part of the story was the least interesting to me (though not all bad), but add in those angels, and the book lost a ¼ star. I quite enjoyed the rest of the book, though.
    • 2/5
      Narrated by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman, Kathe Mazur. I picked this one up after reading an intriguing review in People magazine, but this turned out "ehhh" for me. The more interesting story to me was Stephen the minister's; Heather's story, the angel woman, was just blather. One of those books where the characters spend a lot of time navel-gazing.
    • 5/5
      Heather survived the murder-suicide that claimed her parents as well as her childhood. However, when the apparent murder-suicide of another little girl's parents are filed murders, Heather's newfound happiness is shattered.
    • 4/5
      Audio book performed by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman and Kathe Mazur.

      When Alice and George Hayward die in a murder/suicide, Reverend Stephen Drew suffers a crisis of faith. He is tormented by his inability to stop the tragedy, and tortured by a sense of guilt. In despair he leaves the small Vermont town and seeks consolation with a wildly successful new-age author of “angel” books. But the medical director’s autopsy findings aren’t consistent with suicide and the state prosecutor discovers that Alice – and several other people involved – had secrets. The investigation quickly focuses on Stephen Drew and keeps everyone in a state of turmoil.

      Bohjalian structures the novel in four distinct parts, each narrated by a different character – Rev Stephen Drew begins the tale, followed by prosecutor Catherine Benincasa, Heather Laurent, and finally Katie Hayward, the now-orphaned teen daughter of the murdered couple. The plot unfolds slowly in dribs and drabs, much as such a story would be revealed if it happened in your own neighborhood. The reader begins to trust and then doubt each of the narrators in turn, and little by little the truth is finally brought to light. It’s a well-paced emotional and psychological study of the events leading to, during and following a family’s and community’s significant tragedy.

      Using different actors to voice the four sections was a very good idea for the audio book. It really helps to differentiate the voice of each character, not just literally but figuratively. I’m not certain if this distinction would be so evident if I had read the text version of the book; it is definitely a plus on the audio.
    • 5/5
      Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian, is a compelling yet haunting exploration into domestic violence. Told from four different profound voices--a town shaken by a tragedy of one woman. Secrets. What could have been done to prevent such a violent action?Set in Vermont, Alice Hayward (a woman of many secrets) is being baptized by her minister Stephen Drew; however, this was the beginning of the end for Alice. She would be murdered shortly thereafter, before her new spiritual life could begin.George, a controlling, violent husband, and father. An alcoholic. A daughter, who lives in the midst of seeing her mother beaten constantly and a father who has two sides. Good and evil. Mostly evil.Stephen, the minister is haunted by Alice’s death. What could he have done to save her life. Now he feels his own faith slipping away. He meets Heather, the author of inspirational books about angels. She also has a story of violence with her own parents and becomes a welcome support for both Alice’s daughter and Stephen.When Stephen and Alice are found murdered, at first everyone thought Stephen killed her then committed suicide. A murder suicide. Could someone else have killed the husband after he murdered his wife?We also hear from Katie, now fifteen year old orphan---her thoughts about her mom, dad, Heather, and Stephen. The bullying from her dad, and the wife beating. The deputy state attorney Catherine, is suspicious when the minister leaves town and his close connection to Alice. . A riveting literary murder mystery thriller! I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman, Kathe Mazur, delivering a suspenseful performance for each respective voice. You are hooked from the first page to the last, hanging on every word. Each character brings something different to the story, as it moves forward. Ordinary people, faced with extraordinary circumstances. I liked how the book was broken up into four parts which made it easy to follow via audio. Heather is charismatic, Stephen is cynical, Alice is complex, and Katie is torn---A realistic account of abuse and domestic violence, and how it effects all the lives involved. Bohjalian delves into the profound mysteries of human existence in all his books I have read thus far--each book is unique. So excited about Christ Bohjalian's books (I have only newly discovered this extraordinary author--a blend of literary and contemporary). I am quickly making my way through his back list via audio, playing catch up. I fell in love with The Double Bind first (ahhh), Midwives, The Law of Similars (this past week) and now Secrets of Eden . I have purchased the remaining ones on audible; however, before I begin,I am jumping to:The most anticipated upcoming release: THE GUEST ROOM. Christmas came early-- just received the best gift......an advanced reading copy from NetGalley (approval happy dance)! My second Christmas unexpected gift came from Chris Bohjalian, a short story: Nothing Very Bad Could Happen to You There. What a great idea and a lovely gift! I wish more authors would do this type of promo. Really creates interest for the upcoming new release. A prologue to the novel--The Guest Room about Alexandra, the woman at the center of the novel, with a special note about the book from the author. Share Link I am dropping all my other scheduled books to get to The Guest Room. Dying to see what goes down and how . . . in the meantime folks, read all his books...spellbinding!
    • 4/5
      Received via Member Giveaway.An adult congregant gets baptized one Sunday, the following day she and her husband are dead - she by his hand.As the story progresses, different secrets come to light. Those secrets involve her, her husband, their daughter (if only to the reader), the minister. In the end, a small Vermont town is changed in many ways.Secrets of Eden is a bit of a departure from my usual type of reading an interesting one. While I am not sure if I will read any more of Mr. Bohjalian's books in the future, he has a certain lyrical prose that I will certainly keep in mind.
    • 4/5
      Reverend Stephen Drew watches over his flock in the small Vermont town of Haverill…or does he? When one of his parishioners (Alice Hayward) is strangled by her abusive husband, who then turns a gun on himself (leaving their fifteen year old daughter Katie an orphan), Stephen seems to be wrestling with his faith. But when later the coroner’s office rules George Hayward’s death a homicide, Stephen’s moral character rather than his faith is called into question. Stephen’s life is further complicated by the arrival of Heather Laurent, an author whose obsession with angels feels a little bit out of whack. And Catherine Benincasa, the deputy’s state attorney, is left to sort out all the characters in this small town and unravel what exactly happened on the day Alice and George Hayward died.Chris Bohjalian’s novel, Secrets of Eden, is narrated in the four distinct voices of Stephen, Heather, Catherine, and Katie. This technique allows the reader to see events from very different perspectives and allows for some twists and turns along the way.It becomes clear early on that the pastor is an unreliable narrator with plenty of secrets. He was one of my least favorite characters in the book. Heather, his romantic interest, is the character who connects all the other characters in the book but I felt she didn’t really move the plot forward…and her connection with angels, although interesting, seemed a bit extraneous. I really enjoyed the section narrated by Catherine who is a tough and smart woman with an unrelenting quest to find the truth. And finally there is Katie, a seemingly typical teen who has suffered through a childhood of violence and uncertainty and finally left parent-less.None of the characters are exactly as they seem, most harbor secrets or dark pasts.Thematically, Bohjalian explores the aftermath of domestic violence, betrayal, and the consequences of secrets. Although I figured out the ending about half way through the book, that did not take away my enjoyment of the story.Bohjalian is a talented storyteller who knows how to reel in a reader. Secrets of Eden will appeal to readers who enjoy heavily plotted books told from multiple viewpoints. I liken Bohjalian’s narrative style to Jodi Picoult who also writes “ripped from the headlines” novels with multiple narrators.
    • 4/5
      Bojhalian is so versatile! This one seemed almost too simple considering the sweeping historical novel Sandcastle Girls and the convoluted and weird Trans-Sister Radio, both of which I liked immensely. I found the theme of angels to be overdone and it seemed to take away from the story. Overall enjoyable but not Bojhalian's finest.
    • 2/5
      Nothing is as it seems and has interesting twists.
      Battered spouses, author specializing in "angels", pastor who has lost his faith.
      Bit of a whodunit, also.
      But I read this in 2010 and darned if I can truly remember the entire plot.
      I liked it while I was reading it.
      Read in 2010.
    • 3/5
      Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian, audio read by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman and Kathe Mazur (11 1/2 hours) is the story of domestic abuse and murder suicides. The characters are the pastor, Sephen Drew, his parishioner, Alice Hayward, Alice's daughter Katie and angel author Heather Laurent. Heather Laurent believes in angels and also is an orphan by murder suicide. This story is a disappointment compared to the author's Midwives but there is a twist in the end but I didn't like the pastor, the author isn't too appealing and I didn't like the twist much.
    • 4/5
      Written by one of my favorite authors, this novel deals with what has become an all too common situation of spousal abuse and the ripple affect it creates in the family and ultimately the rest of society. On the surface the story is a mystery, but in truth the mystery is fairly predictable in that we are all too familiar with the pathways abuse in families take. The heart of this novel is the character development as we see the crime through four separate voices, and this is the real value in reading "Secrets of Eden" because the author has shown how abuse affects many people but with the end result being the same; a tragic loss of life, family, and societal equilibrium.
    • 4/5
      What a great combination - Chris Bohjalian, one of my favorite authors and a literary mystery, one of my favorite genres! In Secrets of Eden, the book opens with Alice Hayward being baptized into a Vermont Baptist Church. The next morning, she and her husband are found dead. Is it a murder/suicide committed by an abusive and controlling husband? The story is told from several points of view, including the primary suspect and the detective on the case. As the mystery unfolded, my opinion and my sympathies kept on switching depending on who was narrating. The audio version is performed by different narrators for the different points of view. My theories on what really happened the night of the murder kept on changing all the way to the end. As always, Bohjalian's characters are well developed and very realistic. Definitely a good read for mystery and fiction lovers.
    • 2/5
      Quick verdict: skip.

      Four part novel, each part narrated by a different character about the apparent murder/suicide by an abusive husband to his wife, orphaning their 15 yr old daughter. I liked Part 1 narrated by the local pastor who had had an affair with the wife, and Part 4 by the daughter. Did not like Part 2 by the district attorney who decided [_______:] committed the murders and then when looking for evidence to prove it, or Part 3 by the Angel-obsessed writer whose mother and father died in a similar situation. She was equally single-minded and drove me crazy.

      This book is heavy, and often I had to put it down so that I wouldn't be brought down by its darkness. Several times I had to skip parts that were too descriptive of abusive situations (primarily in part 3). I just don't need those visuals in my mind. Yes, they happen and that is tragic, but I don't want to subject myself unnecessarily to that kind of imagery.

    • 4/5
      Chris is a strange writer. For the most part I enjoy most of his books, but there are some that completely throw me for a loop. It did not take too long to figure this story out, who committed the crimes;however this is not a crime story. It is a story about a horrible crime and how it affects the people around the crime, some are involved like the District Attorney, the police officers, and those who are far away from that particular crime. This book maybe more like an Ibsen Book though it does not rise to that level.
    • 4/5
      Looks at a murder suicide from the viewpoint of four different characters. Turns out it isn't a murder suicide as originally suspected...
    • 4/5
      The subject of this book is domestic abuse/violence and the aftermath of a murder-suicide. As with all of his books, Bohjalian gives a complete picture of the difficult subject he is covering. The story begins with the perspective of the Stephen Drew the pastor of a small town in Vermont. He is devastated by the murder of a one of his flock, and the apparent suicide of her husband. You quickly realize that he is more than the wife's spiritual adviser. The book is also told from the point of view of a celebrity writer named Heather Laurent. She is drawn to the scene because of her memories of her own parents similar tragedy. She becomes involved with the pastor and the orphaned daughter Katie. She writes spiritual books about angels and she feels she can help them FIND their angels. Stephen is surprised when he becomes the focus of the investigation. The investigators find evidence that he had an affair with the wife. They set out to prove that he killed the husband out of rage or, worse, both of them. The story has a twist at the end that you see coming but it is still a page turner.
    • 2/5
      This book was totally disappointing. I have enjoyed many of Chris Bohjalian's previous books as he chooses such diverse topics that you learn a lot about as you read the book. I guess the topic he chose to be "interesting" in this book was angels and auras. While angels and auras have no particular appeal to me, I expected that I would "learn" something. In reality, that element was just superfluous fluff that was "filler" rather than a topic you could build a story around--something he did well in Transister Radio, Midwives, and Law of Similars. Bohjalian had a good core concept to work with (apparent murder/suicide of husband and wife) and it had potential to be interesting. Unfortunately the end product left me feeling that I had totally wasted my time. None of the characters were compelling in any way--didn't particularly like or care about any of them. On top of that, he chose to tell the same story over and over from each of the four main character's point of view without introducing anything new that we didn't already know. The result was redundant--and tiresome. Two stars is generous.
    • 3/5
      In the past, I've considered Chris Bohjalian one of my favorite "go to" authors when I want something to read that will engross me and surprise me and offer me something a big different. I loved Law of Similars and Midwives. So I started this book with eagerness and confidence that I was headed for a good reading ride. And, I'm sorry to report, I was disappointed. The plot itself held promise. Alice and her husband have been found dead -- presumably she was strangled by her husband and in a presumed fit of drunken remorse, he then shot himself. But as details about the scene of the bodies emerge, it appears that perhaps someone else shot the husband. And so the mystery unfolds.Partly it was the tone of the different narrators in the book. None of the narrators -- Alice's minister and friend, the DA charged with overseeing the investigation of the deaths, an angel-seeing spiritualist ,and Alice's daughter -- are particularly likable. In fact, the minister was cold and distant and almost smug at times, and Catherine, the DA was even worse, bitter and crudely portrayed. I never really understood why the spiritualist was even in the story, except to muddy the waters a bit. There's a point, to me, where the plot itself just won't carry me forward if I don't care about any of the characters.I'm getting very tired of the tactic of having the narrator shift through the novel. I get that it allows you to get inside the heads of different characters, and that it makes the point that one incident can look very different from different perspectives. Bohjalian did it beautifully in Law of Similars and Midwives, and Jodi Picoult is another author who has used it well. But in their early novels, it was a relatively new (or at least not commonly used) device. Now it just feels tiresome. Mr. Bohjalian, I think you're a very good writer. But this shifting narrators thing feels formulaic and lazy now. We get the point. Try sticking to one character and see if you can tell a story that way. (You too, Ms. Picoult.)So here's my summary. Promising plot, less interesting characters, and an annoyingly predictable ending. It's like Bohjalian has made a template from some of his other novels and used it again to just fill in the blanks. Darn. I expected and wanted something better.Posted by Diane at 9:23 AM 0 commentsEmail This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook
    • 2/5
      Tedious. Predictable. Knew "who done" it early on. Very trite. don't understand this guy's hype. Over done themes, not originally revamped. Not for me. Gave it two stars because it's a mystery and so many love that genre no matter how hackneyed..
    • 3/5
      This the February selection for the book club, the first book I have completed since I started going to the club. It is a mystery set in small town Vermont and concerns the murder-suicide of a couple which turns out not to a murder-murder. A local minister who had baptised the wife and was having an affair with her becomes a suspect. The story is told from his point of view as well as the points of view of the daughter and several other characters. Interesting but predictable.
    • 4/5
      This novel centers on domestic abuse and the ramifications of this abuse. The story begins with the death of the Haywards, a couple presumed to be a murder/suicide. The novel is divided into four voices: Stephen Drew, the Baptist minister and ex lover of Alice Hayward; Catherine Benencasa, the deputy state attorney; Heather Laurent, a writer and victim of domestic abuse; and Katie Hayward, the teen-age daughter of the deceased couple. I felt that this narrative format works well with this story. Your opinion of certain characters changes with each individual's narrative. Of course, I had figured the outcome long before the last narrative; I just hadn't figured the logistics. Most people dislike Stephen, but I dislike Heather. Heather's character seems not fully developed and too judgmental. Bohjalean presents an interesting and saddening novel about love, hate, and abuse.