4 - 5 stars 

This is a powerful and well written story which focuses on the destruction wreaked by drug addiction via the story of two very different sisters. It is set principally in the Kensington district of Philadelphia. Mickey (Michaela) Fitzpatrick is a single mum of Thomas and is a police officer in the PPD and is partnered for a while with Eddie Lafferty. They are called to a suspicious death of a female on the tracks. Mickey is terrified it will prove to be her sister Kacey with whom she has lost contact due to Kacey’s spiralling decline into drug addiction. The story is told Then and Now with Then backtracking to the sisters difficult upbringing by their grandmother, known as Gee and describes how Kacey became addicted in her teenage years. Now looks at Mickeys attempts to find Kacey with a rising body count in Kensington. Mickey realises that she can trust very few people, that there are lies and corruption around her and that includes within the police force but despite all the obstacles she keeps going doggedly to get to the truth. 

I’m not going to pretend this is an easy read as it clearly shows the horrifying downward  path and the consequences of addiction through Kacey’s battle but also via other characters in the book. Mickey is an admirable and intelligent character who tries to do the right thing but she is not always likeable. There is a lot of sadness in the story both in the girls background as their mother died because of addiction when the sisters were very young and it also details what happens to babies born to addicts. This breaks your heart as they are such innocent victims. The story has many twists and turns and there are some shocks along the way. The trail to find Kacey uncovers the abuse of power and corruption in the PPD which is very disturbing. 

Overall, a very good book which really makes you think. I like the way it is written and would like to read more by Liz Moore. Highly recommended.

A very depressing read.

Michaela (Mickey) Fitzpatrick is on patrol with her new partner, Eddie Lafferty when a call comes through for them to report to the scene where the body of a woman is found in the Kensington district that they patrol. She’s been murdered. When Mickey first reaches the murder scene she is terrified that the body might be that of her sister, Kacey, a drug-addict. 

As more murders occur, the more worried Mickey becomes about her sister especially as she can’t find her. What is even more disturbing is that one of the prostitutes has told her that the murderer is a policeman. But who? Can Michaela find the person before her sister becomes his next victim?

This is one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read. Its setting is in an area of Philadelphia that is rundown and crime-riddled thanks to the opioid use amongst its diverse population of Irish American, African American, East Asian and Caribbean inhabitants. I found it hard to have any empathy for either the characters or the area and therefore couldn’t find any enthusiasm or anything to want to keep turning the pages. 

Bluebell

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Liz Moore’s literary thriller is a realistic look at the drug culture, particularly the opiod crisis, that abounds in many cities and towns in America and around the world. It’s gritty and brutal and pulls no punches when it shows the devastating effect of addiction not only in destroying the lives and potential of so many young people but also in pulling apart families. 

Kensington was once a respectable working class neighbourhood in Philadelphia, but as jobs became scarce, houses have been abandoned and drug users and prostitutes have moved in. Mickey is a cop who patrols this district, often keeping her eye open for her sister Kacey who unfortunately is an addict living on the streets. Mickey and Kacey lost their mother to a drug overdose when they were young and, with their father estranged, were brought up with the tough love by their grandmother Gee, herself struggling financially and resentful of being saddled with her daughter’s children. Although the girls were close growing up, Mickey realised she had to let Kacey go while she is unable to overcome her addiction. 

When several young women are found dead in the district, the police suspect there is a serial killer in the neighbourhood and Mickey discovers that no one has seen Kacey for several weeks. Using family and police contacts Mickey begins looking for Kacey and trying to make sense of who could be killing women. Everyone seems to know more than they are saying making her job difficult and putting her in danger.

There are many layers to unpack in this dark, complex novel. Mickey has not escaped damage growing up in a difficult environment and struggles with her feelings of guilt and helplessness over her sister’s plight. She avoids contact with her extended family and as a single mother of a young child, worries over his future and her ability to be a good mother to him. Her loneliness and fears for her sister is also compounded by her feelings of remorse for her long-term police partner and only friend, who received a serious injury while on the beat with her, and now has trouble reaching out to him for advice and support. While the murder mystery is one compelling and suspenseful aspect of this novel, there is so much more to it with its themes of love, sisterhood, addiction and corruption and ultimately humanity. Although the nature of the subject may make for difficult reading, this novel is well worth reading for its beautiful writing, unique characters and compassionate story as well as for its well paced thriller.

Heartbreaking story of 2 sisters, one of whom is struggling with drug addiction and the other is a police officer. It is a slow burner, but well worth the slow read to the end. Excellent characterisation makes this more of a literary novel rather than crime fiction.

Two sisters who could hardly differ more. Mickey has always been the serious, more diligent one who went to school eagerly and was dreaming of a better life than the one they had at their not very loving grandmother’s. Kacey, eighteen months her junior, has always been the wilder, more adventurous girl who early pushed against the boundaries. Now, as grown-ups, they find themselves on opposing sides: Mickey has become a cop with the Philadelphia police, Kacey is highly addicted and working on the street. Mickey always has an eye on her younger sister even though they haven’t been talking for years. When several young and vulnerable women are killed, Mickey is highly alarmed since she hasn’t seen Kacey for several weeks.

Liz Moore‘s novel is a brilliant combination of a mystery novel with the search for a serial killer and a very sad story about a dysfunctional family where problems are handed from one generation to the next and where an escape is not really possible not matter how hard you try. Even though it looks as if there were clear sides, the good sister Mickey and the bad sister Kacey, you realise soon that life isn‘t that easy and that both women are more like different and changing shades of grey.

Mickey is a great protagonist in so far as she has a lot of interesting traits to offer. On the one hand, she is the hard working single mom who only wants the best for her son and constantly fears that she cannot live up to her own expectations. As a policewoman, too, she seems to do a great job, her family history helping her to understand the situation of the less favoured by life and those on the streets. That she suffers from constant misogyny in the forces does not really astonish. Yet, there are also other sides of the young women which only slowly unfold and show that there are a lot of lies she has been told by the people around her, but also lies that she told herself to shape the things in the way she wants to see them.

The mystery parts about the serial killer and the search for the sister are full of suspense and have some unexpected twists and turns to offer. What struck me most was the feeling that a lot of what Moore narrates is actually very sad, none of the characters has much to look forward to in their life and all seems but too authentic. A novel which provides entertainment but also much to ponder about after the last page thus something not to be missed.

Mickey and Kacey are sisters living on different sides of Kensington; a neighborhood that is dying at the hands of heroin. Mickey is a police officer and Kacey is an addict. When Kacey goes missing, Mickey has to decide just how far to go in her search for a sister who may not ever want to be found...or saved. 

This book was great! It's about the bonds of sisterhood and a love story for a decrepit neighborhood. Kensington is gritty and bleak. Yet the author describes the abandoned buildings and broken people beautifully and with clarity.  The characters are multi-dimensional and I had a lot of empathy for Mickey. She is caught somewhere between the past and the present; between where Kacey is now and what Mickey wishes for her sister's future. There are twists and suspense. I alternatively didn't want it to end but couldn't wait to find out how it would. I highly recommend this book and could see it becoming a movie. Very well-written! 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

What a brilliant read. A thriller with a heart - a rip roaring plot, likeable characters and a superb twist. I have made the most of the tail end of Christmas and zoomed through this book - one that I will be raving about to anyone who cares to listen.

Long Bright River was everything! Relatable, heroic, eye-opening, and current.

Mickey and Kacey Fitzpatrick were both into a life of addiction. When their mother died from an overdose, they were sent to live with their grandmother – a cold, resentful woman who showed them little love and attention. By age sixteen, Kacey too was hooked on drugs.

Now in her early thirties, Mickey is a police officer for the northeast quadrant of Philadelphia, patrolling rough areas like Kensington Avenue (the Ave) – known for its high crime rate, drug abuse, and prostitution. And Kacey is one of its regulars – living on the streets, selling her body to earn money for her next fix. Mickey sees her around from time to time, keeps an eye on her from a distance, but they haven't spoken in years. But now the Ave has become an even more dangerous place. Young vulnerable women are being stalked and murdered by a dangerous predator. And when Kacey is nowhere to be found, Mickey fears she's become the stranglers latest victim.

When I requested this title, I envisioned Long Bright River as a police procedural focusing on the crimes, the investigation – a race against time to identify and capture a killer. And some of it was, there were genuine terrifying moments where I feared for the main character as she continuously put herself, and those around her, in imminent danger. And the big reveal of who was hunting sex workers was shocking and unexpected, but there was so much more to the story than just thrills and chills. The prominent theme was Mickey's need to save her sister at any cost – regardless of whether the threat was external or internal. There were multiple flashbacks showcasing Kacey's descent into a haze of substance abuse and how it impacted both sisters’ lives. Then there was Mickey's grief over losing her sister, the person she was closest to, who changed from a strong, determined, intelligent, and caring young woman into an unrecognisable stranger.

And what an emotional time bomb it was – affecting, impacting, and confronting. Is addiction caused by a genetic predisposition, environment and upbringing, personality traits, brain chemistry, all of, or none of the above? What made Kacey more susceptible to drugs than Mickey? These are examples of some of the questions you will be internally debating while reading.

All the characters were fascinating, three-dimensional, unique, and I grew to care about them deeply. Mickey was my favourite, how she worked tirelessly to help Kacey for years, and her guilt and feelings of failure over abandoning her sister upon realising she just couldn't do it anymore. There were several big twists, not just in regards to the crime, but also Mickey's personal life.

The authors richly detailed descriptions of Kensington and the area surrounding it – the derelict and abandoned shops and houses, the hidden, and not-so-hidden recreational drug corners, while also showing that there were good, decent hardworking individuals who cared about the neighbourhood and it’s people – added so much realism. Mickey, who once dreamed of being a history teacher, would often morph into reflecting on architectural detail, or drop little nuggets of historical information, which also really brought the setting to life.

My mission, and yours, to read everything by Liz Moore as soon as possible. 

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Penguin Random House UK – Hutchinson, and Liz Moore for the e-ARC.

Release Date: 9th January, 2020.

Mickey Fitzpatrick is a police officer working in Kensington, Philadelphia. As bodies of women are turning up, she fears that the next one will be her younger sister Kacey who she has been estranged from for five years. Determined to find Kacey, she utilises every skill and contact she has at her disposal. As the plot takes us back to their childhood of neglect and tragedy, we learn where the roots of Kacey's addiction stem from, and we also gain a deeper understanding of the heart of Mickey, who herself has been through trauma and betrayal. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the suspense builds wonderfully. Long Bright River is a triumph - original and breath-taking - I loved it.

This story revolves around two sisters. One is a policewoman and the other is a drug addict. Mickey (the cop) has tried her best to protect her sister, Kacey. Kacey lives on the streets looking for her next high. She disappears around the same time as a string of murders take place in Mickeys district.  Mickey needs to find her sister and the killer before he strikes again. 

This story covers some  very dark subject matter. The book goes back and forward between the present day and the sisters tough childhood. The book starts of slowly but but by the time you get around the 50%  mark, the pa e  builds and you won't want to put the book down. The plotline is complex with many twist and turns. The book is hard to read at times but it's also beautifully written. The characters were realistic. The author has meticulously researched the subject matter. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK and the author Liz Moore for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, to get a handle on the main character, Mickey. The book flits between the present day - Mickey's involvement in a serial killer case, and the search for her missing sister, Kacey - and the past - filling us in on her upbringing, her relationships with Kacey, Simon and her former partner. I enjoyed how the story unfolded, with inevitable twists and turns and a twist I didn't see coming.

Mickey Fitzpatrick has been a Patrol officer in Philadelphia for many years, she loves her job and trying to help the women that work the streets,  one reason is that she really does care about everyone on the streets but another is that she is hoping to save her sister Kacey. 
When the bodies of the working girls start turning up murdered Mickey has a race against time in the hope that she will find her sister alive.

An absolute gutpunch of a novel. It's grim and sad, with gritty details of the half-lives addiction leads to. So many things made me frustrated and angry, and I appreciated the difficulties of Mickey's life shaped by addicts. I think that the book has an agenda to remind people that even addicts are people. But, with so much focus on the endless cycles of lives touched by drugs I wasn't able to come away feeling hopeful. There were some great reveals but I couldn't help but feel that the people were a more compelling  mystery than the actual crimes. A gripping, powerful read that will stay with me for better or worse. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favourite books of the year . It had everything I look for in a novel.  
Two sisters raised together in  a town called Kensington -a town with  drug problems  . One sister becomes a policewoman and the other a heroin addict.  There follows a tale entertwining their family life and past issues along with  a present day possible serial killer on the loose .
The Long Bright River was so well written -the charcters came alive -the plot was gripping and I didn't  want it to end .
Ms Moore is my new favourite author 

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Long Bright River works both as a family saga and as a police procedural. Mickey is a cop, Kacey, her estranged sister is a drug addict. Most of the elements of a good crime book are here. We might have a serial killer, we get involvement from internal affairs, there might be corruption within the force. All of this is handled very well. The book soars however in the family drama. There is a complicated relationship between the two sisters and their extended family. The story is divided into Then and Now sections so what we think we know at the beginning slowly changed as the story moves on. Highly recommended.

#LongBrightRiver #NetGalley 
This book left me gasping. A must read for thriller fans. 
Mickey Fitzpatrick has been patrolling the 24th District for years. She knows most of the working women by name. She knows what desperation looks like and what people will do when they need a fix. She’s become used to finding overdose victims: their numbers are growing every year. But every time she sees someone sprawled out, slumped over, cold to the touch, she has to pray it’s not her sister, Kacey. 
Although the lead character doesn't give much to care but that's the plus point. I cared for the lead character at every instance in the story. Its a journey from her childhood to where she's now. 
Characters were good and so is the narration. 
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for giving me an advance copy of this book.

This book was hard going but I owed it to the author to finish but it was a struggle. It was so slow, in my opion not a thriller. A slow burner at the start then it picked up pace then slowed again and as for the ending. I felt as though the author rushed it and in my mind did not make sense. Not one of my favourite reads.
I would like to thank theauthor, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This was a poignant and well told tale of two sisters on very different life paths that was a little bit lacking in the mystery element but very strong on the family drama. It tells the story of Mickey, a beat cop in Philadelphia and her younger sister, Kacey, a heroin addicted sex worker on the same streets. 

The Positives: The characters were believable and felt authentic. Although Mickey made several questionable decisions, they felt appropriate for her character as told. I thought that Liz Moore dealt with the topic of opioid addiction with a welcome degree of nuance and empathy, showing the lengths that some community members would go to, in an attempt to make the process safe for users. The familial relationships in the narrative were raw and honest and I appreciated that all of the characters were flawed in their own ways.

The Negatives: I felt that the investigation element of the plot was a little haphazard and definitely seemed to take a back seat to the family drama. I thought the reveal was predictable and the climax was underwhelming.

Overall, this was a compelling read for the subjects it tackled if not for the mystery.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am not keen on giving books a review which is not great as I feel that the author has worked their socks off to produce their story.  However, I did not enjoy this book particularly.  I found it very slow and did not really like the characters.  I did not feel it was going anywhere but I did persevere with it.  The ending was better than most of the book but I am afraid I cannot recommend it.   For me personally I found it hard to finish

An engaging story of two sisters whose lives take very different paths.  I loved the writing in this book and felt I was drawn into seeing the run-down Philadelphia neighborhood this book is set in.  

Less a thriller and more a very character-driven tale of Michaela (Mickey,) a cop and her complicated relationship to her drug-addicted sister.   When women start turning up dead on Mickey’s patch her concern for her sister intensifies.   The book switches between the present day with Mickey’s search for a killer and her sister in a neighborhood suspicious of police and the tale of their growing-up in less than ideal circumstances.

Part police procedural/mystery/thriller I wouldn’t pick this book up if that’s what you are really craving as this isn’t done in a particularly satisfying way with what felt like a slightly rushed resolution after a slow-burn start to this aspect.  I would, however, recommend picking it up if you fancy a gritty emotional look into the world of a neighborhood ravaged by drugs and the strong family ties that persevere.