Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Chris Whitaker’s 2021 Crime Novel of the Year Award winner “We Begin at the End” is an intense exploration of justice and redemption. The novel follows Vincent King’s release from prison and the dark chain of events that he sets in motion as a result of returning to his hometown of Cape Haven. Whitaker creates a complex world of damaged characters, most notably Star Radley and her thirteen-year-old daughter Duchess, whose fierce love for one another is the heartbeat of this novel. In We Begin at the End, Whitaker reminds readers that even in the worst circumstances, there is always hope for redemption. This powerful book is an unmissable read.

One of my favourite books of 2021! I’ve recommended this to so many people already, it was a fantastic read and kept me on my toes until the very end!!!!!

Chris Whitaker wrote one of my favourite books so I was eager to read his newest offering. It definitely didn't disappoint thanks to the atmospheric plot and complex characters.

Heard rave reviews about this book but found it hard to get into. Could not connect with the story or characters. Not for me.

I started reading this a couple of times but couldn't get into it. Then suddenly it clicked and I could not put it down. It's frustrating in many ways as you fall in love with characters only to lose them and others behavior is a mystery right up to the revealing ending but what a ride it is. Duchess is one of the memorable characters I have ever come across, difficult to like but easy to love. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks to Readers First & Zaffre for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer.

Now, he's been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed.

Duchess Radley, Star's thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin - and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.

How far can we run from the past when the past seems doomed to repeat itself?

Thoughts: Whitaker’s story telling is absolutely phenomenal. This book does have a few murders in, but it so much more than that. The story is told in two peoples perspective. Chief Walks- Vincent's best friend & Duchess- Stars daughter. There is so much drama in this book, you really paint a picture of the characters and feel drawn to them. I love the way the author described all the different places in America you really got a feel of the different places. I don’t want to ruin the plot, but you need to read this story! There is so many jaw-dropping twists and turns you’d never see coming. So much heart break, humour and conflict. Duchess Day Radley has been through so much and is the badest outlaw! Her bravery is amazing and she’s my favourite character by far in any book I’ve read this year! Amazing!

Vincent King at just fifteen years old was sent to an adult prison for the murder of Sissy Radley, his girlfriend's sister. The body of Sissy had been found by his best friend Walker, who subsequently turned King into the authorities. The story jumps 30 years and present-day in Cape Haven, California as King returns to his home town and the people with long memories. His best friend Walker is now Sherrif and Star, his ex-girlfriend and sister of murdered Sissy is now the town drunk with two children. Dutchess Radley at thirteen is fully time career for her mum and her younger brother Robin. Dutchess is an unforgettable character that will haunt you day and night way after you have finished the book.
Walker has watched over Star the best he could and keeps his eye on the children but Dutchess trusts no-one. Dutchess has anger in her that never seems to be still, making her impulsive, unstable and very volatile. She doesn't have friends and watches over her brother like a hawk. Their mother works at a bar and sings, never getting back home without being totally legless but she is still a beautiful woman that turns heads. Dutchess has to take responsibility for providing for them all. When Dutchess takes matters into her own hands, after an incident, she sets into motion events that will rip so many lives apart.
This is an absolutely top read! The characters are superb and the connection I felt with them just linked up with every emotion that I have myself. Dutchess is an amazing character that you want to wrap up and take care of. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and driven with an overwhelming determination for justice. There are some really touching scenes too between her and Robin right way through the book, that at times was overwhelming. The town and its people come to life to the point that you feel you could go there and see them. A brilliant story. Totally knocked off my feet!
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker is a stunning thriller that will stay with you long after the final page has been turned. There is so much more to this book than at first meets the eye and I was blown away by the power of the writing and the many emotional layers that slowly began to emerge as the story continued.

A very human story that will break you into a million pieces, this is a powerful crime thriller that has all the twists and turns you would expect it to have as it instantly transports you to the town of Cape Haven and then later to the wide open spaces of Montana. The characters held within the pages of We Begin At The End are so real you can’t help but feel for them and the circumstances they find themselves in. Duchess, in particular, tugged at my heartstrings. This strong, proud but broken young girl who is doing all she can to keep her mother and brother safe. My heart broke for her as events spiralled out of control, going in a direction I did not expect them to.

There isn’t one character in this book I didn’t feel a connection to, Chris Whitaker’s writing bringing them so vividly to life that I couldn’t help but care about what happened to them all. Walk was someone who appeared to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and I was moved by his story, the sadness and helplessness he felt becoming more and more palpable as the story moved forward.

A fast paced thriller full of surprises, We Begin At The End is an exceptionally powerful and moving story that will stay with me. I can’t say much more as I don’t want to risk spoiling anything, but one thing I can say is that Chris Whitaker has written an outstanding crime thriller that I absolutely adored.

Simply stunning.

Vincent King is released from prison after 30 years for the killing of a young girl, Sissy Radley. His childhood friend Walker was the one that found her body. Walker, now known as Chief Walker, the local cop in Cape Haven is the only one pleased to see him return to his family home. It is clear that Star Radley, King’s ex-girlfriend and Sissy’s sister, would rather he go somewhere else to live as would many other people.

Star is a troubled soul. Drink and drugs have taken their toll and she isn’t always the mother she should be; it falls to her 13 year daughter Duchess to look after her brother, 6 year old Robin, as well as clearing up her mother’s vomit after her binges. Duchess Day Radley is an old head on young shoulders. She calls herself an outlaw and is brave, mouthy and often aggressive but underneath you can see the vulnerability and immaturity of a young teenager. Often my heart broke for her but she wasn’t always an easy person to like. Duchess has known more heartache than anyone of her young years should. Chief Walker does his bit to try and look out for the two kids but she doesn’t really trust him. She doesn’t trust anyone, that way she doesn’t get hurt.

This story has a very sedate pace as it reveals the main characters, the minor players and the changing landscape between California and Montana. There is a murder, but the story is about so much more, particularly where some people are concerned the past can never be forgotten.

The book is beautifully written, these broken characters and the way they deal with their lives, both past and present, will break your heart. There were a few characters that stood out for me. The quietness of Walker, his loyalty to Vincent, dealing with his illness in a stoic way, doing the wrong thing but for the right reason. Duchess with her love and tenderness for her brother Robin making him her priority above all else. Hal, who made such a difference when he was allowed to.

This book has had so many rave reviews and I can understand why. It is such a powerful and emotional story but in a quiet way and certainly deserves all its success. I hadn’t yet read any of Chris Whitaker’s previous books but I shall be reading more.

My thanks to Tracy Fenton for the invitation to take part in the tour and to the publisher for the Netgalley copy to review.

I’d heard lots of great things about this book from some of my favourite bloggers, so I was excited to read it and started the book with lots of expectations. I’m pleased to say that I thought the hype was justified and this has to be the best book I’ve read for a while.

I always love crime books that give you a little bit extra and aren’t just about solving the crime. This book is very much about the characters and their lives too which made for a beautiful, emotional story. I really enjoyed getting to know Duchess and finding out more about her difficult life. Sheriff Walk was another fabulous character and I loved how caring he was to everyone.

The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book with the descriptions of the small American town helping the reader understand what it’s like somewhere everyone knows your business. The residents are very set in their opinion and it’s difficult to change them once they’ve decided. Most people thought Vincent King was guilty and it was very hard for them consider another theory. A lot of the tension in this book comes from their attitudes and behaviour towards King which becomes almost unbearable at times.

This isn’t a particularly fast paced book but it is a very compelling one which I found hard to out down. I found I grew very fond of the characters and felt personally involved in their lives, which made some of the emotional scenes even more hard hitting. I found it hard to leave them all behind at the end of the book and have been thinking about them constantly since. I’m definitely going to go back and read some of this author’s previous books.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Zaffre for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

"None of us are any one thing. We're just a collection of the best and worst things we've done."

We Begin at the End is a dark and stormy tale about how far some will go for those they love. Powerful, affecting and full of twists and turns, this is a story about tragedy, guilt, love, loss, justice and revenge, exploring the concepts of good and evil and how we are all made up of the gray area in between.

When seven-year-old Sissy Radley is killed by fifteen-year-old Vincent King, the small town of Cape Haven, California is rocked to its core. His release thirty years later sparks a devastating chain of events that will shake them all over again.

Exquisitely written, I immediately fell in love with the elegant, lyrical prose that gives this book a distinct and captivating ambience. The complex and layered plot is hard to predict and had my head swimming with questions and theories from the start, with one particular theory that whispered in my ear throughout. It is a subdued novel and I admit that I found it slow in places. But in the latter half of the book the tension rises as the author expertly weaves together the many tangled webs in ways I never expected.

“I am the outlaw Duchess Day Radley.”

The author created a community and characters that were richly drawn, gritty, flawed and fragmented. The shining star of these is Duchess, a thirteen-year-old girl who I fell in love with. Duchess is spiky, straight-talking, foul-mouthed, feisty, jaded and hard as nails. But she is also a vulnerable child, desperately loved and forced to grow up too soon. She has been taking care of her little brother Robin for years and is furiously protective of him, with everything she does - the good and the bad - is for him. It was impossible not to be affected by the two of them as life cruelly knocked them down again and again and they are characters I won’t soon forget.

We Begin at the End is a thriller with depth; a poignant, weaving tale laced with tragedy and forlorn hope. It is perfect for those looking for an intelligent thriller or those who don’t enjoy the gore that often features in this genre.

My heart started breaking almost from page one and it didn’t stop breaking right to the end. This is a remarkable piece of writing, a really brilliant book. The two children, Duchess and Robin, at the heart of it made me cry all the way through, especially little Robin. It’s a crime novel up to a point, but the actual crimes are the least of it. It’s a character-driven story where every single character is beautifully and vividly drawn, even the minor ones, and I found the book emotionally intelligent, insightful, brilliantly paced and totally compelling. It all starts with the release from 30 years in prison of Vincent King and his return to the fictional but wonderfully realised small town of Cape Haven. His return sets off a train of events which are inexorable in their inevitable tragedy. One of my highlight reads of 2020 so far. Highly recommended.

Set in a small town in America we are introduced to multiple characters who have all been affected by a terrible accident 30 years ago. It is a story of broken people, secrets, family, murder and demonstrates how far people will go for those they love.
This is a wholly engrossing character driven book that I definitely won't forget. Rarely do I get so involved in characters that I actually want to be able to step into the pages to help them but I completely fell for Duchess Day Radley, Outlaw, and was heartbroken for her, I just wanted to scoop her into my arms (even though she would have hated that!).
At 464 pages I though this might be a book I read over a few days but once I picked it up, I could not put it down and read the whole thing within 24 hours. The pacing of the book is a perfect blend of fast moving with detailed descriptions of how events are unfolding. I was not prepared for the emotional impact this book has had on me so much so I am struggling to put into words how great this book is as I don’t feel anything, I can say will do it justice.
If you get the chance please read this book, you won’t regret it!

This is one of the hardest books I’ve ever had to review. You need to read this the way I did, with knowing little about what happens.

I read a lot of books, in particular crime fiction. I can honestly say that I have never read a book quite like this before. It is crime fiction, but it’s crime fiction that shows the effect that crime has on those who are connected. Especially a young teenage girl called Duchess and her six year old brother Robin.

The story switches between Duchess and Walk, police officer and friend of Vincent who has recently been released from prison. Walk has some major health concerns to deal with, which are not revealed until the end but I did have some idea of what they could be. It was the only part of this novel that I did work out. Everything else I did not see coming until the moment. Whilst I did like his story it was Duchess who captivated me. Practically every scene she appeared in. Her devotion to Star and Robin, her warming to her grandfather and friend Thomas and her insistence that she was an outlaw.

I often see the phrase ‘book hangover’ but have never experienced it myself until I read this book. I was left gazing into space, trying to come to terms with what I had just read knowing that my task of choosing the next book to read would be tough.

Absolutely superb

We Begin At The End is a murder mystery but it is so much more besides the hunt for who and why; this exceptional book about the forgotten people in small town America is also about the ripples which are created by crimes and how their effects eventually become tsunamis, damaging everyone in their path.
Duchess Radley's story begins before she is born; her family is hit by tragedy when seven-year-old Sissy is killed. One of the townspeople out looking for her is fifteen-year-old Walk, who wants to be a cop. Thirty years later, he is the police chief of Cape Haven, the man who killed Sissy is due for release from jail and her sister, Star is a broken woman, barely hanging on. Duchess is Star's teenage daughter and is undoubtedly the stand-out character of the novel. Belligerent and mistrusting, she protects her small family as if she's a feral alley cat. She is the one who has to put her mother to bed and clean up her vomit and she makes sure her little brother, Robin is fed, washed and is picked up from school every day. The town looks on, both pitying and judging this family on the brink of imploding and it's only really Walk who is there for Duchess but she's seen how men treat Star and doesn't even really trust him. She's the self-styled outlaw, Duchess Day Radley and she seeks revenge whenever she feels her mother or brother have been wronged.
It's her anger and desire for vengeance which proves to be the catalyst for events which change Cape Haven and the people who live in it, forever. A vicious murder shocks the town to its core and Vincent King - the man recently freed from his jail sentence for killing two people looks to be the likely perpetrator. Chief Walk doesn't believe his childhood best friend is guilty, despite the evidence to the contrary and is determined to discover what really happened - whatever the cost may be.
Chris Whitaker's evocation of small town America is extraordinary, he perfectly captures the essence of a place where everybody knows one another and are all connected one way or another. It's claustrophobic and yet few manage to escape, living out their days complaining about their neighbours. It's also a town, like many others which is struggling to survive economically and the residents are faced with a dilemma as to whether they accept outside money or resist change and attempt to struggle on. At the heart of this is Dickie Darke, a beautifully nuanced character who exudes danger yet he - like many of the other people in this piercingly observant book - has other facets to who he truly is besides the immediately obvious.
Walk and Duchess are very different characters - he is staid, she is bold, he is settled, she's restless and yet these complex, compelling characters are almost mirror images of one another. As the novel progresses, we see that they are both damaged by a past they had little control over. Walk tries to hang on to his memories of how things were before tragedy occurred while Duchess has wrapped herself in a hard shell, with only her beloved Robin allowed to see her softer side.
We Begins At The End isn't a fast-paced read, the action unfolds gradually and Chris Whitaker layers his novel with love, hope and humour alongside the pain and despair; there's a wonderful scene where Duchess attends a school dance and it's every bit as awkward and endearing as you'd expect. There is a menacing undertone of danger throughout, however and there are moments which broke my heart. Duchess and Walk are both victims of circumstance; her cynicism and his faith in his friend's innocence slowly being chipped away even when it seems any hope they feel may cruelly destroy them.
We Begin At The End is an outstanding work of fiction which examines how far people are prepared to go to protect those they love and the lies they are prepared to tell themselves and others to achieve that. It's about love and hate, agony and hope, and is inhabited by unforgettable characters living out their complicated, troubled lives in a place described with such vivid authenticity, it's hard to believe the author is British. There are some novels which get under your skin but We Begin At The End does more than that, it permeated my bones and touched my soul. What an absolute privilege it was to read this extraordinary book, it will undoubtedly be a huge success and deservedly so, whatever I say won't fully do it justice it deserves so my advice is to read it yourself - then thank me afterwards!

Walker has been Cape Haven’s Chief of Police for over twenty years. In the sleepy California coastal town, his job consists mainly of being nice to tourists, and keeping an eye on his old friend Star Radley and her two kids: thirteen-year-old Duchess and five-year-old Robin. Walk feels an obligation to Star: it was, after all, he who found the body of her younger sister Sissy when they were fifteen years old. He, too, who had discovered that his best friend, Vincent King, had accidentally killed the girl, and turned him in to the police, resulting in a thirty-year stretch in prison for Vincent. Within days of Vincent’s release and return to Cape Haven, Star Radley has been murdered and Duchess and Robin have been sent to live with their grandfather in the wilds of Montana. Walk is convinced that the culprit is Dickie Darke, the club owner and local property magnate who Star has been seeing on and off for years. But Dickie is connected to all the wrong people, and Walk is quickly out of his depth, hoping beyond hope that he has done enough to keep his friend’s children safe.

I fell in love with Chris Whitaker’s writing more or less immediately upon starting to read his debut novel, Tall Oaks. What sold it for me were Whitaker’s characters, their quirks and the relationships that had obviously grown up over time between them. I was less enamoured of his second novel, All the Wicked Girls, which felt to me like a rewrite of Tall Oaks, without the quirkiness that had made his debut stand out. So I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to We Begin at the End, especially when it opens on a hunt for a missing girl. Needless to say, my fears were unfounded, and Whitaker has produced a crime novel on a par with Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, both in terms of plotting, and of the writing: reading Whitaker’s prose puts one in mind of McCarthy or James Lee Burke, old hands who have seen it all and honed their craft over decades of writing. When you see a picture of Whitaker, and realise that he’s barely out of his teens, it comes as a huge surprise and leaves the reader with a sense of awe at the pure talent that this young man possesses.

We Begin at the End draws us in from the outset through a cast of fully-realised characters, most particularly the two main protagonists: Chief Walker, Walk, is old before his time, crippled by encroaching illness and by a lack of experience in real life police work, despite his long service; Duchess is young and ballsy, a self-proclaimed outlaw, she is determined to do things her way, without help from anyone else, all in the name of protecting her brother and giving him some kind of “normal” life. As the story progresses, both these characters grow to understand their limitations, and to accept help from those around them, to accept that they are not alone and that their most damaging characteristic is one and the same for both: their own pride, which won’t allow them to accept kindness from others.

While a crime is committed – a woman lies dead in her kitchen as proof of this, and the man who accidentally killed her sister thirty years earlier is found at the scene, her blood on his hands – it is secondary to the driving force of the novel, the thing that keeps us glued to the page which is, surprisingly, the personal development of Walk and Duchess – their parallel journeys – as they grow and adapt to the constantly-changing world around them. There’s enough doubt sown to make us question whether Vincent King did actually kill Star Radley, or whether Dickie Darke is as evil as Walk seems to want to believe, but the beauty in Whitaker’s writing, his elegant prose and deep understanding of just how people really interact, means that we can go entire chapters without worrying about whether we’ll actually get a solution in the end (we will, you’ll be pleased to hear) while we revel, for example, in how Duchess handles her prom.

Sure to become an instant classic, We Begin at the End will be mentioned in the same breath as some of the giants of the genre, from Burke’s Dave Robichaux novels to Dicker’s The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair and Connolly’s Charlie Parker series. There’s a lyrical beauty to Whitaker’s writing, a sense of an author who has honed his skill over decades rather than years. We should, I think, be grateful that he seems so prolific, as he’s the type of author from whom you might expect to see one book every ten or fifteen years. He is, to repeat something of an overused cliché, something of a national treasure, and should be on everyone’s reading list, regardless of their views on crime or genre fiction. You’re unlikely to find a better-written book this year or, more importantly, a more enjoyable and intriguing one.

Oh my! Duchess Day Radley, you have stolen my heart! I can't think of a character who has moved me more.

This was my first Chris Whitaker novel, but it won't be my last. I'm compiling a list for when my favourite indie bookshop reopens and his other two have been added to it. I finished this devastating, beautiful book and sat with tears streaming down my face wondering how I was ever going to write a review. But I'm going to give it a try...

The book opens when Star, Vincent, Walk and Martha May are fifteen years old, and seven year old Sissy Radley has gone missing. It is Walk who finds her body. His best friend, Vincent, boyfriend of Sissy's sister Star, is arrested and charged.

Fast forward thirty years. Walk is the chief of police, and essentially the only cop, in their home town of Cape Haven, Martha May has moved away and become a lawyer, Star gets depressed and drunk and brings home a succession of unsuitable men. And Vincent is coming home after spending all of those thirty years in prison for Sissy Radley's murder, and more. His return will impact many in the small town community, but none more so than Star's children, Duchess and Robin.

Duchess Day Radley is amazing, such a beautifully crafted character. Older than her thirteen years, she looks after her mother, and protects her little brother, who she loves more than anyone or anything in the world. Self declared outlaw, she is fierce, fearless, and full of attitude and curse words. And she doesn't cry. Anyone who threatens Robin, or bad mouths her mother, has to face her wrath. But we see her gentler side in all her interactions with Robin, the care of her mother and the bond she develops with the old gray horse at her grandfather's homestead. And Robin. Robin is five years old and the sweetest, purest wee soul. Duchess is determined for him to stay that way, as she strives to shelter him from the evils of the world. This is their story, hers particularly.

But it's also Walk's story (the point of view swaps between him and Duchess). He's world weary, haunted by memories of the past and carrying pain of his own and others. He's yearning for a simplicity that no longer exists. And as darkness pervades his small town he fights against the flow in his efforts to get justice not only for the children, but also for his boyhood friend. And all the while trying to hide the fact that he's ill.

However, I would be wrong to say this is just Duchess and Walk's story. They are the main players in this tragedy, certainly, along with Vincent and Star, but this story belongs to everyone. There is not a wasted, redundant character here - every one plays their part in the tapestry Whitaker weaves. I loved Hal and Dolly, and Thomas Noble. And the characterisation is so rich - they were absolutely real to me. And the settings and backdrops are beautifully described - I want to visit Hal's place!

I know I've used 'beautiful' far too much in this review - need to get the thesaurus out - but the writing is that too. Whitaker has captured small town America perfectly. Ordinary folks caught up in bad decisions and life spinning out of control. He has a way with words too '...the little girl who sliced heaven open, her soul bared and burned...' but often it was the simplest of phrases that were the most devastating.

Yes, there is a crime at the centre of this story, an awful, sad one, but We Begin at the End is so, so much more than a crime story. It's a character driven tale of regular people making awful, difficult choices in the worst of circumstances. It's a hugely emotional read and as truths were revealed at the end, I was knocked back again and again. Wow. Just wow. It's a story about love, loss, sacrifice and hope. And Duchess Day Radley both made me smile and broke my heart. We Begin at the End will be one of my books of this year. Buy it or borrow it (don't steal it!), but read it. You will not be disappointed.

I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance e-copy of We Begin at the End to consider for review

Nothing good will come of any of this...

I have just finished We Begin at the End and it was INTENSE. Twenty four hours (I had to eat and sleep) of manic reading, head down, ignoring the family, dogs and the weird slow-motion apocalypse outside, fixated on a tragedy set among ordinary people in small American towns some 20 years ago.

Punctuated by moments when it became SO intense I had to look away. It really is that compulsive.

You will believe these characters are real.

You will care what happens to them.

You will hurt when they hurt

You will want a good ending for them - a good beginning? - although that seems harder and harder to imagine.

We begin, not at the end, but before the beginning, in 1975. The inhabitants of Cape Haven, a small town somewhere on the coast of California, are searching for a missing girl, Sissy Radley. It's Walk who finds her, setting in motion a tragedy that will play out over decades. In that prologue we see the four friends - Walk, his best friend Vincent King, Martha May, daughter of the Episcopal priest and Star, the missing girl's sister - whose lives will be changed forever.

Jump forward to 2005 when Vincent is released from jail, after doing time for Sissy's death, and more besides. Walk is Chief of Police in Cape Haven and has spent all of those 30 years struggling against change, whether it's the loss of those teenage bonds between the four, encroaching development as the Cape is carved up for second homes, or, latterly, change in himself as he faces a debilitating illness.

Star's struggling to bring up her two kids, Duchess, who at 13 is pretty much full time carer for six year old Robin. While Star hangs out in bars and, periodically, overdoses, Duchess sees that Robin gets his water bottle filled, packs his books for school and remembers birthdays.

It's a heartbreaking glimpse of truncated childhood and a theme that recurs throughout the book as Duchess and Robin suffer one rebuff after another, losing one carer after another, sliding down the care system, subject to cruel judgements from both adults and their peers, only having each other. Robin is desperate for a home, Duchess hangs everything on protecting him, declaring herself an outlaw, reacting with spiky anger to anyone who tries to gets to close - because after all, they'll let her down in the end, won't they?

Each time you hope things might run around for the kids, something awful - but seemingly inevitable - seems to happen. It's a testament to Whitaker's writing and to the powerfully drawn characters he births onto the page that you still want to keep reading. You just have to know what will happen next - what defiance Duchess will roar, who she'll swear at, what revenge she'll take - even as you fear for her.

There seems to be a tornado of destruction eating up the lives of the Radley kids. Walk tries to look out for them - whether out of genuine feeling, because of those bonds with their mother, or as part of his generalised and futile attempts to hold up any change, isn't clear. I'm not sure he knows himself. The same motives presumably underlie his interventions on Vincent King's behalf, which take Walk further and further from the strait and narrow road that he, as Chief of Police, should be treading. There's a local gangster, Dickie Darke, who casts a menacing shadow and Walk seems determined to bring him down but as the story shows, even gangsters can have good - or at least pure - reasons for what they do.

At one level this is a crime story - there is an unsolved murder, a man on trial, further killings. Chief Walk fulfils our need to have someone trying to "solve" the mystery and there is enough evidence forensics, testimony, Walk's knowledge of those concerned - to keep the mind engaged.

But really, this is a book you will read with your heart, not your mind. Amidst the trim little American towns with their smart holiday homes or we-ordered farms and, hidden away, the less well maintained residences of the poorer folk, we see a tragedy of operatic proportions play out. There is a very conscious sense of being in a story - supported by Duchess's references to herself as 'the outlaw Duchess Day Radley', by her allusions to the survivors and victims of shoot-outs, escapes and chases, to epic robberies and rescues, to people who 'were turned pages in the darkest chapters of her life. She knew that they would appear agin, the twists, the sting in her tale.' Meeting Duchess at a gas station, the woman behind the counter 'knew the crossroads the girl lived at'.

At the same time, Whitaker counterpoints this sense of melodrama by writing about very ordinary, very recognisable people and places and using such vivid and at times beautiful language that the story seems to stop and hang onto it - whether observing that 'Smoked glass made matt of the world', that 'Thunderheads formed like gathered mistakes' or that an old man 'stooped like he was carrying each of his years on his back'. Again, it is a book that you feel as much as read - deeply poetic and appreciative of those moments of beauty that can come unexpectedly if you watch for them.

But that, for me, only heightens the pain as things get worse and worse - for Vincent, for Walk, for Duchess and Robin - as things are broken that can never be fixed, as changes come. I challenge anyone to read this book without shedding tears, at least inwardly: the degree of loss and betrayed, eroded innocence is so great.

At the same time it's a compelling, not to be missed, read.

Simply superb.

What to say .. wow I loved this book . What started off to me a crime read ended up being so much more as we follow the lives of the troubled in cape haven . Walk is the police chief and his life long friend Vincent comes back after 30 years in jail for the death of sissy who was Stars little sister . Star is a troubled soul but it is her daughter Duchess who really steals the show . She is mother, and friend to her little brother Robin who she fiercely protective of . This book is beautifully written and My heart aches for the kids . A fabulous story of love and determination and how the past can damage you forever . Easy 5 stars 🌟