I'm reviewing The Unforgiving Town ...

... by Joan Livingston.  Read on to find out more about this brilliant story ...

Joan Livingston, a fellow author, is a great writer of crime stories.  I have thoroughly enjoyed her Isabel Long mystery series, and Joan has kindly supplied posts for this blog, too.  So, it was a great pleasure to pick up the second book in her Hilltown Crime Series to read as soon as it was published.

The Unforgiving Town is the sequel to The Sacred Dog, and both books are set in a New England hilltown.  As, Joan states in her introduction to the series at the back of book 2, ‘Crime in a small town can get personal – sometimes with deadly consequences.’  I knew as soon as I opened the book that I was in for a roller-coaster of a read.
Al Kitchen returns to his home town following 18 years in jail for beating a man to death during a botched robbery.  He has nowhere to go except the old house his grandmother was living in, which is being cared for by his cousin, Bernie.  There’s no job for Al to come back to, and the occupation he originally had, as a truck driver, is now beyond him because he has no driving license and his truck needs fixing.  After serving his time, his future seems hopeless, and no one in Holden is going to cut him any slack except his cousin.  Scott, the local police chief, of course, realises the situation could be difficult and is trying to keep a lid on the situation.  Add into the mix the death of Al whilst out riding his bike, and you’ve got a page-turning mystery that will keep you glued to your seat.
There are a lot of characters in this book, but they are all distinct, and some are more likeable than others.  But that’s how it is in any small, provincial town the world over.  I really enjoyed reading about small-town America, and Joan presents the scenarios and characters with great depth and empathy.  The dynamics between some of the principal characters fizz with tension, and the culprit behind the death is well-hidden in plain sight.
The narrative reads exceptionally well, as does the dialogue.  As Scott’s investigation into Al’s death ramps up to an unexpected conclusion, I was left considering murder (or was it?) in small-town America and a plot that kept me guessing to the end.

You can get the book Here

If you want to read more about Joan and her writing, check out the following links:  Chasing the Case   Writing Poetry   Creating new characters