We Begin at the End

Loved this book! Loved the characters. Suspenseful. Intriguing. I rarely read novels these days. I found this book on a weekend away in a quaint little bookstore in Sisters, Oregon. It was displayed and recommended by an employee. Something about it intrigued me — perhaps the promise an intriguing mystery. I could not put it down. It did not disappoint from beginning to end. Fabulous!

Ah this book. This. Book. It’s hard to read a Chris Whitaker book without feeling a tightness in your chest and a pit in your stomach. Such a brilliant storyteller.

Much of what I said in my “All the Colors of the Darkness” review rang true for this book too. So I won’t repeat myself but the way his books unfold, it’s just literary magic.

I loved this book as much as I did his latest. I find the two to be very similar but also much different. Different in that it’s another family, town, actions. But the feel is all the same. If you liked one of the books and haven’t read the other you should because you’ll love it just as much.

My first novel by this extraordinary author – but it won’t be my last. Whitaker’s spellbinding crime mystery had me enthralled and glued to my chair for an amazing one-day read. I simply could not put this book down.

The story begins with a step back in time to thirty years prior, when a small child is killed, and the person responsible for her death is a teenager. Moving the timeline ahead to the present, an ex-con and former best friend of the town’s sheriff is being released from prison.

What follows is a harrowing and impressively told story that shows how far the tentacles of tragedy can reach. Whitaker’s characterization of self-proclaimed modern-day outlaw thirteen-year-old Duchess Day Radley and her five-year-old brother, Robin who suddenly find themselves on their own after their mother’s devastating death and continuing to face the afflictions of tragedy after tragedy, is deeply moving and heartbreaking.

The twists and turns in the plot are ingenious as well as the justice meted out at the end – with a couple of sad and tragic exceptions. I’ll let you discover those situations for yourself.

The stand-out cast of characters, the suspense, the emotional arcs were all riveting. While for the most part complex and serious, there are some lighter moments rendering smiles and laughter, too. The layers of the events are slowly rolled-out with a final reveal that is surprisingly shocking and heartbreaking - but with a bit of poetic justice as well.

A gripping, unforgettable and ultimately hopeful story to savor and share with others. This must-read book is deserving of all the hype that comes its way.

And a note specifically addressed to Chris Whitaker, the author -- I truly enjoyed your book – the ride was definitely moving, and I deeply cared for these incredible characters. I’m also excitedly waiting for that brave little outlaw, Duchess, to be portrayed on television one day soon.