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too incredible to pass this one up. “Long Bright River” is a novel only in that that characters and setting are fictional. The content of this book is VERY real. Two sisters from a broken, dysfunctional home, grow up depending on each other and forging a bond that will stand immense testing.

This book is literary, it’s family drama, mystery, thriller, suspense and it’s almost 500 pages that will rush by gut wrenching flips. The characters are real, the setting is familiar and the story is far too common. Editing on this book is extraordinary and the short bursts of story add to its emotion and drive rather than aggravate. Switching from past to present is marked so clearly it will seem abrupt, at first, and then it will be perfect.

Liz Moore has begun 2020 with an explosive yet hopeful offering that’s sure to have readers talking for a long time📚

 This one got off to a slow start for me but I will freely admit I'm having a hard time concentrating these days as life is a bit stressful right now. However, maybe about 100 pages or so into it, everything just seemed to click and at that point I became fully engrossed in the story.

Sisters Kacey and Mickey no longer speak to one another. They grew up in Philadelphia and were raised by their grandmother. As teenagers their lives started heading down two different paths. Mickey worked hard and became a police officer. Kacey became addicted to drugs and started living on the streets. After a string of murders, Mickey attempts to check in on her sister, but Kacey has gone missing. Are the murders and Kacey's disappearance somehow related?

There's a lot going on in this story and at first glance it might appear that this is just your average, run-of-the-mill mystery. However, I think the strengths of this novel are the relationship between the sisters and how addiction tore them apart. My favorite parts of the story were the flashbacks to when they were younger as it provided great insight into how they got to this point in the present day. I feel like you are better off going into this story more for the family drama rather than just expecting a mystery that's going to wow you. I'm not saying I thought the author did a bad job wrapping everything up, more I just think it is the least important element of the story.

This book is over 400 pages and like I said I struggled a bit at the beginning but it does become a fast read after awhile. One thing to note is the author does not use quotation marks for dialogue. It's not difficult at all to follow what is being said though and it's so easy to adjust to that writing style.

This is a dreary type read but worth reading if you want to see up close how addiction can destroy lives and relationships.

I won a copy of this book in a giveaway by Goodreads and Riverhead Books. I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.

Stunning. This is a tale of generational addiction, betrayal, the mean streets of Philadelphia, murder, but most of all of sisterly love. Mickey and Kacey's mother OD'd, their father disappeared, and they were raised by Gee, their grandmother in a small house just above the poverty line. Mickey became the studious good girl desperate to care for her sister Kacey who went off the rails early and often (there's a terrific scene of their class trip to the ballet). Mickey then became a police officer and Kacey an addict. The novel starts with Mickey looking at a body in Kensington where her sister shoots up and sells herself; this sets off her hunt not only for Kacey, who has disappeared, but also for the murderer of a series of drug addicted women. Mickey's raising her son Thomas alone, having left her partner and she struggles with how much to expose him to her family, which, btw, lies to her. There are many twists in this carefully crafted heart wrenching novel that its impossible to review without spoilers. The characters will stick with you- Paula, Mrs McMahon, Truman, and so on- as will the dark streets which Moore has been able to translate onto the page. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This richly deserves the praise it has received- it's a must read for 2020...and beyond.

"Long Bright River" by Liz Moore, Riverhead Books, 496 pages, Jan. 7, 2020.

In the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Mickey Fitzgerald, 32, and her younger sister, Kacey, used to be inseparable.

Now Mickey and Kacey don't speak to each other. Kacey lives on the streets because of addiction. She is a prostitute. Mickey is a police officer and the single mother of a four-year-old son, Thomas. As the story begins, she is partnered with a new officer, Eddie Lafferty.

The sisters were orphaned when young. Their mother died of a overdose. Their father wasn't involved in their lives. He is believed to be dead as well. Their grandmother, Gee, raised them. She worked multiple jobs and was very bitter because of her daughter's death. Kacey was 16 when she first overdosed.

Then Kacey disappears and Mickey becomes obsessed with finding her. There have been murders of prostitutes and Mickey is worried that Kacey is the latest victim. She goes to speak to her former partner, Truman Dawes, who was injured in the line of duty.

This is more of a study of people than a mystery or police procedural novel. It is multi-layered and has strong characters. It is divided between then and now so the reader learns of the women's shared history. There are a number of surprising twists. The writing is excellent.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by: Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Vogue, Marie Claire, Washington Post, PopSugar, Bustle, Forbes & more!

"Navigates assuredly between the plot twists and big reveals. . . . Long Bright River is equal parts literary and thrilling." —O, The Oprah Magazine

"A thoughtful, powerful novel by a writer who displays enormous compassion for her characters. Long Bright River is an outstanding crime novel… I absolutely loved it."
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