Not a murder mystery novel, per se—you know there’s going to be a murder, and who did it, in the very first sentence—but a nuanced and expansive view of the people and context around a killing. O’Nan seeks so deep into his settings, the characters and world are always rich. Book: 22 out of 52

Chaon is among my favorite writers—particularly his short stories—and this early apocalypse, close-to-our-world novel about family is compelling. But I’m not sure how many more works of art about our near-future—social and governmental collapse, creeping fascism, and environmental destruction—I can take. It’s getting too real and too depressing. Book: 21 out of 52

This is a murder mystery, but with the trappings of a gothic draped over its bones. Shambolic old house, doppelgangers, deep local history, eccentric relatives, moody sad boys, an opening line homaging Rebecca? This has it all. Still, you could easily miss that and just focus on a gripping mystery. Great stuff. Book: 20 out… View Article