19 juni, 2016
Black-Eyed Susans ***
Posted in : Reviews in english on by : Lotte Tags: Crime, Julia Heaberlin, suspense, thriller
If you liked Gone Girl and The girl on the train, then this book could be one for you.
As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row.
Now, almost two decades later, Tessa is an artist and single mother. In the desolate cold of February, she is shocked to discover a freshly planted patch of black-eyed susans—a summertime bloom—just outside her bedroom window. (Goodreads).
This book is written from different POV’s, where it jumps back and forth in time from young Tessie to present Tessa. I found it a bit confusing at first, but soon you are hooked and the pieces start falling together.
The book is well written and has very intriguing character descriptions – I especially enjoyed Lydia, Tessies best friend. The author made a lot of research before writing the book, and it shows in the elements of forensic science and the Texas justice system.
The focus of this psychological drama is how trauma can really influence the rest of your life, and how unreliable memories can be – like the rest of us, Tessa has to find the truth as she goes along – and decide if she put the wrong man on death row.
The book was engaging and kept me guessing the entire time – and yet the twist still took me by surprise. The only reason for the 3 stars is the end – not that it was bad but I felt that while Julia did wrap up all the loose ends, it just was to neat a package.