In the follow-up to the #1 Kindle bestseller Walk into Silence, a young girl takes her own life. But what—or who—drove her to it?When a teenager’s body is found at the base of the old water tower, Detective Jo Larsen is one of the first on the scene. Tragically, it appears to be a clear case of suicide.But the more Jo learns about Kelly Amster, the more she finds herself needing to understand why … herself needing to understand why the high school sophomore would take that fatal plunge. As they interview family and friends, Jo and her partner, Hank Phelps, begin to fit together the pieces of a dark puzzle. Something happened to Kelly in their small town of Plainfield, Texas—and it sent the young girl straight over the edge.
Haunted by the memories of her own childhood, Jo digs deep into the shadowy corners of a seemingly tight-knit community—to uncover a devastating secret…
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Walk a Crooked Line by Susan McBride
When terrible things happen, it’s up to Jo Larsen, her partner Hank, and their fellow officers to “pick up the pieces . . . and make sure that all the guilty parties paid a price. Even if that price was never high enough.” The investigators pay a huge price as well, seeing that which cannot be unseen, feeling the pain of victims, and awakening their own sorrows, but they are also helping to put a stop to future harm by those who’ve brazenly repeated their crimes, believing themselves to be above punishment. “No woman should have to live in fear.” TRUTH!
If it takes a village to raise a child, it’s also true that breaking a tender spirit is a group responsibility. It’s short-sighted to downplay high school pain and bullying; that short time in one’s long life feels like everything at the time. One of our counselors reminded us that “puppy love feels like real love to the puppy.”
The water tower is a haunting image, worthy of its place on the cover, a menacing presence. Vivid imagery and contrasts, railroad tracks vs. McMansions, help tell the story . . . “in the dimness of the room, the black screen looked a bit like a window to nowhere.”
Beautiful style and compelling content combined to make WALK A CROOKED LINE hard to put down. At one a.m. my eyes refused to read more; I picked it back up immediately upon waking.
From the forward to the helpline numbers at the end, the message is strong, “Your lives are precious. . . . You are not alone.”
When Detective Jo Larson, begins investigating the death of a young girl, what she finds is a tragic suicide, but she doesn’t stop there. Jo has survived a rough childhood, and because of her past, is determined to find out why this fifteen-year-old girl with everything to live for would take her own life. What she uncovers is rape, cyberbullying, and much more. Although the subject matter is hard to read, the topics touched on in this book are eye-opening, and all too real., although I do think the author handled the story with care.
I really enjoyed the author’s first book Walk Into Silence, and this follow-up mystery didn’t disappoint. I felt connected with the main character right away and the story-line grabbed my attention. It was an easy read even with the deep plot, and it continued to hold my interest throughout. This wasn’t my first read by Susan McBride and surely won’t be the last!
A young girl is found at the base of an old water tower deemed a suicide and Detective Jo Larsen is put on the case. What brought this girl to this place and caused her to end young life; abuse, neglect, bullying, loneliness, and/or depression. Upon further investigation through interviews with family and friends, Jo and her partner Hank try to put the pieces together and find that something horrible happened to Kelly causing her to take the fatal plunge.
In this well-written book by author Susan McBride, she draws you into a story about a girl that was failed by those that were supposed to look out for her and take care of her. It brings to light a factor that many young people face today concerning bullying, loneliness, and trying to fit in. Through the character of Jo, you see the story unfold as she investigates and discovers the parallels between her own childhood and that of the young girl she is investigating.
Awww a Cliffhanger!
A great book dealing with interesting and timely topics ruined with a cliffhanger. Bummer. I won’t be going on to the next book.