A hard book for me to rate because it creeps up on you.
It begins with two boys leaving a house party in 1999. Another boy’s body discovered. Police who don’t know where to look in a small town. Then there’s a twenty year gap, another body, and finally progress can be made.
The Living and the Dead is well written, conveying a great sense of tension and icy coldness, but I initially found it hard to connect with the viewpoint characters. It wasn’t until two thirds in that it suddenly ramped up for me, I saw all the pieces coming together, and I saw how clever the author had been. It’s that final third that is the most memorable and elevates the book. A good read if you persevere!
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