Four people witness a street murder in a small Louisiana town. Sam, a coffee shop proprietor they all know, is shot at point-blank range by a masked man. Who are these four unrelated characters, how did they all get to this town, and what actions will each take in the aftermath of the killing are questions Leigh Hershkovich compellingly answers in her first novel.
Talk about baggage! These diverse characters have sustained lives of deceitful and misleading shattered illusions. Sarah is a twice-divorced and lonely self-help guru, Danny is a troubled and disenfranchised young Australian, Marco is a long-suffering widower, and Ella is a young and conflicted Orthodox Jew. Each character narrates a tale of woe and angst and each searches through past secrets, remorse, and fears. The mix of gritty raw emotions, back stories, and the novel’s artful weave keeps the reader as off-balance as the characters at times.
The murder investigation plot plays on throughout their stories. How these four met, interacted, and survived weeks of endless police questioning, and each other’s company, all lead to them finally confronting their inner demons to solve the mystery of who killed Sam.
This beautifully written and carefully plotted book offers numerous philosophical musings and quotes to ponder. It has one reading for much more than simply, “Who did it?”
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Renita Last is a member of the Nassau Region of Hadassah’s Executive Board. She has coordinated the Film Forum Series for the Region and served as Programming and Health Coordinators and as a member of the Advocacy Committee.
She has volunteered as a docent at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County teaching the all- important lessons of the Holocaust and tolerance. A retired teacher of the Gifted and Talented, she loves participating in book clubs and writing projects.
