Gallery Books, January 5, 2016.
Four Stars
Angels Burning is a fast-paced literary thriller about the murder of a teenage
girl in a small town, and the police chief who must investigate a crime that
has strange parallels to her own childhood. Dove Carnahan, the chief of police
in rural Pennsylvania, has some dark secrets that are suddenly beginning to
resurface from her past, in the form of her estranged brother and his young
son, as well as a newly released convict with ties to Dove’s deceased mother.
While she deals with the emotional upheaval that these men bring with them,
Dove also manages to focus on finding young Camio’s killer.
I loved that Dove was not the traditional
crime-fighting hero. She is middle-aged, slightly overweight, and laments her
need for reading glasses – and she is unselfconscious about all of her flaws.
She comes across as realistic and relatable, not just physically, but also in
the way she processes her thoughts and feelings. Dove has kept her secret
(revealed late in the novel) since the age of sixteen, which is perhaps why she
relates so easily to Camio, the teenage victim, as well as empathizing with the
young suspects involved in the case.
The murder plot itself is nothing really new, yet it
is told in such a fresh new way. Dove’s sassy attitude is conveyed in her dark,
clever humour which shines through even the small details of this novel. As she
investigates the murder, she is reminded of her own story, and of the lengths
people will go to escape the fate established by their upbringing.
While Dove works with another detective who is also
an occasional love interest, she always puts herself and her family first. Her
family life is often dysfunctional, yet there is a lot of love buried deeply. I
was impressed that the romance did not become central to the story, and that
Dove remained strong and independent throughout. She is certainly portrayed as
a powerful female role model within her community, and it’s nice to see this
written so matter-of-factly, with an older woman in a position of power.
I found the details of the various crimes to be
realistic without any over the top gore. There were several twists to keep the
reader guessing and move the plot along rapidly. The humour was fantastic as
well, and often surprising. The real strength of the novel, however, is the
strong development of the characters. Dove seems so realistic and her narration
is seamless. Additionally, the varied cast of minor characters were believable
and well done. The only weakness in my opinion was Lucky, a man from Dove’s
past, who came across as a bit of a cliché, and his tangential story line
seemed irrelevant in the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it
whether you are a reader of literary fiction or mystery/thriller genres – there
is a bit of something for everyone. I haven’t read O’Dell since her earlier
novel, Back Roads, but I will now be
seeking out more of her work.
I received this novel from Netgalley and Gallery
Books in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment