Evie looks forward to waking up early each Sunday morning to do her paper route because she knows she will get to see Jonah Luks – college dropout turned animal control worker whom Evie is infatuated with. One morning she sees Jonah knocking on the door of one of the houses – something Evie knows he is not allowed to do in the wealthy neighborhood of Hopeke Woods. Her curiosity piqued, Evie decides to hide in the bushes to find out what is going on. Just when she has convinced herself that Jonah is having an affair with the woman in the house, she hears sirens shrieking and police cars pull up in front of the house. Jonah leads the police into the woods, and it isn’t long before they return with a stretcher carrying a zipped bag that could only contain a human body. It turns out to be the body of Zabet McCabe, Evie’s classmate and former childhood friend.

At the funeral, Evie talks to Zabet’s father and gives him the impression that she and Zabet had been close friends. This lie leads her into an uneasy friendship with Hadley – Zabet’s actual best friend, who is obsessed with searching for Zabet’s killer. Hadley has a strong personality and loves to take risks, and she convinces shy and reserved Evie to take chances that could lead to danger for them both.

Though the plot of this novel revolves around a murder, The Space between Trees is not really a murder mystery. The focus of the novel is on Evie – her personal growth and the relationships she develops as a result of Zabet’s death. It’s a good read, but will not fit the bill for those looking for a mystery with suspense and excitement.