The price of redemption
Thirty years ago, at the age of fifteen, Vincent King killed a seven-year-old girl. Now, just released from prison, he is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is pleased about his return – especially Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend and sister of the girl he killed. Never truly recovering from her sister’s death, Star has since taken to drowning her sorrows in booze and pills, much to the distress of her children.
The only person who is pleased to see Vincent is his childhood friend Walk, now Cape Haven’s chief of police. Although Walk tries to help Vincent reclaim his life, his friend is unable to forgive himself, let alone accept forgiveness from others. So, when Star is found dead and he is accused of her murder, he offers no defence against the charge. Walk, however, is convinced his friend is not guilty and sets about trying to prove his innocence.
With her mother often in no state to take care of them, Duchess Radley – Star's thirteen-year-old daughter – had become part-carer, part-protector to both Star and her younger brother, Robin. However, in trying to protect her vulnerable mother from undesirable male attention, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.
‘We Begin at the End’ is a touching novel about a young girl’s struggle to cope with a situation far beyond that which should ever be expected from someone of her age. As a result, her desperate attempts to protect her five-year-old brother from the harsh realities of their lives cause her to erect a hostile barrier between herself and those who try to help her. It is only when she begins to understand more about life that she allows herself to let people in.
Chris Whitaker’s punchy style of writing, using short sentences with brief yet informative descriptions, helps add a sense of urgency and tension to a gripping story that pulls you in from the very beginning. Nothing about this novel is cut and dried. With several suspects to choose from, the suspense is relentlessly maintained, leading to an ending which is both moving and surprising.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and have no hesitation in recommending it.
The only person who is pleased to see Vincent is his childhood friend Walk, now Cape Haven’s chief of police. Although Walk tries to help Vincent reclaim his life, his friend is unable to forgive himself, let alone accept forgiveness from others. So, when Star is found dead and he is accused of her murder, he offers no defence against the charge. Walk, however, is convinced his friend is not guilty and sets about trying to prove his innocence.
With her mother often in no state to take care of them, Duchess Radley – Star's thirteen-year-old daughter – had become part-carer, part-protector to both Star and her younger brother, Robin. However, in trying to protect her vulnerable mother from undesirable male attention, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.
‘We Begin at the End’ is a touching novel about a young girl’s struggle to cope with a situation far beyond that which should ever be expected from someone of her age. As a result, her desperate attempts to protect her five-year-old brother from the harsh realities of their lives cause her to erect a hostile barrier between herself and those who try to help her. It is only when she begins to understand more about life that she allows herself to let people in.
Chris Whitaker’s punchy style of writing, using short sentences with brief yet informative descriptions, helps add a sense of urgency and tension to a gripping story that pulls you in from the very beginning. Nothing about this novel is cut and dried. With several suspects to choose from, the suspense is relentlessly maintained, leading to an ending which is both moving and surprising.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and have no hesitation in recommending it.
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