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Mercy Creek
A current of guilt and repression flows beneath the placid surface of respectability of a Virginia Eastern Shore town. In the year after his mother's death, 16-year-old Isaac faces not only his coming of age but also the mysteries of a twisted communal past. A summer job at Chum's Hardware introduces Isaac to Crazy Eddie, an acerbic 77-year-old who is outspoken about everything except the string of bizarre vandalisms pulling down big headlines in the weekly newspaper. Someone is flooding the houses of Rooksville's leading citizens and leaving a signature of painted flames on the walls. The self-righteous vigilantes who gather at the hardware store offer a $5,000 reward for the conviction of whoever is responsible--and they have their eyes on Isaac. Isaac quickly discovers that small towns in which everybody knows everybody else's business often hide the most vicious secrets. A lost ledger at Chum's and the rantings of the town's recluse about the Klan are the first clues to the rumors that swirl like dust motes at the hardware store. By laying bare the stains of history and facing down the town's hatemonger, Isaac resolves where he belongs in the world. In this quietly suspenseful story with splashes of manic humor, the eccentrics, the outcasts, the bigots, and the bores join the small-town human parade. Mercy Creek , winner of the 2011 South Carolina First Novel Prize, is a memorable work by a new voice that deserves to be heard.
220 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 27, 2024
I picked this off the library shelf because he is a South Carolina writer. Much better than I expected! 3.5
August 5, 2011
A surprisingly good first novel. A coming of age book that could have taken place about 30 years ago but for the randomly used cell phone (distracting). The ending is a little pat, but Isaac is a likable protagonist, a 16 year old digging through the sordid past of his small town in an effort to avenge and then protect an old-timer.
February 13, 2021
Wonderful book. Part mystery, part trip back in time, to a small Virginia town still manifesting the legacy of the Klan. Isaac’s summer job at the local hardware store brings him in contact with Crazy Eddie, who Isaac suspects of the vandalism happening in one after another of the homes of the town’s citizens. Isaac, propelled by the promise of a $500 reward, begins to probe deeper, learning hidden truths not only about Eddie but the hidden racist history of the town. And facing his own moral dilemmas when ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are not so crystal clear.
July 4, 2024
I was immediately drawn in to this story. I felt an immediate connection to Issac in a way I have not felt about a character in a long time. I had difficulty putting this book down yet at the end I didn’t want it to be over. The characters in this book reminded me of people I know or have known as well as people I would like to know. This was a great read.
March 27, 2019
16 yo Isaac solves a mystery in his small NC town.Excellent writing and a great story.
May 23, 2011
This review is based on an uncorrected proof of the book.
Mercy Creek takes place in a sleepy Virginia town where things haven’t changed much in the last fifty years or so. The same families live in the same houses, attend the same churches, and hold onto the same old grudges and secrets. Sixteen-year-old Isaac has lived in this town his entire life. His father is the local Presbyterian minister, his mother recently passed away, his girlfriend is drifting away from him, and his summer is filled with working at a hardware store instead of playing baseball with this friends. The only bright spot that Isaac can see is the $5,000 reward being offered to whoever can find who’s responsible for a recent string of vandalism. That money would go a long way to making Isaac a little happier. But can he find out what’s going on…without risking his neck?
As Isaac begins digging for information, he comes across some unexpected secrets in his small town. Prejudices that no one wants to admit to. Atrocities that the whole town has turned a blind eye to for decades. Isaac keeps searching for answers amid all of the secrecy, and he finds something he didn’t expect. Himself. His hunt for the truth forces him to grow into the person he wants to be instead of the one he’s been since his mother died. He also finds a friend in someone who knows more about what’s going on in this town than he’s saying. Can Isaac find the truth before someone gets hurt? And can he learn to accept the changes around him, including those within his own life? Read Mercy Creek by Matt Matthews to find out.
I’ll admit that it took me a while to get into this book. It seemed to jump around a lot at the beginning. (Of course, I was reading an uncorrected proof of the book, so those issues may have been fixed in editing. I’ll find out tomorrow.) As I kept reading, however, the story grew more interesting, especially since Isaac’s town has a lot in common with the small town I grew up in (and still live in). Prejudices run deep, and they’re often passed on to the younger generations. It’s nice to read a book that exposes those prejudices for what they are–complete and total ignorance–while not being too preachy (which is odd since the author of this book is actually a preacher).
Mercy Creek takes place in a sleepy Virginia town where things haven’t changed much in the last fifty years or so. The same families live in the same houses, attend the same churches, and hold onto the same old grudges and secrets. Sixteen-year-old Isaac has lived in this town his entire life. His father is the local Presbyterian minister, his mother recently passed away, his girlfriend is drifting away from him, and his summer is filled with working at a hardware store instead of playing baseball with this friends. The only bright spot that Isaac can see is the $5,000 reward being offered to whoever can find who’s responsible for a recent string of vandalism. That money would go a long way to making Isaac a little happier. But can he find out what’s going on…without risking his neck?
As Isaac begins digging for information, he comes across some unexpected secrets in his small town. Prejudices that no one wants to admit to. Atrocities that the whole town has turned a blind eye to for decades. Isaac keeps searching for answers amid all of the secrecy, and he finds something he didn’t expect. Himself. His hunt for the truth forces him to grow into the person he wants to be instead of the one he’s been since his mother died. He also finds a friend in someone who knows more about what’s going on in this town than he’s saying. Can Isaac find the truth before someone gets hurt? And can he learn to accept the changes around him, including those within his own life? Read Mercy Creek by Matt Matthews to find out.
I’ll admit that it took me a while to get into this book. It seemed to jump around a lot at the beginning. (Of course, I was reading an uncorrected proof of the book, so those issues may have been fixed in editing. I’ll find out tomorrow.) As I kept reading, however, the story grew more interesting, especially since Isaac’s town has a lot in common with the small town I grew up in (and still live in). Prejudices run deep, and they’re often passed on to the younger generations. It’s nice to read a book that exposes those prejudices for what they are–complete and total ignorance–while not being too preachy (which is odd since the author of this book is actually a preacher).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2011
This book won the South Carolina First Novel Prize. It is written by a Presbyterian minister, and Matt Matthews uses that background in his story. Isaac, the son of a Presbyterian minister, is 16 the summer the story takes place. He lost his mother a year ago, and now his girlfriend has taken off to spend the summer away. His friends are all involved in summer select baseball, but he has decided to take a summer job for the first time.
The town is deep in a mystery involving the vandalizing of some old houses, and a local group is offering a reward of $5000, to anyone who can solve it. Isaac wants that money, and that becomes his summer goal. Solve the mystery he does, but along the way he learns secrets about the town that makes him question what is important in life. The lessons he learns along the way, changes the person he will become in life, as our choices always do.
The town is deep in a mystery involving the vandalizing of some old houses, and a local group is offering a reward of $5000, to anyone who can solve it. Isaac wants that money, and that becomes his summer goal. Solve the mystery he does, but along the way he learns secrets about the town that makes him question what is important in life. The lessons he learns along the way, changes the person he will become in life, as our choices always do.
June 10, 2012
A nice, simple, wholesome book. I couldn't tell if it was meant for a young adult audience? Although the protagonist is 16, the voice of the narrator often sounds older - making observations that seem inauthentic for a 16 year old kid "Rooksville was a sleepy small town nestled on the sandy bay side of the Shore. That's how the chamber of commerce website described it." I'm not sure what 16 year old (or any-year-old) is perusing the COC website. Also, there are lots of descriptions of blooming crepe myrtles, azalea, gladioli, tiger grass & impatiens - again - I'm not sure what 16 year old kid would even notice flowers or their type while they're wrapped up in their own teenage drama of girls and local crime. It is an enjoyable quick read.
September 13, 2015
A well-told story for this first-time novelist. A teenage boy, stuck in his small town at a summer job, while his girlfriend and all his baseball buddies are having fun elsewhere, learns about what it means to forgive. When he learns more about his co-worker, Eddie, he uncovers some secrets in his community that have been festering for a long time.
June 17, 2011
A solid young adult book with good writing, likable characters and an interesting plot that involves both mystery, romance and loss. Better editing would have earned Mercy Creek four stars, but it's a fine debut novel set in simpler times on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Matthews does a good job of depicting the setting and feel of the fictional small town.
August 14, 2015
Liked it!
This was a great book to read at the beach. It had a good, smooth writing style that made it an easy read. Adding that it is a Carolina author made it feel even more special. Thanks for a great story.
This was a great book to read at the beach. It had a good, smooth writing style that made it an easy read. Adding that it is a Carolina author made it feel even more special. Thanks for a great story.
September 14, 2011
Good story.
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August 8, 2012Great book written by my friend Matt Matthews!
August 19, 2012
Matt is an insightful writer....his places and people are very real.
August 29, 2012
A coming of age picture of a boy in the south
February 17, 2013
Very disappointing. Predictable whodunit.
March 22, 2014
A good light mystery .... An easy read.
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January 12, 2021Excellent book. Clever plot, somewhat suspenseful but mostly just good character development and writing. Likeable teenaged protagonist (with my son's name to boot!).
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews