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Cara Kennedy #1
City Under One Roof
A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.
When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.
After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.
Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?"
When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.
After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.
Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?"
298 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
393 people are currently reading
19314 people want to read
About the author
Iris Yamashita
4 books290 followersIris is the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the script "Letters From Iwo Jima" directed by Clint Eastwood. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars including “Best Picture” and “Best Original Screenplay.”
City Under One Roof is her debut mystery novel and the first in the Cara Kennedy series, set in a tiny Alaskan town where all the residents lives in a single high-rise building. The book was Crime Fiction Lover's Editor's Choice for Best Debut Crime Novel of the year and was named one of the Best Thrillers of the year by Washington Post as well as one of the Best Crime Fiction of the year by Library Journal and one of the Best Fiction Books of the year by Reader's Digest.
Village in the Dark is her follow up novel to City Under One Roof.
City Under One Roof is her debut mystery novel and the first in the Cara Kennedy series, set in a tiny Alaskan town where all the residents lives in a single high-rise building. The book was Crime Fiction Lover's Editor's Choice for Best Debut Crime Novel of the year and was named one of the Best Thrillers of the year by Washington Post as well as one of the Best Crime Fiction of the year by Library Journal and one of the Best Fiction Books of the year by Reader's Digest.
Village in the Dark is her follow up novel to City Under One Roof.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,058 reviews
January 18, 2023
This book is fantastic! I loved it! It’s smart!
It’s a claustrophobic thriller! It’s a dramatic very very small town/ let’s rephrase: small unit drama where everyone is exiled here to hide from their pasts! It’s a story of ghosts haunting the place where you can hear their screams mixing with the wind’s howling. And finally this is action packed, fast pacing, character driven story!
Iris Yamashita : Oscar nominated screenwriter from “Letters from Iwo Jiwa” ( 2006, directed by Clint Eastwood), crafted something extraordinary and one of the most unconventional, absolutely one of most anticipated thrillers!
Just think about an Alaskan town called Point Mettier: a place where the weather is minus thirty five degrees and the winter lasts for eight months. There are 205 full-time residents live in the same building, UNDER ONE ROOF! They called the building they live: “ Dave-Co”. The town has a postoffice, a church, an infirmary, and a general store. You can get your take-out two places: from a pub who sells greasy food and booze and a Chinese restaurant with cardboard tasted greasy food.
Why those 205 people preferred to live you live in a backwater hole of a place where everyone lived in one building and your eyelashes could actually freeze? Because all of them hide something or run away from someone!
There are only two police officers of Point Mettier: Chief Sipley ( elder man taking care of Loonie the crazy lady with a moose) and young Joe Barkowski a.k.a. J. B.
When Amy, 17, finds pieces of body including a severed hand and foot washed up from the shore, an Anchorage officer ( the neighborhood town to Point Mettier) takes testimony of Amy and thinks this was suicide case of a tourist who jumped in the water and killed himself.
But later another Anchorage officer arrives to the town. Her name is Cara Kennedy. She is so adamant to open the Pandora’s box as entire townies are reluctant to help her.
After the avalanche closes the tunnel, Cara finds herself trapped in this claustrophobic town, becoming a reluctant resident of the same building with the other townies who are not welcomed her with open hands. Even the kids are paid to terrorize her to knock her door and run in the middle of the night.
Only J. B. who finds out her past and what she’s hiding of, coming to her help for the investigation.
But Cara’s not only threatened by the townies, but also she’s intimidated by gang members of native village. They arrive to the town to look for something.
I especially liked the POV of Lonnie: it made so sad how she’s traumatized and how she’s doing everything she can to protect the town’s safety and her loved ones.
Overall: I extremely advise you to read it! It’s a secret gem! It truly surprised me and surpassed my expectations! Giving my five, cold, tricky, smart Alaskan stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions!
It’s a claustrophobic thriller! It’s a dramatic very very small town/ let’s rephrase: small unit drama where everyone is exiled here to hide from their pasts! It’s a story of ghosts haunting the place where you can hear their screams mixing with the wind’s howling. And finally this is action packed, fast pacing, character driven story!
Iris Yamashita : Oscar nominated screenwriter from “Letters from Iwo Jiwa” ( 2006, directed by Clint Eastwood), crafted something extraordinary and one of the most unconventional, absolutely one of most anticipated thrillers!
Just think about an Alaskan town called Point Mettier: a place where the weather is minus thirty five degrees and the winter lasts for eight months. There are 205 full-time residents live in the same building, UNDER ONE ROOF! They called the building they live: “ Dave-Co”. The town has a postoffice, a church, an infirmary, and a general store. You can get your take-out two places: from a pub who sells greasy food and booze and a Chinese restaurant with cardboard tasted greasy food.
Why those 205 people preferred to live you live in a backwater hole of a place where everyone lived in one building and your eyelashes could actually freeze? Because all of them hide something or run away from someone!
There are only two police officers of Point Mettier: Chief Sipley ( elder man taking care of Loonie the crazy lady with a moose) and young Joe Barkowski a.k.a. J. B.
When Amy, 17, finds pieces of body including a severed hand and foot washed up from the shore, an Anchorage officer ( the neighborhood town to Point Mettier) takes testimony of Amy and thinks this was suicide case of a tourist who jumped in the water and killed himself.
But later another Anchorage officer arrives to the town. Her name is Cara Kennedy. She is so adamant to open the Pandora’s box as entire townies are reluctant to help her.
After the avalanche closes the tunnel, Cara finds herself trapped in this claustrophobic town, becoming a reluctant resident of the same building with the other townies who are not welcomed her with open hands. Even the kids are paid to terrorize her to knock her door and run in the middle of the night.
Only J. B. who finds out her past and what she’s hiding of, coming to her help for the investigation.
But Cara’s not only threatened by the townies, but also she’s intimidated by gang members of native village. They arrive to the town to look for something.
I especially liked the POV of Lonnie: it made so sad how she’s traumatized and how she’s doing everything she can to protect the town’s safety and her loved ones.
Overall: I extremely advise you to read it! It’s a secret gem! It truly surprised me and surpassed my expectations! Giving my five, cold, tricky, smart Alaskan stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions!
January 6, 2023
Iris Yamashita blends a unique setting with diverse characters in this atmospheric debut mystery novel.
City Under One Roof
is thought-provoking, clever, and full of secrets. Local teenager, Amy Lin, discovers a severed hand and foot washed up in a cove near Point Mettier, Alaska. Cara Kennedy, a detective from Anchorage comes to investigate the possible murder. She has her own personal reasons for doing so.
This isolated town can only be reached for part of the year via a tunnel, snowmobile, or helicopter. During the tourist season, a ferry is operated. However, a blizzard followed by an avalanche closes the tunnel while Cara is in the isolated town. Cara is stuck in town and rents an apartment at the Davidson Condos, a multi-storied building that houses all of the town’s residents. Cara teams up with local police officer Joe Barkowski to investigate, but soon other problems arise. How did the victim die? Who is it? What secrets are being kept by the local residents?
Several characters play major roles in the story and the points of view alternate between Cara, Amy, and a woman named Lonnie. Cara is haunted by her past. She suffers from PTSD and her grief can overwhelm her at times, but she is a great detective. Amy seems to be a typical teenager dealing with a boyfriend and an overprotective mother. However, her discovery and her actions after that give readers insight into her complex traits. Lonnie has had a difficult life and has secrets of her own. What roles will they play in this mystery?
The characterization is well-done. Readers get insight into the characters and their secrets as the story progresses. Their actions, reactions, feelings, and thoughts provide clues to their personality traits that helped me understand their larger roles in the story.
The premise for this novel is excellent and the mystery is riveting. However, there are a few slow spots along the way. The setting and atmosphere are terrific. This reader felt transported to Alaska and could easily feel the cold and see the blizzard. Themes include death and grief, isolation and claustrophobia, domestic violence, secrets and lies, and much more. The author says the inspiration for the town comes from Whittier, Alaska. It’s accessible only by boat or a one-way, one lane tunnel. Additionally, most of the residents live in the same building.
Overall, this story is gripping, thought-provoking, and emotional, with great world-building. This is the first book in a mystery series. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author and seeing where she takes the characters next. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Berkley Publishing Group and Iris Yamashita provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 10, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.79 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming in early November.
This isolated town can only be reached for part of the year via a tunnel, snowmobile, or helicopter. During the tourist season, a ferry is operated. However, a blizzard followed by an avalanche closes the tunnel while Cara is in the isolated town. Cara is stuck in town and rents an apartment at the Davidson Condos, a multi-storied building that houses all of the town’s residents. Cara teams up with local police officer Joe Barkowski to investigate, but soon other problems arise. How did the victim die? Who is it? What secrets are being kept by the local residents?
Several characters play major roles in the story and the points of view alternate between Cara, Amy, and a woman named Lonnie. Cara is haunted by her past. She suffers from PTSD and her grief can overwhelm her at times, but she is a great detective. Amy seems to be a typical teenager dealing with a boyfriend and an overprotective mother. However, her discovery and her actions after that give readers insight into her complex traits. Lonnie has had a difficult life and has secrets of her own. What roles will they play in this mystery?
The characterization is well-done. Readers get insight into the characters and their secrets as the story progresses. Their actions, reactions, feelings, and thoughts provide clues to their personality traits that helped me understand their larger roles in the story.
The premise for this novel is excellent and the mystery is riveting. However, there are a few slow spots along the way. The setting and atmosphere are terrific. This reader felt transported to Alaska and could easily feel the cold and see the blizzard. Themes include death and grief, isolation and claustrophobia, domestic violence, secrets and lies, and much more. The author says the inspiration for the town comes from Whittier, Alaska. It’s accessible only by boat or a one-way, one lane tunnel. Additionally, most of the residents live in the same building.
Overall, this story is gripping, thought-provoking, and emotional, with great world-building. This is the first book in a mystery series. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author and seeing where she takes the characters next. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Berkley Publishing Group and Iris Yamashita provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 10, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
-------------------------------------------------------
My 3.79 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming in early November.
January 10, 2023
I loved the 1990 TV mystery “Twin Peaks” so when I heard about this debut, I knew I had to read it!
We are dropped right into the action as Amy Lin, a teenager living in the (fictional) Alaskan town of Point Mettier is being interviewed after finding a severed hand and foot that has washed up on shore….
Though disturbing, the 205 residents aren’t overly concerned, as they ALL live in the same high rise building, the Dave-Co and everyone is accounted for.
But then, Cara Kennedy, a detective from Anchorage arrives-not sold on the theory that the body parts belong to someone who committed suicide…
She is investigating to see if there is a connection to another case from her neighboring city of Anchorage, and the residents ARE NOT happy that she is here. Especially when the tunnel, which is only way in and out of Point Mettier, becomes blocked by an avalanche and she has to move into the Dave-Co until it can be cleared.
The reason? Everyone who chooses to live in this “city under one roof” endures the sub zero temperatures of the eight month long Winter, not because it’s a great place to live-but because it’s a great place to hide from their secrets.
With the wind howling in the elevator shafts, and the rumor of ghosts, they are rarely forced to live beside an outsider-and they prefer it that way.
The residents are QUIRKY, and they look out for each other and for Moose Lady Lonnie. who watched her mother get killed by an abusive boyfriend when she was a child, and watched the mother of a young moose get killed by hunters. She hasn’t mentally been the same since.
Lonnie adopted the moose, named him Denny, and is dedicated to protecting him from all of the bad men out there. During tourist season, visitors like to pose for photos with Denny, and the town makes sure that the money earned from these photos provide Lonnie and Denny with everything that they need.
She uses words to try and make sense of the dangerous World around her-and I enjoyed having her viewpoint included. She knew the storm outside would bring trouble to her door….Storm-blast, gale, blizzard, gust, squall, and as far as she is concerned, that trouble is Detective Kennedy.
Cara must team up with local police officer Joe Barkowski, (J.B.) to solve the possible murder, and protect the residents from an outside force-and she may just get some closure of her own in the process.
This ATMOSPHERIC, CLAUSTROPHOBIC debut novel, from Iris Yamashita, the Academy Award nominated writer for the movie LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA , directed by Clint Eastwood will be hitting shelves soon, if you are craving something as unique as the great State of Alaska.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
NOW AVAILABLE
THANK YOU to Berkley for the gifted copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
We are dropped right into the action as Amy Lin, a teenager living in the (fictional) Alaskan town of Point Mettier is being interviewed after finding a severed hand and foot that has washed up on shore….
Though disturbing, the 205 residents aren’t overly concerned, as they ALL live in the same high rise building, the Dave-Co and everyone is accounted for.
But then, Cara Kennedy, a detective from Anchorage arrives-not sold on the theory that the body parts belong to someone who committed suicide…
She is investigating to see if there is a connection to another case from her neighboring city of Anchorage, and the residents ARE NOT happy that she is here. Especially when the tunnel, which is only way in and out of Point Mettier, becomes blocked by an avalanche and she has to move into the Dave-Co until it can be cleared.
The reason? Everyone who chooses to live in this “city under one roof” endures the sub zero temperatures of the eight month long Winter, not because it’s a great place to live-but because it’s a great place to hide from their secrets.
With the wind howling in the elevator shafts, and the rumor of ghosts, they are rarely forced to live beside an outsider-and they prefer it that way.
The residents are QUIRKY, and they look out for each other and for Moose Lady Lonnie. who watched her mother get killed by an abusive boyfriend when she was a child, and watched the mother of a young moose get killed by hunters. She hasn’t mentally been the same since.
Lonnie adopted the moose, named him Denny, and is dedicated to protecting him from all of the bad men out there. During tourist season, visitors like to pose for photos with Denny, and the town makes sure that the money earned from these photos provide Lonnie and Denny with everything that they need.
She uses words to try and make sense of the dangerous World around her-and I enjoyed having her viewpoint included. She knew the storm outside would bring trouble to her door….Storm-blast, gale, blizzard, gust, squall, and as far as she is concerned, that trouble is Detective Kennedy.
Cara must team up with local police officer Joe Barkowski, (J.B.) to solve the possible murder, and protect the residents from an outside force-and she may just get some closure of her own in the process.
This ATMOSPHERIC, CLAUSTROPHOBIC debut novel, from Iris Yamashita, the Academy Award nominated writer for the movie LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA , directed by Clint Eastwood will be hitting shelves soon, if you are craving something as unique as the great State of Alaska.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
NOW AVAILABLE
THANK YOU to Berkley for the gifted copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
October 26, 2022
This is going to be a DNF for me at 30%. I liked the premise and the setting. When I have to write a list of characters and only a few are distinctive enough to remember, I grow weary of the story.
I'm sure this is a great book but it simply felt like work to continue to wade through it. I found the pace to be very very slow.
I'm sure this is a great book but it simply felt like work to continue to wade through it. I found the pace to be very very slow.
June 13, 2023
When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.
After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.
Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?
I tried. I really did, but City Under One Roof is one truly weird, discombobulated story that I just could not power through. From the POV of a mentally unstable woman who has a pet moose to the detective that’s currently on her own vendetta, I struggled to find anything to sink my teeth into. But found nothing to keep me engaged. And that was before the gang even entered the picture.
Ultimately, I merely think that this one just might not be my cup of tea. After all, it has a 3.5 star rating on Goodreads, so plenty of people liked this one. I do have to say that the premise was intriguing. I mean, a city that exists in just one building? But the reality just didn’t live up to the promise in my book. So, if the synopsis sounds intriguing, definitely give it a shot. Just be prepared for a rather peculiar plot to be sure. Rating of 1 star (DNF).
Trigger warning: mental illness, spousal abuse, mention of: death of a spouse and child (not a complete list as I did not finish this one)
After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.
Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?
I tried. I really did, but City Under One Roof is one truly weird, discombobulated story that I just could not power through. From the POV of a mentally unstable woman who has a pet moose to the detective that’s currently on her own vendetta, I struggled to find anything to sink my teeth into. But found nothing to keep me engaged. And that was before the gang even entered the picture.
Ultimately, I merely think that this one just might not be my cup of tea. After all, it has a 3.5 star rating on Goodreads, so plenty of people liked this one. I do have to say that the premise was intriguing. I mean, a city that exists in just one building? But the reality just didn’t live up to the promise in my book. So, if the synopsis sounds intriguing, definitely give it a shot. Just be prepared for a rather peculiar plot to be sure. Rating of 1 star (DNF).
Trigger warning: mental illness, spousal abuse, mention of: death of a spouse and child (not a complete list as I did not finish this one)
January 16, 2023
2.5 stars. At first I wasn't sure if the setting would be interesting enough to carry the book, and unfortunately I think my early take was correct. We get so much about this concept of everyone living in basically the same building but in practice it doesn't really mean much for the story, it's more set dressing, which is too bad. I think there's more that could be done with the concept.
This just had a lot of things I don't like and not enough that was interesting or original to make it worth it. There were bright spots, teenage Amy is by far the most interesting character and I was always glad to get back to her story. I did not enjoy the third protagonist, Lonnie, as much, while clearly she has cognitive disabilities, her narration felt like a caricature, more Rain Man than reality. Like she is supposed to be something quirky. She, of course, provides many convenient plot points.
Our main protagonist, Detective Kennedy, was not my favorite. Some of this is me, I am very tired of the grieving detective as hero, making that detective a woman doesn't do enough to change the trope or make it interesting. I also didn't like our very stereotypical rural cops, the good old boy sheriff and the earnest young upstart. Add to that the fact that all of these cops are bad cops, cops who break the rules almost constantly throughout the story, but that they are presented to us as good and moral and doing the right thing and, well, you have a guaranteed formula to make me dislike these characters and the book.
This just had a lot of things I don't like and not enough that was interesting or original to make it worth it. There were bright spots, teenage Amy is by far the most interesting character and I was always glad to get back to her story. I did not enjoy the third protagonist, Lonnie, as much, while clearly she has cognitive disabilities, her narration felt like a caricature, more Rain Man than reality. Like she is supposed to be something quirky. She, of course, provides many convenient plot points.
Our main protagonist, Detective Kennedy, was not my favorite. Some of this is me, I am very tired of the grieving detective as hero, making that detective a woman doesn't do enough to change the trope or make it interesting. I also didn't like our very stereotypical rural cops, the good old boy sheriff and the earnest young upstart. Add to that the fact that all of these cops are bad cops, cops who break the rules almost constantly throughout the story, but that they are presented to us as good and moral and doing the right thing and, well, you have a guaranteed formula to make me dislike these characters and the book.
January 5, 2023
I really enjoyed the setting for this book. The idea of a town so small it’s under one roof (and tied together with some tunnels) during the harsh Alaskan winter months. The story jumps right in with our first narrator Amy being questioned by police after she finds a hand and a food on the beach. The investigating officer leaves assuming it was parts that floated up after a suicide, but Cara another officer from Anchorage has her own suspicions and makes it to the town to do her own investigating before getting trapped by an avalanche. The chapters are short and the perspectives change between several people. The small town community was super fun and I really liked the investigation and the mystery as it unfolded. There were a couple of twist moments that weren’t as twisty as they tried to be, but overall this was a fun police centered mystery (I hesitate to call it a procedural because they improvised and were definitely not by the book) and I hope to read more by this author.
February 19, 2023
When two severed body parts wash up on the shore in Point Mettier, Alaska, the Anchorage policeman who investigates feels sure they are the remains of a suicide, which unfortunately happens from time to time in coastal areas like this.
So the local police are surprised when Detective Cara Kennedy shows up a month later, wanting to take a further look at the scene where the parts were found. She is ready to head back to Anchorage through the tunnel which provides the only way in and out of town when she learns it has been closed by an avalanche and a snowstorm that has already begun. It could be days, weeks, even a month before the tunnel reopens! Her only option is to rent a room in the Davidson Condos, home to the two hundred permanent residents of the town.
Who would want to live in such a claustrophobic situation? Cara soon learns that most of the residents are there because they have something to hide. They are a collection of stragglers, oddballs and recluses but when push comes to shove, they are there for each other.
This debut novel is quite atmospheric, the characters quirky, the Alaskan setting equal parts beautiful and life-endangering, and the mystery to be solved intriguing. There's even a little touch of romance. If you've been to Alaska, you might recognize the actual port of Whittier from where cruise ships often depart in the fictional Point Mettier. Here's hoping this is the beginning of a new series.
So the local police are surprised when Detective Cara Kennedy shows up a month later, wanting to take a further look at the scene where the parts were found. She is ready to head back to Anchorage through the tunnel which provides the only way in and out of town when she learns it has been closed by an avalanche and a snowstorm that has already begun. It could be days, weeks, even a month before the tunnel reopens! Her only option is to rent a room in the Davidson Condos, home to the two hundred permanent residents of the town.
Who would want to live in such a claustrophobic situation? Cara soon learns that most of the residents are there because they have something to hide. They are a collection of stragglers, oddballs and recluses but when push comes to shove, they are there for each other.
This debut novel is quite atmospheric, the characters quirky, the Alaskan setting equal parts beautiful and life-endangering, and the mystery to be solved intriguing. There's even a little touch of romance. If you've been to Alaska, you might recognize the actual port of Whittier from where cruise ships often depart in the fictional Point Mettier. Here's hoping this is the beginning of a new series.
April 1, 2025
Had a lot of ingredients to make something for a good book. Turned out to be a dud. I couldn't get interested enough in any of the characters. I should've DNFd it after the first chapter. Must practice DNFing more!
October 8, 2023
This is a well-written, entertaining, mystery novel. It is an engaging police procedural with a unique and unusual setting, likable characters, family drama, a touch of romance, suspense, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrators, Aspen Vincent, Shannon Tyo, and Anna Caputo, are truly talented and do an outstanding job depicting the characters and their personalities.
January 29, 2023
4 stars
Welcome to Point Mettier Alaska, shut off by one tunnel from the rest of the state. A tunnel that in winter is often closed down, either due to snow storms or avalanches. Come winter you are stranded on the Point if the tunnel is closed and the harbor is frozen. To make matters worse all of the 205 town residents live in one high rise building, nick named the Dave-Co, and although it contains all the amenities, a store, a school, a police station, a bowling ally and a couple restaurants, along with extra rooms for rent, there is not a lot for people to do. But most people there are running or hiding from something.
Throughout this novel you will meet a number of the town residents - from Sheriff Sipley, to loony Moose Lady Lonnie, to teenager Amy and her mother, to the visiting and stranded Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy, investigating the human body parts that floated ashore.
This is a debut book and one of the better ones I have read recently. The authors profession as a screenwriter in Hollywood shines through in this novel.
Welcome to Point Mettier Alaska, shut off by one tunnel from the rest of the state. A tunnel that in winter is often closed down, either due to snow storms or avalanches. Come winter you are stranded on the Point if the tunnel is closed and the harbor is frozen. To make matters worse all of the 205 town residents live in one high rise building, nick named the Dave-Co, and although it contains all the amenities, a store, a school, a police station, a bowling ally and a couple restaurants, along with extra rooms for rent, there is not a lot for people to do. But most people there are running or hiding from something.
Throughout this novel you will meet a number of the town residents - from Sheriff Sipley, to loony Moose Lady Lonnie, to teenager Amy and her mother, to the visiting and stranded Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy, investigating the human body parts that floated ashore.
This is a debut book and one of the better ones I have read recently. The authors profession as a screenwriter in Hollywood shines through in this novel.
January 25, 2023
This is a Police Mystery. I really loved the setting of this book. This book took me a little bit to get pulled into the storyline because the beginning was slow to get really going. The beginning slowly built the characters backstories and made the setting come to life. The ending was full of suspense and fast pace. I loved the mystery and the suspense in this book. This was a solid read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Berkley Books) or author (Iris Yamashita) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
November 5, 2022
Review coming soon.
January 8, 2024
A unique setting can be a huge factor in the drawing power of a murder mystery and City Under One Roof has that in spades. The small town of Point Mettier, Alaska junkers down for the winter in a single high rise building to ride out the hostile conditions that Mother Nature throws at them. But it's the body parts washed up in the town's harbour that threatens to make this a winter to forget.
The building has all the amenities you’d get from a normal small town, just cut down and by no means of great quality. It’s a hangover from the days the US military were in the area so it’s well constructed, it’s just that everyone lives cheek by jowl.
In town to investigate the body parts is Cara Kennedy from the Anchorage PD. What she hasn’t revealed to the locals is, she’s actually on disability leave from the force, still getting over the loss of her husband and son. They too went missing with only parts of them found some time later. This is a personal quest rather than an official murder investigation.
The early onset of a winter storm closes the only road tunnel in and out of town. Cara’s stuck, resigned to the fate of living within the walls of the only building in town and battling a nasty bout of claustrophobia.
The thing about Point Mettier is, it’s inhabited by a particular type of year round resident. Many of the 205 or so people have moved to this remote outpost to escape their pasts. Some were victims, but some were not. This makes for a very eclectic band of people and, if there has been a recent murder in the nearby area, quite the assortment of potential suspects.
People hiding secrets, a town police force not particularly equipped for the job, Lonnie the town crazy lady who cares for her pet moose while muttering gibberish all provide points of interest as Cara settles into her enforced captivity. The problem is, hiding her own secrest means there’s a good chance she’ll be found out too.
There’s a great deal going on within the walls of Point Mettier and the close proximity of the inhabitants ensures tensions rise rapidly. There’s danger within and, just to add some extra spice, there’s also danger outside too. This is a well structured mystery with a set of interesting characters and it will appeal strongly to fans of fast-paced police procedurals.
The building has all the amenities you’d get from a normal small town, just cut down and by no means of great quality. It’s a hangover from the days the US military were in the area so it’s well constructed, it’s just that everyone lives cheek by jowl.
In town to investigate the body parts is Cara Kennedy from the Anchorage PD. What she hasn’t revealed to the locals is, she’s actually on disability leave from the force, still getting over the loss of her husband and son. They too went missing with only parts of them found some time later. This is a personal quest rather than an official murder investigation.
The early onset of a winter storm closes the only road tunnel in and out of town. Cara’s stuck, resigned to the fate of living within the walls of the only building in town and battling a nasty bout of claustrophobia.
The thing about Point Mettier is, it’s inhabited by a particular type of year round resident. Many of the 205 or so people have moved to this remote outpost to escape their pasts. Some were victims, but some were not. This makes for a very eclectic band of people and, if there has been a recent murder in the nearby area, quite the assortment of potential suspects.
People hiding secrets, a town police force not particularly equipped for the job, Lonnie the town crazy lady who cares for her pet moose while muttering gibberish all provide points of interest as Cara settles into her enforced captivity. The problem is, hiding her own secrest means there’s a good chance she’ll be found out too.
There’s a great deal going on within the walls of Point Mettier and the close proximity of the inhabitants ensures tensions rise rapidly. There’s danger within and, just to add some extra spice, there’s also danger outside too. This is a well structured mystery with a set of interesting characters and it will appeal strongly to fans of fast-paced police procedurals.
January 15, 2023
It started well enough. An unusual setting-everybody in town lives in the same,and only building-so,a "locked town" mystery,everyone with secrets,the outsider detective with issues of her own.
Unfortunately, about midpoint,the author changes course and introduces gangs, drugs,and rather ridiculous shootouts,which is a pity,because it could have been very good.
Setting aside the plot holes (no one could get out, but people could get in?),the romance angle adds nothing and felt forced,as does the ghost,as does the last sentence, which is obviously leading to a sequel.
I feel bad rating a debut so low,because I appreciate the effort in writing,and admire authors for their craft... but there are so many wonderful debuts out there.
Unfortunately, about midpoint,the author changes course and introduces gangs, drugs,and rather ridiculous shootouts,which is a pity,because it could have been very good.
Setting aside the plot holes (no one could get out, but people could get in?),the romance angle adds nothing and felt forced,as does the ghost,as does the last sentence, which is obviously leading to a sequel.
I feel bad rating a debut so low,because I appreciate the effort in writing,and admire authors for their craft... but there are so many wonderful debuts out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2023
Loved the claustrophobic isolated setting of this lock room thriller. Review to come.
July 18, 2022
Gruesome doings are afoot in the Alaskan town of Point Mettier, closed off from the rest of civilization but far from claustrophobic. Iris Yamashita's CITY UNDER ONE ROOF is packed with intriguing characters and brims with secrets known only to those who live at the very edge of the world.
January 24, 2023
Meh. Not recommended, for reasons I'm all too happy to elaborate on, with spoilers:
I'm not saying every mystery novel needs to follow an Agatha Christie template, but if you're going to write something that's essentially a Christie mystery, you should deviate from that form only if doing so adds value to what you're writing.
One element of Christie's writing was the presence of a detective figure. This person, despite nominally being the main character, can be a bit of a blank slate. You don't need to know where Hercule Poirot comes from to enjoy watching him unravel a mystery. What so many contemporary mystery writers do is provide their detective figures with a Tragic Backstory, which is meant to provide pathos, but all too often fails to do so, because it doesn't inform the character's actions or behavior. If the backstory you're providing doesn't make a difference for how the character behaves, then I don't benefit from reading it.
Another key element of a Christie mystery is the use of red herrings. The cast of characters generally includes multiple people with means and motive to have committed the crime, and the reader is often led to suspect different characters over the course of the narrative before the mystery is solved. This book does not do that, because this book never meaningfully establishes most of the characters with anything but the most general character traits. There's no opportunity to engage with the narrative and the reader is left to passively follow along until the author plods our detective through what happened.
Even leaving aside the book's failings as a Christie-esque, it fails as a modern whodunnit as well. The detective has an 'evidence kit' which she uses multiple times, but she never learns anything useful for her investigation. Another book might have used this as a commentary on the way the CSI effect has led people to expect instant scientific certainty in criminal cases, but here it's just occasionally mentioned that the detective needs to get her crime scene kit before she goes somewhere. At another point she gets into a gunfight with armed assailants which involves multiple people being shot, and we're never told whether they live or die, or whether there will be any legal or professional consequences for her as a cop who provokes a gunfight in the presence of innocent bystanders. If you're writing a modern crime novel, this is something the reader might think about, and it might be doing something with that, rather than ignoring it.
Finally, and maybe the biggest waste of the book, is that the setting is never used in a meaningful way. I picked the book up because the actual town of Whittier, Alaska, where most of the village lives in a single building accessible by a single road, is fascinating. This could have been set in any marginally isolated town anywhere in the world.
Ugh. What a complete swing and miss.
I'm not saying every mystery novel needs to follow an Agatha Christie template, but if you're going to write something that's essentially a Christie mystery, you should deviate from that form only if doing so adds value to what you're writing.
One element of Christie's writing was the presence of a detective figure. This person, despite nominally being the main character, can be a bit of a blank slate. You don't need to know where Hercule Poirot comes from to enjoy watching him unravel a mystery. What so many contemporary mystery writers do is provide their detective figures with a Tragic Backstory, which is meant to provide pathos, but all too often fails to do so, because it doesn't inform the character's actions or behavior. If the backstory you're providing doesn't make a difference for how the character behaves, then I don't benefit from reading it.
Another key element of a Christie mystery is the use of red herrings. The cast of characters generally includes multiple people with means and motive to have committed the crime, and the reader is often led to suspect different characters over the course of the narrative before the mystery is solved. This book does not do that, because this book never meaningfully establishes most of the characters with anything but the most general character traits. There's no opportunity to engage with the narrative and the reader is left to passively follow along until the author plods our detective through what happened.
Even leaving aside the book's failings as a Christie-esque, it fails as a modern whodunnit as well. The detective has an 'evidence kit' which she uses multiple times, but she never learns anything useful for her investigation. Another book might have used this as a commentary on the way the CSI effect has led people to expect instant scientific certainty in criminal cases, but here it's just occasionally mentioned that the detective needs to get her crime scene kit before she goes somewhere. At another point she gets into a gunfight with armed assailants which involves multiple people being shot, and we're never told whether they live or die, or whether there will be any legal or professional consequences for her as a cop who provokes a gunfight in the presence of innocent bystanders. If you're writing a modern crime novel, this is something the reader might think about, and it might be doing something with that, rather than ignoring it.
Finally, and maybe the biggest waste of the book, is that the setting is never used in a meaningful way. I picked the book up because the actual town of Whittier, Alaska, where most of the village lives in a single building accessible by a single road, is fascinating. This could have been set in any marginally isolated town anywhere in the world.
Ugh. What a complete swing and miss.
January 12, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for gifting me an early copy. Below is my honest review.
First, I have to say - I love the cover!
This is the author's debut novel, as most of her writing career has been screenwriting. I'm glad she branched out because I really enjoyed this debut.
The setting was fantastic. I love a good isolated mystery/thriller, and this one definitely was an intriguing locale. It's a tiny town in Alaska. There are multiple buildings, but most of those are closed down, and the people of the town all live in one giant condo building. There are tunnels to outer structures as well. Honestly, it's the perfect setting for a creepy thriller.
The setup was also fantastic - both the introduction of the mystery (body parts scattered on the beach!) and the introduction of the main players.
My only complaint is that the killer's identity became pretty evident, but the way the ending took turn after turn, it's not really a very big complaint!
All in all, I greatly enjoyed this one. Definitely recommended, and will absolutely pick up the sequel when it releases.
First, I have to say - I love the cover!
This is the author's debut novel, as most of her writing career has been screenwriting. I'm glad she branched out because I really enjoyed this debut.
The setting was fantastic. I love a good isolated mystery/thriller, and this one definitely was an intriguing locale. It's a tiny town in Alaska. There are multiple buildings, but most of those are closed down, and the people of the town all live in one giant condo building. There are tunnels to outer structures as well. Honestly, it's the perfect setting for a creepy thriller.
The setup was also fantastic - both the introduction of the mystery (body parts scattered on the beach!) and the introduction of the main players.
My only complaint is that the killer's identity became pretty evident, but the way the ending took turn after turn, it's not really a very big complaint!
All in all, I greatly enjoyed this one. Definitely recommended, and will absolutely pick up the sequel when it releases.
January 12, 2024
I didn't go into this with high expectations, but I was intrigued by the premise: body parts have turned up near an Alaskan town of 200 residents, all of whom live and work in a single building. Still, there a couple of ways this book surprised me.
First, I expected a claustrophobic setting where most or all of the story takes place inside the building. Not so; in fact, much of the story is out-of-towner Detective Cara Kennedy exploring nearby locations, like the harbor where the parts were found. Second, I was pleasantly surprised with the quantity of author Iris Yamashita's character reveals. I was expecting that, of course, but for every person to have a secret? Every single one?? Nobody is just who they seem to be when we meet them, which is some serious extra effort by the writer that I can appreciate.
Was the plot amazingly clever? No. Was it super twisty? Not really. Is it worth reading? Yeah, it would make a good travel/beach read, especially if you're one who prefers characterization over the mystery.
First, I expected a claustrophobic setting where most or all of the story takes place inside the building. Not so; in fact, much of the story is out-of-towner Detective Cara Kennedy exploring nearby locations, like the harbor where the parts were found. Second, I was pleasantly surprised with the quantity of author Iris Yamashita's character reveals. I was expecting that, of course, but for every person to have a secret? Every single one?? Nobody is just who they seem to be when we meet them, which is some serious extra effort by the writer that I can appreciate.
Was the plot amazingly clever? No. Was it super twisty? Not really. Is it worth reading? Yeah, it would make a good travel/beach read, especially if you're one who prefers characterization over the mystery.
September 16, 2023
Did you know that in the heart of Alaska there is a town of approximately 200 residents who are essentially cut off from the rest of the world?
Whittier, Alaska is at the head of the Passage Canal, 58 miles southeast of Anchorage and until the year 2000, the only way into this town was via plane, boat or train. Even with car access through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel now available (2.5 miles long, making it the largest in NA) once an hour, it still remains a remote location 23 years later. Adding to the feeling of ‘cut off’ is the fact that the tunnel is closed at 10pm nightly.
The majority of residents live in a one block apartment building that also houses limited amenities such as a grocery shop, medical center, post office and laundromat.
Debut author, Iris Yamashita has taken this fascinating and unusual city and topography as inspiration for her locked city mystery, City Under One Roof.
Told in three voices, this crime fiction mystery is as unique as it is compelling.Detective Cara Kennedy Is an ‘otter’; an outsider, police investigator who has been called in from Anchorage. Her baggage includes secrets that slowly unfold for the reader - secrets that make her empathetic and bring urgency to the investigation. Amy Lin, 17, is a long-time resident and teenager whose mom runs the local Chinese restaurant, Star Asian Food. Like most teenagers, not only does Amy hide secrets, but she also stumbles on one while at school. The final voice is that of Lonnie Sipely - a mentally disabled, colourful beret wearing, longtime resident who talks in word salads and has a pet moose named Denny. As a result of her disability, nobody pays attention to her. The thing is, Lonnie sees and hears more than she should. Her secrets are valuable.
I loved ‘Moose Lady Lonnie’ ’s character and the fact that there were 3 teenagers spotlighted in this plot. Of all the age groups to live in such a location, I think teenagers would be the most difficult. It was interesting to see things through their eyes. Cara’s contemplation on page 231 also fuelled my thoughts for the past few days. The mystery and misdirection kept me turning pages and the possibility of wandering the sights mentioned in the book kept me interested.
In a recent interview, the author likened coming through the tunnel at Whittier to falling down the rabbit hole in Alice In Wonderland. She suggested that she crafted Cara as Alice, Amy as the white rabbit and Lonnie is the Mad Hatter. I think knowing this will shape how you read the book!
I loved the unpredictable ending that was as good as the introduction and the assurance of a sequel. I can’t wait for Village In The Dark to be released on February 13, 2024.
We are docking in Whittier as I type and I’m so excited to have finished this book so that my explorations today have more meaning. I’ll be leaving this book in the LFL next to the coffee shop, where I know I’ll get the ‘Point Mettier welcome.’
*photos on my Instagram account
Whittier, Alaska is at the head of the Passage Canal, 58 miles southeast of Anchorage and until the year 2000, the only way into this town was via plane, boat or train. Even with car access through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel now available (2.5 miles long, making it the largest in NA) once an hour, it still remains a remote location 23 years later. Adding to the feeling of ‘cut off’ is the fact that the tunnel is closed at 10pm nightly.
The majority of residents live in a one block apartment building that also houses limited amenities such as a grocery shop, medical center, post office and laundromat.
Debut author, Iris Yamashita has taken this fascinating and unusual city and topography as inspiration for her locked city mystery, City Under One Roof.
Told in three voices, this crime fiction mystery is as unique as it is compelling.Detective Cara Kennedy Is an ‘otter’; an outsider, police investigator who has been called in from Anchorage. Her baggage includes secrets that slowly unfold for the reader - secrets that make her empathetic and bring urgency to the investigation. Amy Lin, 17, is a long-time resident and teenager whose mom runs the local Chinese restaurant, Star Asian Food. Like most teenagers, not only does Amy hide secrets, but she also stumbles on one while at school. The final voice is that of Lonnie Sipely - a mentally disabled, colourful beret wearing, longtime resident who talks in word salads and has a pet moose named Denny. As a result of her disability, nobody pays attention to her. The thing is, Lonnie sees and hears more than she should. Her secrets are valuable.
I loved ‘Moose Lady Lonnie’ ’s character and the fact that there were 3 teenagers spotlighted in this plot. Of all the age groups to live in such a location, I think teenagers would be the most difficult. It was interesting to see things through their eyes. Cara’s contemplation on page 231 also fuelled my thoughts for the past few days. The mystery and misdirection kept me turning pages and the possibility of wandering the sights mentioned in the book kept me interested.
In a recent interview, the author likened coming through the tunnel at Whittier to falling down the rabbit hole in Alice In Wonderland. She suggested that she crafted Cara as Alice, Amy as the white rabbit and Lonnie is the Mad Hatter. I think knowing this will shape how you read the book!
I loved the unpredictable ending that was as good as the introduction and the assurance of a sequel. I can’t wait for Village In The Dark to be released on February 13, 2024.
We are docking in Whittier as I type and I’m so excited to have finished this book so that my explorations today have more meaning. I’ll be leaving this book in the LFL next to the coffee shop, where I know I’ll get the ‘Point Mettier welcome.’
*photos on my Instagram account
December 29, 2022
When body parts wash up on shore in a small, isolated Alaskan town, Anchorage detective Cara Kennedy travels there to look into the situation. When the tunnel that is the only entrance/exit to the town is closed due to bad weather, she teams up with the local sheriff and his assistant to investigate. Along the way, she encounters the idiosyncratic residents of the town who all live in the same building “under one roof.” Many of them have reasons they chose to live in such a secluded and harsh place. Aside from what they may be hiding, are they all in danger?
Told from three points of view, this atmospheric tale reflects the claustrophobic feeling from living so close together and traversing the underground tunnels to get any place…not to mention the bitter cold and blizzard conditions. You just might want to wrap up in a cozy blanket when you read this book.
I learned a bit about Alaska, although I didn’t check the accuracy of some of the facts. It took a while to get to the climax and then I thought the denouement left some things not fully resolved. Still it was a solid debut novel by the screen writer Iris Yamashita who wrote Letters from Iwo Jima.
Thanks to #netgalley and #berkeleypublishinggroup for the ARC
Told from three points of view, this atmospheric tale reflects the claustrophobic feeling from living so close together and traversing the underground tunnels to get any place…not to mention the bitter cold and blizzard conditions. You just might want to wrap up in a cozy blanket when you read this book.
I learned a bit about Alaska, although I didn’t check the accuracy of some of the facts. It took a while to get to the climax and then I thought the denouement left some things not fully resolved. Still it was a solid debut novel by the screen writer Iris Yamashita who wrote Letters from Iwo Jima.
Thanks to #netgalley and #berkeleypublishinggroup for the ARC
January 27, 2023
This one is perhaps the most disappointing book I've read so far this month.
Set in a fictional Alaskan town based very much on the real Alaskan town of Whittier, where everybody lives in one building, this could have been a gripping murder mystery. My husband and I both finished this in the last week and, despite having quite different taste in books ordinarily, we felt the same way about this one.
It's the debut novel of a very experienced Hollywood screenwriter, and it's basically a movie in a book, it's been written, I'm certain, with the intention that it will be promptly adapted for the screen. I'm not entirely convinced that it even *works* as a novel.
The writing is really wooden, for a start, *except* for the dialogue, which is faultless. Minor sort-of-spoiler alert... but a romance develops between two characters despite there being *zero* romantic/sexual chemistry conveyed until they are LITERALLY SNOGGING - the snog comes out of nowhere and whilst we are *told* that this has finally broken the tension that had been building between them, the fact that this tension existed was news to both my husband and me when we got to that part of the book.
On the subject of "where did that come from?"... despite being a book basically about gangs infiltrating communities of native Americans and murdering people - there's a bizarre and unnecessary paranormal sub plot that's only revealed in the last chapter - like "WHAT? WHY IS THERE A GHOST?" There is no real hint towards supernatural themes until the end, and it adds nothing to the story. So odd.
Don't get me started on the enormous plot holes! There's a scene in which the protagonists husband, dead for over a year, calls her from a number she doesn't recognise. She isn't dreaming - the number is definitely there on her call log, but when she returns the call, it won't connect. I thought this would take the novel in a whole different direction (a direction I'd have liked) - something akin to Harlan Coben's "Tell No One" - but it was immediately dropped and *NEVER* explained or revisited.
There's also a glaring consistency error (two characters are in a room, but when a third character arrives, one of the characters already in the room has been swapped out for someone else entirely). I don't understand how nobody noticed this before publication. When the Blackmon's apartment is vandalised by Wolf's gang, J.B is going door to door looking for Spence and Troy. Cara surveys the damage at the Blackmon's place with Chief Sipley. However, Amy then arrives, returning to get extra supplies for Spence and Troy, and freezes when she sees Cara standing there.... With J.B.
All in all - don't bother.
Set in a fictional Alaskan town based very much on the real Alaskan town of Whittier, where everybody lives in one building, this could have been a gripping murder mystery. My husband and I both finished this in the last week and, despite having quite different taste in books ordinarily, we felt the same way about this one.
It's the debut novel of a very experienced Hollywood screenwriter, and it's basically a movie in a book, it's been written, I'm certain, with the intention that it will be promptly adapted for the screen. I'm not entirely convinced that it even *works* as a novel.
The writing is really wooden, for a start, *except* for the dialogue, which is faultless. Minor sort-of-spoiler alert... but a romance develops between two characters despite there being *zero* romantic/sexual chemistry conveyed until they are LITERALLY SNOGGING - the snog comes out of nowhere and whilst we are *told* that this has finally broken the tension that had been building between them, the fact that this tension existed was news to both my husband and me when we got to that part of the book.
On the subject of "where did that come from?"... despite being a book basically about gangs infiltrating communities of native Americans and murdering people - there's a bizarre and unnecessary paranormal sub plot that's only revealed in the last chapter - like "WHAT? WHY IS THERE A GHOST?" There is no real hint towards supernatural themes until the end, and it adds nothing to the story. So odd.
Don't get me started on the enormous plot holes! There's a scene in which the protagonists husband, dead for over a year, calls her from a number she doesn't recognise. She isn't dreaming - the number is definitely there on her call log, but when she returns the call, it won't connect. I thought this would take the novel in a whole different direction (a direction I'd have liked) - something akin to Harlan Coben's "Tell No One" - but it was immediately dropped and *NEVER* explained or revisited.
There's also a glaring consistency error (two characters are in a room, but when a third character arrives, one of the characters already in the room has been swapped out for someone else entirely). I don't understand how nobody noticed this before publication. When the Blackmon's apartment is vandalised by Wolf's gang, J.B is going door to door looking for Spence and Troy. Cara surveys the damage at the Blackmon's place with Chief Sipley. However, Amy then arrives, returning to get extra supplies for Spence and Troy, and freezes when she sees Cara standing there.... With J.B.
All in all - don't bother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2022
I love finding new author’s and sharing their debut novels, like Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.
A blizzard in a small town in Alaska. Oh yeah, I am intrigued from the getgo. THEN, add 205 residents that all live in the same highrise. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
A boot with a foot. A hand. Washed up on shore. I have seen TV shows about the body parts that wash ashore in the Northwest. Really creepy and using this topic to get Cara to the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, with her own reasons for wanting to investigate, begins the mystery and danger that is to follow.
I shiver as she drives through the tunnel. It is one way and switches directions every half hour. I felt a bit claustrophic with her. Two and a half miles. I get creeped out in the drive through car wash. LOL
The highrise used to be an army post, with tunnels because of the weather and to keep from being seen. Of course, kids are going to explore and even though I think I would be creeped out, I would have to explore too.
All towns have secrets, but small towns make it much harder to keep them. Everyone knows everyone. They live and breathe in the same space.
The descriptions of the highrise and the people are richly detailed. It made it easy for me to paint pictures in my mind. I love odd characters and City Under One Roof has its fair share. Are they on the run?
I could hear the wind howling, I could feel the icy cold.
Told, mainly, from three characters point of view: Cara, who is a detective from Anchorage, Alasksa, Amy, who is the teenager that found the body parts, and Lonnie, who came to live in the high rise after leaving a mental institution. She is one of the best characters, her and Denny. And Susie, always hanging out in the hallway.
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita has all the elements I look for in a thriller, a fabulous location and the storm is a bonus, great characters, danger, intrigue and mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.
A blizzard in a small town in Alaska. Oh yeah, I am intrigued from the getgo. THEN, add 205 residents that all live in the same highrise. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
A boot with a foot. A hand. Washed up on shore. I have seen TV shows about the body parts that wash ashore in the Northwest. Really creepy and using this topic to get Cara to the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, with her own reasons for wanting to investigate, begins the mystery and danger that is to follow.
I shiver as she drives through the tunnel. It is one way and switches directions every half hour. I felt a bit claustrophic with her. Two and a half miles. I get creeped out in the drive through car wash. LOL
The highrise used to be an army post, with tunnels because of the weather and to keep from being seen. Of course, kids are going to explore and even though I think I would be creeped out, I would have to explore too.
All towns have secrets, but small towns make it much harder to keep them. Everyone knows everyone. They live and breathe in the same space.
The descriptions of the highrise and the people are richly detailed. It made it easy for me to paint pictures in my mind. I love odd characters and City Under One Roof has its fair share. Are they on the run?
I could hear the wind howling, I could feel the icy cold.
Told, mainly, from three characters point of view: Cara, who is a detective from Anchorage, Alasksa, Amy, who is the teenager that found the body parts, and Lonnie, who came to live in the high rise after leaving a mental institution. She is one of the best characters, her and Denny. And Susie, always hanging out in the hallway.
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita has all the elements I look for in a thriller, a fabulous location and the storm is a bonus, great characters, danger, intrigue and mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.
November 30, 2023
If one is pondering a new mystery series to begin, ‘City Under One Roof’ by Iris Yamashita is one to try! I thought it a good beach read. Detective Cara Kennedy, based in Anchorage, Alaska, is drawn to a small Alaskan town with only one access road because of a strange discovery of body parts.
I have copied the book blurb:
”A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.
When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.
After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.
Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?"
My one complaint is that the book does not really give readers much of a feel for or an in-depth atmosphere of the Alaskan environment or its people. I thought the story could take place anywhere in an isolated small town in America’s mountainous regions.
Two and a half stars.
I have copied the book blurb:
”A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.
When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.
After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.
Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?"
My one complaint is that the book does not really give readers much of a feel for or an in-depth atmosphere of the Alaskan environment or its people. I thought the story could take place anywhere in an isolated small town in America’s mountainous regions.
Two and a half stars.
January 12, 2024
An Alaska detective unlocks menacing secrets in a frigid, sinister small town while struggling to recover from a personal tragedy. The discovery of dismembered body parts in remote Point Mettier, brings police detective Cara Kennedy from Anchorage to investigate. The find was made by a teenager, Amy Lin, who spotted the remains while smoking marijuana with some friends in a hidden cove, close to the Salty Pub, the local bar that serves as the main place for town gossip. The town itself takes on a life of its own, becoming a forbidding character in this dark story. The small town is composed of only 205 full-time residents, all of whom live in the Davidson Condos, an industrial complex that can only be accessed by an underground tunnel. The perspective shifts from Cara to Amy and then to paranoid Lonnie, who hears voices and wanders the town in fear that she’ll be locked up again in the Institute. It's the story of these three women, who are all outsiders. It's nicely balanced with the criminal investigation, which proceeds steadily in tantalizing small tidbits. A winter storm furthers the isolation by cutting off all access to the town. Cara is getting herself under control having recently experienced a family tragedy that occasionally undermines her and fills her with self-doubt. It's not a great place to live especially if you are a woman and if you are unwilling to conform to the ideas of the town. The dislike, contempt, and prejudice against women is ingrained so deep in the town’s culture that all three women at times question their perceptions of reality. Several more or less disreputable residents emerge as suspects as riddles large and small add fuel to the mystery on the way to the final solution. I found it to be an offbeat thriller that was hard to follow at times or to understand the ideas of the town itself. The story is at times like that of a locked room mystery. I thought it was interesting when I read that the setting is based on a real town in Alaska. I bet their Chamber of Commerce, if they even have one, loved this story:)
July 30, 2024
"City Under One Roof" by Iris Yamashita is set in the fictional town of Point Mettier, Alaska, which takes inspiration from the town of Whittier but also includes its own twist on the setting. There are additional pedestrian tunnels that are essential for daily life, particularly for the town's children who must walk to school.
The community in this book all live within the Davidson Condos, or as Lily calls it, the Dave-Co. The Dave-Co is the singular structure of the town and has all of the essential amenities such as a post office, a church, an infirmary, a general store where many local and tourist souvenirs are sold, and even a small inn. Shaped by the remnants of a building that has stood since the 1964 earthquake, this structure hosts a life where the winter lasts for eight months and the temperatures will reach as low as 35 below zero, with months of nearly total darkness.
Audiobook Recommendation!
Audiobook version: "City Under One Roof" by Iris Yamashita
Experience Point Mettier through the audiobook of "City Under One Roof." With the real town of Whittier, we get an audiobook that immerses the listener into the chilling atmosphere and the intimate lives of the suspicious inhabitants. If you are looking for a book with a mixture of mystery, community dynamics, and the atmospheric depth of the Alaskan enchantment, this audiobook will take you through frozen landscapes and the hidden truths of an enigmatic town in Alaska.
The community in this book all live within the Davidson Condos, or as Lily calls it, the Dave-Co. The Dave-Co is the singular structure of the town and has all of the essential amenities such as a post office, a church, an infirmary, a general store where many local and tourist souvenirs are sold, and even a small inn. Shaped by the remnants of a building that has stood since the 1964 earthquake, this structure hosts a life where the winter lasts for eight months and the temperatures will reach as low as 35 below zero, with months of nearly total darkness.
Audiobook Recommendation!
Audiobook version: "City Under One Roof" by Iris Yamashita
Experience Point Mettier through the audiobook of "City Under One Roof." With the real town of Whittier, we get an audiobook that immerses the listener into the chilling atmosphere and the intimate lives of the suspicious inhabitants. If you are looking for a book with a mixture of mystery, community dynamics, and the atmospheric depth of the Alaskan enchantment, this audiobook will take you through frozen landscapes and the hidden truths of an enigmatic town in Alaska.
January 14, 2024
I have a thing for Alaska when I knew that City Under One Roof is set there, I just had to read it.
Great premise, great setting, characters were okay but excuation wasn't there. I felt that the main protagonists were running from one place to another and nothing much else happened. It was a pain to read to be honest, the writing wasn't that bad but the plot was stuck.
3 stars, City Under One Roof had potientals but Iris Yamashita needed to work on her plot.
Great premise, great setting, characters were okay but excuation wasn't there. I felt that the main protagonists were running from one place to another and nothing much else happened. It was a pain to read to be honest, the writing wasn't that bad but the plot was stuck.
3 stars, City Under One Roof had potientals but Iris Yamashita needed to work on her plot.
December 13, 2022
If you’re looking for a great thriller to read this winter this would be ideal. It has an isolated and claustrophobic setting where it’s basically always freezing and everyone who lives in the town lives in one building. That was such an unsettling thought for me, I would hate the feeling of being trapped and even more so when there’s body parts popping up. So the atmosphere sucked me in initially but I was soon drawn in by the characters as well. There are several narrators in the story and it did take me a few POV shifts to keep them straight but it wasn’t too bad and each viewpoint was integral to the story. The residents of the town are super kooky and I had my suspicions about everyone and what the hell they were up too but the author was clever and I didn’t have everything totally figured out in the end. Overall I found this to be a suspenseful and engaging read with a unique setting and a solid plot.
March 6, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. This started out as an interesting locked-room type of mystery, with limited characters isolated by a snowstorm and avalanche. But then the author did something I really hate: about 2/3 of the way in, she introduced a new group of characters who were NOT isolated by the storm and could pretty much move around as they wished. I presume she liked her characters so much that she didn’t want any of them to be the bad guys. I had other problems with the story (why was one of the characters seeing ghosts? What did that have to do with the plot? Why did the previously smart police officers suddenly start making stupid decisions in the latter part of the book?). Disappointing. But I did like Denny the moose - too bad he didn’t play a bigger part.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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