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July 2022 Group Read (spoiler thread): The Cumberland Killers by James Aura
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(last edited Jul 01, 2022 04:56AM)
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Jul 01, 2022 04:56AM
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The author says this is an environmental puzzle wrapped in a mystery and indeed it was. I liked the descriptions, the writing and the characters. The mystery was very absorbing although most readers probably would have a pretty good idea about the murderer(s) by two thirds through. The main character and narrator is a reporter and he did indeed sound and act like a news reporter. I liked the cultural references, things that were happening in the 1980's and as for the environmental puzzle, I'll just say it was devastating, and leave it at that.
We have it in the library but I see it is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Walmart through their online sites. I'm sorry, I didn't notice you are in India. I don't know if it is available there or not. I see it is on Ebay, if that helps. Leena wrote: "I can't find this book anywhere."
I thought the environmental angle was delivered with a bang, a literal bang, when they blow up the mountain for the coal. Should have seen it coming, with the hints through the first half of the book with the polluted well water. It was a pretty good mystery but the mountaintop removal description really made the book for me.
I'm sorry you are having trouble finding it. When I nominated it, I assumed it would be available since it is in our library. Leena wrote: "Thansk Margaret, I'll check out ebay."
I really liked the descriptions in the book, a great sense of place: the mountains of eastern Kentucky, and the people. The mystery was well done with an interesting group of suspects, and the grand finale was very rewarding.
I saw they had terrible flooding in the Kentucky mountains, including one of the towns in the book. Made me feel even worse, since the book helped me identify with some of the people in the region.
Yes, saw the Whitesburg flooding. Awful. And it reminded me about one of the subplots in the book, the destruction of the environment, etc.
Just realized Whitesburg, hit so hard in the Kentucky flooding was one of the towns in the story. Wow. I hope the Mountain Eagle newspaper survived!
I also really loved the descriptions. I hated what they were doing to the mountains! I had one issue, I found it a little weird that the two sisters were involved. That was a stretch for me. Otherwise I really liked it.
