The bodies are piling up, the suspects are multiplying, and apparently nobody in this town is safe. So much for small-town charm.
This one snuck up on me!
When Clementine and Oscar receive word that Oscar's best friend, Jack, has been murdered, they immediately leave Australia and return to their original hometown of Roberta on the Lake, Michigan. What should have been a family reunion under happier circumstances becomes a nightmare as the siblings struggle to understand who killed Jack and why. And Jack, as it turns out, is only the beginning.
The night of his funeral, Bart is murdered. Then Jed disappears. Then the substitute high school principal is murdered. And somehow, all roads seem to lead back to the high school Bobby Sox baseball team, where several of these men once played together.
Apparently, high school baseball can leave you with more than fond memories and a few old trophies.
Clementine, or Clem, narrates the story, and I liked her immediately. She's a photographer, she's intelligent, and she's a reliable narrator, which is almost refreshing in a psychological thriller. I didn't have to spend half the book wondering whether she was lying to me, losing her mind, or both. I also liked Oscar, her veterinarian brother. I mean, how can you not trust a vet?
Then there's Sam, the high school principal, whose calm demeanor and effortless authority over his students made him another favorite. Carter, who returned to town shortly before people started dropping like flies, was another character I enjoyed. Gentill does an excellent job developing the blended family and the people surrounding them. They feel like actual human beings rather than cardboard cutouts waiting for their turn to be murdered.
And that brings me to my biggest criticism.
This book starts slowly. Really slowly.
Gentill spends a considerable amount of time introducing the characters, establishing their relationships, and immersing us in the family's history. I appreciate good character development, but at one point I started wondering whether Jack was going to be the only murder victim in this murder mystery. Fortunately, I didn't have to wonder forever.
When Jed disappeared, things started picking up. And when George, another former baseball player, called to say he thought he might be next and then disappeared himself, I was officially hooked.
George claimed he was protecting himself. Okay, fine. But he left behind a wife and a one-year-old child? Without a better explanation? Oh, George. Something is definitely rotten in Roberta on the Lake.
From that point forward, the book became increasingly difficult to put down. The tension continued building, the questions multiplied, and I found myself suspicious of practically everyone.
One of the most unsettling elements of the book is the way each chapter begins with a conversation involving the killer. We don't know who's speaking or who the murderer is, but these little glimpses add another layer of unease to an already disturbing story. I loved that technique. It kept reminding me that someone knew exactly what was happening, even when I hadn't the foggiest idea.
I had absolutely no idea who the killer was. None. Zip. Nada. Gentill completely blindsided me. The clues were there, but they certainly weren't waving little flags and announcing themselves. When the truth finally came out, things fell into place, but that didn't make the revelation any less jaw-dropping. I love a mystery that surprises me without making me feel as though the author simply pulled an answer out of thin air. That's exactly what happened here.
So why four stars instead of five? Pacing. Plain and simple. The final third of this book was riveting, and the payoff was excellent. But I can't ignore the fact that the earlier chapters moved slowly enough that I started getting impatient. All that character development ultimately helped make the mystery work, but I would have appreciated a little more momentum along the way.
Readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries, complicated family relationships, small-town secrets, and carefully constructed twists should find plenty to enjoy here. If you appreciate a slow-burn mystery that rewards your patience with a spectacular final act, this one deserves a spot on your reading list. If you need nonstop action from the first chapter, however, you might find yourself checking your watch during the early going.
As for me? Four solid stars. A slow beginning, an increasingly disturbing mystery, and a final third that made me forget all about the dust bunnies. Well, almost. Those little freeloaders aren't going anywhere.
Content warnings: Murder, violent deaths, missing persons, grief, child abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and family trauma.
I received an advance reader copy of While They All Watched by Sulari Gentill through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
