We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker – Book Review

PUBLISHERS BLURB 

You can’t save someone that doesn’t want to be saved . . .’

For some people, trouble just finds them.

Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer. 

Now, he’s been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed.

Duchess Radley, Star’s thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin – and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town. 

Murder, revenge, retribution.

How far can we run from the past when the past seems doomed to repeat itself?

MY REVIEW 

30 years ago, 5 year old Sissy Radley died. A 15 year old boy, Vincent King was convicted of being responsible for her death.

King has just been released from jail and has returned home to the small town of Cape Haven.

We Begin At The End is a tale set in a small American town, where everyone knows each other’s business. There is a marvellous mix of characters, Chief Walker, a police officer addicted to pills, Star, Sissy’s sister, who is a mess of drink and men, and young Duchess, 13 years old and parent to her little brother and carer to her mother, Star. Duchess is a little obsessed with an old outlaw ancestor and she is as unpredictable as he was, but also she will protect her family at all costs.

This captures the claustrophobia of a small town, it shows people at their best, their worst and their most low. It is a thriller with an emotional heart.

Beautifully written in a way that reminded me of the writing of Harper Lee and John Steinbeck, it’s about the characters and their lives. Heart rending, utterly compelling and unforgettable, a must read.

Thank you to Tracy and Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour,  for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/3aNxI4X

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Chris Whitaker was born in London and spent ten years working as a financial trader in the city. 

His debut novel, Tall Oaks, won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger. 

Chris’s second novel, All The Wicked Girls, was published in August 2017. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two young sons. 

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