Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Long Bright River
by Liz Moore
Mystery | Thriller
482 Pages
Released January 2020
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I’m not sure what inspired me to pick up Long Bright River by Liz Moore but I’m so glad I did!
This book follows Mickey, a single-parent and police officer who made something of herself despite her difficult upbringing. Her sister Kacey, unfortunately, took a different path - ending in the throes of addiction. Mickey does her best to look out for her sister despite her poor choices but when Kacey suddenly disappears, Mickey throws herself into the investigation. At the same time, their city is suddenly plagued by a series of murders targeting drug-addicted women. Micky is now in a race against time to find her sister before it’s too late.
I instantly found the writing very accessible. It’s written in this sort of train-of-thought style that made the book fly by despite it’s nearly 500 pages. The characters are flawed and beautifully written, they felt realistic - like I could be reading the thoughts of my neighbor or a stranger passing by. I don’t have much experience in the ways of addiction (thankfully not something I’ve encountered often in my life) but I appreciate the way Moore writes on this subject - with exceeding compassion. I also love the way pieces of the mystery surrounding Kacey’s disappearance unfolded over the course of the book, it gave the characters a lot of dimension. The pacing was fantastic, just enough tension and revelations to keep the story moving forward. It touches gently on a number of other difficult subjects as well (which I won’t divulge due to potential spoilers). Overall, this book was a difficult but immersive read and I look forward to reading more of Moore’s works.