Title: Surrender the Dead by John Burley
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
From the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy comes a chilling psychological thriller about a family and community divided by tragedy, and the dark secrets that will set their town aflame.
When Erin Reece left Wolf Point fifteen years ago after graduating high school, she’d planned to never set foot in her childhood hometown again. But an urgent phone call from her father’s doctor leaves Erin with no choice but to return to a place filled with painful memories and wounds that never closed. Two decades ago, people in Wolf Point started disappearing without a trace—including Erin’s mother—and no explanation was ever found.
It’s been years since the last disappearance, but the town is still steeped in suspicion and haunted by the ghosts of the missing. No one is thrilled to see Erin back, including her former best friend, Robbie, who has changed from a spirited, fearless boy to a reclusive shut-in.
Then a body is discovered, buried in a makeshift grave for years . . . on the Reece family’s land. The police reopen their investigation, and the evidence against Erin’s father is damning. After such a long time without answers, the community wants justice. It’s up to Erin to clear her father’s name, but the path to the truth will force her to unearth long-buried secrets and confront a terrible evil. Because in Wolf Point, everyone knows more than they are letting on . .
Review:
Surrender the Dead by John Burley is a thrilling mystery that is quite suspenseful.
After a fifteen year absence, veterinarian Erin Reece returns to her small home town of Wolf Point, Montana. Her father is extremely ill and in between hospital visits, she revisits friends and places from her childhood. Erin is shocked at the changes in town and its residents. When her father falls under the townspeople’s suspicions for the long ago disappearances of several people, will Erin and Lt. Jeff Stutzman catch the killer?
Until the mid nineties, the children of Wolf Point played without supervision or worries about their personal safety. When Erin’s friend, eleven year old Angela Finley vanishes, the town searches for her without any luck. Everyone assumes they will uncover the truth about what happened once the snow melts. Because, of course, her disappearance cannot have anything to do with the adults who have gone missing from their town.
Over the course of three years, several other people from town also vanish without a trace. When Erin and her best friend Robbie Tabaha chafe at the restrictions, her mother Helen relents and drives them to the movies. But after dropping off Erin and Robbie, Helen is never seen again. After months of searching, Erin’s father finally accepts he might never found out the truth. But Erin becomes certain she knows the identity of the person who took her mother. But will the local police take her seriously?
Surrender the Dead is a riveting mystery with an atmospheric setting and intriguing storyline. The characters are well-developed with all too human foibles. The town of Wolf Point is well-developed and springs vividly to life. With flashbacks that take place during the 1990s, John Burley ratchets up the tension until the novel’s action-packed conclusion. An outstanding mystery that I found impossible to put down and highly recommend to fans of the genre.
