THE HEIGHTS

4 stars out of 5

Imagine for a moment that you look up at a rooftop terrace and see a man you've hated with a passion for years - a man responsible for a horrific crime that devastated your family. Then imagine you can't believe your eyes; he's been dead for something like two years. And you know that because you killed him.

How's that for a zingy opener? Of course, if that were all there is to the story, there wouldn't be much need for a book. In fact, there's much more; chapters weave in and out of different time frames in the lives of Ellen Saint, whose almost college-age son Lucas lost his life in an auto accident that involved the aforesaid man (Kieran Watts) on the rooftop. Since then, she and Lucas's father, Vic, have separated, although they're still in contact (in large part through shared grief). Now, she's married to Justin, who has a teenage daughter Freya who lives with them. 

For the most part, Justin has adopted the role of sympathetic spouse and Vic has tried to get on with his life; Ellen - always a protective mother, to say the least - wants no part of moving on. She wallows in sorrow and blame, gaining some solace when Kieran went to jail for his part in Lucas's death. But that was before he was released; after that, Ellen's angst and vitriol toward Kieran approaches an entirely new level (which, for the record, was a big turn-off for me).

Readers know from the start how her bitterness translated into action, so needless to say, seeing the man she's sure is Kieran comes as a shock. The rest of the book follows her resolve to take matters into her own hands and looks back at where she is now and how she got there. I must say I wasn't thrilled with the ending, although I think that's in part because I was less than thrilled with Ellen's character. That said, it's an engaging story that made for good reading on a couple of snowed-in days. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a prerelease copy.

The Heights by Louise Candlish (Atria Books, March 2022); 413 pp.

THE OTHER PASSENGER

4 stars out of 5

This is my first book by this author, and it certainly won't be my last. It kept me swiping through Kindle pages from beginning to end, with twists (some predictable, others not) at just about every flip. At the heart of the story are four characters: unmarried partners Jamie and Clare and Christopher ("Kit") and Melia. The first two live in a sumptuous home owned by Clare, who's also the primary breadwinner. The second couple are ensconced in somewhat of a dump, heavily in debt and nearly living hand-to-mouth. 
 

Jamie works in a coffee shop, commuting back and forth each weekday day on a ferry boat. One day he meets Kit there, they strike up a conversation and soon a friendship. Meantime, Melia joins the realty firm at which Clare works, and a similar friendship is born. When they discover that they don't live that far from each other, the friendship blossoms and spreads to after-work hours.

But one not-so-fine morning, Kit isn't on the ferry; Melia, sick with worry, calls Jamie, Clare and the police to report him missing. That anything bad happened to Kit is, to Jamie, unfathomable; after all, Kit rode the ferry with Jamie the previous night. But the next night, as Jamie debarks for the walk home, he's greeted by two police officers; he was, they tell him, the last person to see Kit alive - and what's more, a passenger on that same ride insists that Jamie had a reason to kill his so-called friend.

Chapters switch in time from Jamie and Kit's first meeting to the present - roughly spanning a year. Readers see what each character is thinking, how he or she is coping and what really happened that led up to Kit's sudden disappearance. Throughout it all, Jamie, who swears innocence, keeps trying to find out the identity of the ferry "snitch" - the mysterious other passenger. On the surface, it's just another puzzle the police need to solve. But my advice to readers? Don't get complacent (or, put another way, keep in mind that people and recollections aren't always what they seem).

All told, this is a very entertaining and well written book. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish (Atria Books, July 2021); 396 pp.