After only a few chapters of this book, one thought came to the forefront of my mind: I cannot imagine how any human can come up with a plot this complex - devious, even - especially when it's so doggone easy to read and (though I detest the word) unputdownable.
Basically, the story follows the adventures (or perhaps more accurately, misadventures) of three adults: Carla, Reed and Liz. Carla, who is desperately trying to make something of her life by opening a restaurant in small-town Locksbury, Pennsylvania, is a single mom to son Billy. The boy is her pride and joy, but he stutters and has some social anxiety issues - plus he's had a whopping secret for about a year he's just shared with his mother.
Reed, from the same small town, is mildly autistic; he lives with his brother, Gregg, and until she recently died, their mother. His goal in life at this point is to rectify a wrong that happened when his mother was interred in a mausoleum in the local cemetery.
Third is Liz, sort of a third-rate bar singer/songwriter who's even more desperate than Carla. But just as she gets a chance at the big-time, her sleazy boyfriend gets her involved with - and seriously indebted to - an ex-con who won't rest (or let her leave town) till she repays the money he claims they owe him.
Their trials and tribulations are described in great detail, making me wonder at times if things could possibly go any more wrong and eliciting a chuckle now and again. I truly wish I could say more, but anything else would take away the fun of reading about it for yourself and learning how it all ends. And read it you should - it's really well done. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me a few hours of pure delight by way of a pre-release copy.
What About the Bodies by Ken Jaworowski (Atlantic Crime, September 2025); 282 pp.
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