MEMPHIS

An aspiring singer struggles to leave her narcissistic, abusive husband in Cormier’s thriller.

Memphis is stuck in 1970s Nashville. She once aspired to be a singer, but ended up in an abusive marriage with a narcissistic addict named Johnny. She has been cowed into submission (“Memphis does as she’s told”) and suffers frequent physical and emotional abuse from Johnny as their young son, Michael watches. Johnny is enabled by Memphis’ mother, Doris, a selfish woman with a shady past and dark ties to Johnny who keeps her daughter under Johnny’s ruthless control. When Memphis learns Johnny has been having an affair, she packs her and Michael’s things and leaves for her cousin Lana’s home in Los Angeles. When Johnny finds out she’s left, he sets out to find her, intent on bringing Michael home and regaining control over Memphis. He trails them all the way to California, where he becomes a violent threat. Unaided by the local police, Memphis must find a way to keep herself and her loved ones safe and somehow achieve her dreams of becoming a singer. Cormier has created a folksy, enthralling story that could have been the subject of a tragic country song; it grows more exciting and complex as the narrative progresses. Multiple perspectives are handled flawlessly—the author deftly uses them to juxtapose the airy freedom of Memphis’ fantasies and aspirations and the darkness of her reality. The characters are all handled with care; none are stereotypical and each gets a chance to explain themselves, whether the reader agrees with them or not. Johnny in particular is portrayed in a complex manner as Cormier touches on his background and conveys how he became such a toxic person, allowing readers to understand him without condoning his actions. The result is a story full of twists, turns, and desperation, delivered with the passion and dedication of an advocate, which elevates the novel above standard thriller/crime fare.

An enthralling and sensitive work of crime fiction.