An exciting work of survival fiction with strong female characters.
Moore presents a novel about two sisters who must face their shared trauma after dangerous circumstances reunite them.
Red Nelson, the lead singer of the rock band Sleek, is on the run after finding her manager and ex-husband, Vern, unconscious backstage at a North Carolina show. His attacker tried to hurt her, as well, but she was able to get away. It appears that her old boyfriend Billy Cotton was behind the incident, so she steals Vern’s plane to get as far away as possible. She travels near the Adirondacks, where her long-estranged half sister, Kate, lives. However, Red’s piloting skill fails her, and she crashes in Panther Gorge. Injured, isolated, and desperate, she texts Kate’s 22-year-old daughter, Molly, who’s also not getting along with her mother. Molly rescues Red and houses her in a cabin on Kate’s property. As she begins to heal, she confronts her history of tumultuous relationships. On the other side of the sizable property, Kate is also struggling. She’s a keen pilot, as well, but because she’s had a series of severe blackouts recently, she’s been barred from flying. She also happens to be a member of a local search-and-rescue team investigating the recent plane crash at Panther Gorge. Before long, a media frenzy builds around Red’s sudden disappearance, as she’s a suspect in the attack; Billy also appears, just released from prison. The sisters must make tough choices—between fighting and fleeing and between self-preservation and forgiveness—to protect their family and clear Red’s name. Moore’s engaging offering not only gets across the ruggedness of the Adirondacks setting, with its “jagged cliffs and craggy trees,” but also presents a touching tale of siblings. The author ably brings her characters to life; each woman is flawed and vulnerable, which makes them feel realistic and relatable. Red is shown to be shortsighted in many of her decisions, and Kate is depicted as using steadfastness and regimentation as emotional armor. The sisters complement each other and form a strong bond; together, they forge a believable path forward.
An exciting work of survival fiction with strong female characters.Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9798987531709
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Riverbed Press
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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