Stack of Spines

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Teri Coyne’s debut novel is not at all what I expected.  If I’d seen the book on the shelf at the store, I would probably not have picked it up.  I preferred the cover art on the pre-sale version over the hardback.   While the novel was a page turner, it was not at all similar to Jodi Picoult, which is what part of the marketing scheme claims.  There was no fundamental moral question but the characters were much more real.  I entered the GoodReads First Reads giveaway because of the first line only.

After a ten-year absence, Alex “Cat” Rucker returns to her Ohio hometown because of a letter left on her mother’s kitchen table—a suicide note, carefully preserved in a Ziploc® bag, that reads:

“He isn’t who you think he is. Love, Mom”

From that moment, I was captivated and could not put the book down.  Most of the time I am more forgiving with authors if I know I am reading their first novel, but that rule need not apply here.  Coyne accurately depicts so many family dynamics from sibling rivalry to abuse and neglect and the heartache it causes.  There is suspense, mystery, drama, incredible sadness and loss, and the undeniable healing power of love.  Alex at first may be a cold and unwelcome character, but she eventually becomes someone you want to reach out and hug.  It is difficult to follow the wrongs of her past and see how in trying to escape them she creates wrongs for her own future and the futures of those around her, but Coyne explains her struggle delicately and without blame.

She also takes care to address the burning questions pertaining to the initial suicide note that was posed and a few others along the way that I won’t spoil. Coyne does it in such a way that it doesn’t feel like you are being told the answers, nor do you feel like she is making an attempt at wrapping up the story.  It flows naturally, which is something that does not always unfold well in novels.

The Last Bridge is on sale today at local stores.  I’ve liked all the pre-release books I’ve read so far, but The Last Bridge is my favorite so far.  The prose is honest and inviting.