Long Bright River

 

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

Fiction

2020

Finished on June 14, 2026

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Two sisters travel the same streets, though their lives couldn't be more different. Then, one of them goes missing.

In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don't speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling.

Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey's district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit--and her sister--before it's too late.

Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters' childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.

Having read and enjoyed Liz Moore's recent mystery, The God of the Woods, I was excited to pick up Long Bright River. There is something about a great mystery that pulls you in from the opening lines. The pacing is taut, the dialogue engaging, and the pages flew, keeping me reading late into the night. Long Bright River is a few pages longer than my previous read (The House of Special Purpose), but it took half the time to finish reading. I looked forward to returning to Philadelphia, eager to find out what was going on with Kacey, as well as Mickey and her young son, Thomas. I've never been to Philadelphia, but Moore writes as if she knows every street and neighborhood, specifically that of Kensington. There are a few red herrings, and a twist that I never saw coming. As I read, I found myself thinking back to Dennis Lehane's excellent mystery, Small Mercies. Coincidentally, Lehane has blurbed Long Bright River. I concur!

"Long Bright River is a remarkable, profoundly moving novel about the ties that bind and the irrevocable wounds of childhood. A riveting mystery...I loved every page." —Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author 

Long Bright River is not simply a mystery, but also a story about what makes a family, as well as a harsh examination of the opioid crisis.

Highly recommend.

 

The House of Special Purpose

 

The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne

Fiction

2009

Finished on June 5, 2026

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

From the author of The Absolutist, a propulsive novel of the Russian Revolution and the fate of the Romanovs.

 

Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign.

Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past—a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the czar, in the early twentieth century—a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose.

I bought The House of Special Purpose at Parnassus Books four years ago while visiting my daughter and son-in-law in Tennessee. I always make an effort to buy at least one or two books from an independent bookstore while traveling, and having read a few of Boyne's novels, this one caught my eye. Not wanting it to languish on my shelves much longer, I decided it would be one to read this summer, as I love a hefty book to sink into during the longer days. 

Spanning seventy years, separated by past and present, and clocking in at almost 500 pages, this one took me two weeks to read. At times I was thoroughly engrossed in the lives of Georgy and Zoya, but there were also moments when I grew impatient with the details, silently complaining about the drawn out length of the tale.

Ever the critic, I found one irritating error, which the editor should have caught. Boyne's main character, Georgy, has received birthday gifts from his wife and one-year-old daughter. Little Arina later asks, "Father," she said, sounding so serious now, the way she always did when she had a question she considered to be of the highest importance. "Whose present is the best, mine or Mother's?" Either Georgy has an exceptionally bright toddler or her age was misstated earlier in the chapter. 

I have now read five of John Boyne's novels, and while The House of Special Purpose was worthwhile, it's not one that I'd like to read again. Having said that, I would like to read more about that period in Russian history. I might give The Romanov Sisters (Helen Rappaport) a read later this year. If anyone has any other recommendations, please let me know.

My Reviews of John Boyne's Novels:

The Absolutist (5/5)

A Ladder to the Sky (4.5/5)

The Heart's Invisible Furies (4.5/5)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2/5)

A Month in Summary - May 2026

Port Townsend, Washington

May 2026

What a fun month! We celebrated my husband's 74th birthday, and my mom's 93rd. No photos, but we went out for a nice dinner. And there was cake (twice), too. My mom has been doing her PT for her hip, and her recovery has gone very well. So well that Rod and I decided to take an RV trip up to Port Townsend and the surrounding areas. Two of my brothers came to visit my mom while we were away, tag-teaming their time so she wasn't alone for too many days. Rod and I enjoyed our R&R, reading, walking, sitting in the sun, etc. Our good friends joined us in Nehalem for the last three nights, which was also fun. The weather cooperated for the most part, especially in Port Townsend, which made for enjoyable walks into town, as well as watching two eagles and a half dozen blue heron fishing on the spit. I even spotted a otter scampering down the sidewalk in front of our RV! He looked like he knew exactly where he was going.

You would have thought I'd get a lot of reading in, but I gave up on two books, and only finished one while on our trip. I'm about a quarter of the way in on my current read, and while I'm enjoying it, it's taken me over a week to read 150 pages. I'm hoping to make more progress today between folding laundry. I did manage to get a lot of reading in before our trip, and finished six books for the month. My favorite was Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, which is excellent!

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5/5)

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay (3/5)

Wreck by Catherine Newman (4/5)

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (4/5)

Heart the Lover by Lily King (4/5)

Clear by Carys Davies (3.5/5)

Gave up on:

The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor

Movies & TV Series:

Remarkably Bright Creatures - This is the rare case in which the movie is better than the book. My husband and I both got choked up at the ending.

The Nordic Murders - Meh. Not great, but not terrible. Not sure if we'll watch any more of this series.

Ted Lasso (Season One) - I know I'm late to the party, but I'm so glad I decided to give this another try. We watched the first episode several years ago and weren't impressed. This past month, I watched the first season by myself and loved it. Lots of laughing out loud, which is always great. 

Detective Hole (Season One) - I  haven't read any of Nesbo's books, but this series was quite good. Very gritty and dark, but very good. 

Travel:

Nehalem Bay State Park, OR

Quinault River, WA

Point Hudson, Port Hudson, WA

Quinault River, WA

Neahkahnie Mountain

(looking toward Manzanita, OR)