Shallow End

Jane Thompson has just been released from prison, for a crime she didn't commit.  Just a month after her release the body of a teenage Devon was found and Jane is the prime suspect because he accused her of having a relationship with him when he was 12.  Detectives work hard to find who the killers of this boy are when everyone else is determined to believe Jane is culprit.  When things seem to be at a dead end they discover information that will not only solve this case, but prove Jane's innocence all along, including her innocence for the crime she served for.  Will the detectives be able to put together all the pieces and close this wild goose chase of a case?  Or will the killer walk away free?


I had the honor of receiving this book from the publisher/author through netgallery, and I couldn't have been more excited to read it.


The book setting is constant dark and dreary, there is always the sense that it could be raining or about to rain which adds to the atmosphere of the story.  We see a broken woman trying to piece her life together only to be accused of a crime once again and the need to prove her innocence.  The end was incredibly surprising that my jaw just dropped when I read it.  Chapman created such a suspenseful novel that I cannot wait to read more from her.


The beginning felt like I had read or heard the story before, probably because I just finished watching a TV show that had a storyline along the same lines.  But Brenda Chapman then takes that story and twists it into something completely unique and original.  She built suspense through the whole book that I couldn't wait to find out who the killer was, I thought I had it figured out by I was way wrong.  I love when books lead you to think one thing and then turns it completely in a different direction.

The characters were beyond complex and developed.   My heart went out to Rouleau, Gundersund, and Stonechild as they each had something I was able to relate to happening in their own lives.  Things they could not overlook, but at the same time had to put on the back-burner because of the investigation.  There were some things I wanted more of such as Stonechild's niece Dawn and the idea that someone was in Stonechild's home when she wasn't there.  Maybe her finding a glass left out or a plate in the sink.  Something to heighten that thrill.


I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good mystery thriller.  I give this a resounding 4 out of 5 mainly because it was slow to start, but it does really begin to pick up with the investigation.