Book Review: We Begin at the End – Chris Whitaker

‘You can’t save someone that doesn’t want to be saved . . .’
Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer.
Now, he’s been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed.
Duchess Radley, Star’s thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin – and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town.
Murder, revenge, retribution.

How far can we run from the past when the past seems doomed to repeat itself?

My thoughts:

Occasionally you come across a book that does the unexpected and rips your heart out. This book does just that.

Duchess Day Radley, outlaw, sister, broken hearted child; such a compelling and moving protagonist, so young but life has been brutal and happiness will be ripped away from her over and over.

The adults around her are stuck in the past, suffering from events thirty years ago, dragging their guilt and pain around with them.

This whole book is a treat to read but also one that leaves you breathless, the prose is so crisp and precise, a masterclass in imagery and creating in its readers a deep empathy and understanding.

I was kindly gifted a copy of this book with no obligation to review but all opinions remain my own.