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If you’re a fan of crime thrillers, you’re in for a wild ride with this one!
“The truth is never as dangerous as a lie in the long run. I truly believe the truth sets us free.”
The book is set in the small town of Twin Falls, where a brutal murder of a fourteen-year-old teenage girl Leena Rai under the Devil’s bridge, shocks the whole community. They used to believe nothing wrong can happen in Twin Falls but after the murder of Leena Rai and the horrifying revelations following that, all of their lives are changed. Following the investigations, Clayton Pelley, the guidance counselor at the only high school in Twin Falls is arrested for the assault and murder of Leena Rai. Why he killed her has always been a mystery.
Twenty-four years later, Trinity Scott, a true-crime podcaster dug up this case for her podcast, It’s Criminal. She interviews the killer, interacts with the detectives including, Rachel Walczak, and people involved in this case. Soon her podcast starts to gain popularity and with each of Clayton’s teasing reveals one thing is clear: he’s not the only one in Twin Falls with a secret.
Damn. What a page turner this book was!
Trigger warning: Bullying, sexual assualt and rape mentions. Please be careful, if you’re triggered by any of these.
Plot: Inspired by a true crime, this one had me fully engrossed. It was such a well-written book. Jumping between the multiple points of view and timelines had me so hooked. Loreth White managed to write such a gripping story, covering a gruesome, disturbing and unforgettable crime.
What I loved about the plot is that even when there was a new addition, or a character was introduced in the play and new revelations were made, I never felt confused by their storyline and it did not feel lacking. It all felt connected in some way. I was satisfied with the way it was written. As a thriller fan, this was an awesome feeling. It gave me time from the beginning, to start suspecting the killer. I almost suspected every one of them. The author provides such valid clues for each of them that you have to be attentive. And I actually did predict the most important clue, due to a quote in the beginning of the book. That is when I got an idea of how it could have it happened.
“If it takes a village to raise a child, does it also take a village to kill one?”
(if you know, you know👀)
There was so much going on in the story, trying to figure out who the killer was, who was telling the truth, who was lying, and what everyone was hiding. And despite all my guessing, the author still managed to surprise me with a plot twist toward the end.
This was truly a horrifying, well-paced, and thrilling ride. Woof.
I also appreciated the little details woven throughout the story, clues that could have easily been missed but turned out to be significant. The post-mortem and autopsy scenes in the forensic lab were especially disturbing and chilling to read.
There was also a lot happening in terms of the characters’ relationships, especially with their parents. While it wasn’t my favorite part, it added an emotional layer to the story.
What stood out the most, though, were the depictions of bullying, sexual assault, and rape. These parts were deeply disturbing and heartbreaking. At its core, this is the story of a girl, Leena Rai, who desperately wanted to fit in with her peers, even willing to go to extremes, yet was still treated as an outcast. Her story highlights how bullying can destroy someone’s mental health and their entire life.
“The truth . . . sets you free.” His breathing changes. He struggles to get his next words out. “It’s . . . the secrets that fester. You . . . think you’ve buried them, gotten rid of them somehow, but they’re like this damned cancer. The minute you’re down, the second you grow tired, it starts to grow again, and it catches up with you.”
The ending was unnecessarily stretched for chapters long, when they could have just exposed the killer. And that’s what I didn’t like, the identity of the killer. That’s why I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5. The killer did not have a strong motive or a personal animosity for carrying out such a barbaric crime. It was an important point, because throughout the entire book, only one question kept coming up: Why? Why, Leena? What was the reason? And in my opinion, it was never clearly answered.
Characters: Trinity Scott was perfect as the young and ambitious girl wanting to taste success with her new true-crime podcast. I totally loved the way she chased the truth and handled the unmasking of it. She played a huge part in the story.
Rachel, the retired detective who, along with her fellow officers, put Pelley behind bars twenty-four years ago, was a solid character but not my favorite. She was brave, yet struggling to come to terms with her own truth. She also had a role to play in this crime though in a way you come to understand as the story unfolds.
Overall, four stars for this horrifyingly disturbing intense crime thriller.
I loved reading every second of it. You can pick this up as your next read if you like reading an unputdownable true-crime thriller!