Long Bright River (Moore) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
"Satisfyingly, the characters’ interior lives are as important as the mysteries that propel the action (10 Books to Watch for January].
New York Times


[E]xtraordinary…. [T]he mundane has been made menacing…. Moore is an astute social observer. Her depictions of Mickey’s isolation are sharp-eyed to the point of pain…. Moore is every bit as deft in constructing suspense… nervously twists, turns and subverts readers’ expectations till its very last pages. Simultaneously, it also manages to grow into something else: a sweeping, elegiac novel about a blighted city. As Chandler did for various sections of Los Angeles, Moore—who lives in Philadelphia—excavates Kensington and surrounding areas in Philadelphia, illuminating the rot, the shiny facades of gentrification and the sturdy endurance of small pockets of community life.
Maureen Corrigan - Washington Post


[A] novel 10 years in the making that bears witness to the author’s extensive research and first-hand experience of the lives of those who fall through the cracks… is being marketed as a thriller, but, as with the best crime novels, its scope defies the constraints of genre; it is family drama, history and social commentary wrapped up in the compelling format of a police procedural…. [A]lthough the tropes are familiar to the point of cliche, the result feels startlingly fresh.… At the heart of the novel are questions about moral responsibility, and what it means to be honourable. It’s also an exploration of the vulnerability and strength of women. Moore—who volunteers with women’s groups in the area—has created a memorable portrait of the devastation created by poverty and addiction, and the compassion and courage that can rise to meet it.
Guardian (UK)


Deftly plotted with strong, vivid characters, Liz Moore’s outstanding Long Bright River works as solid crime fiction and an intense family thriller.… Moore skillfully explores the sisters' bond from their closeness during their toxic upbringing to the decay of their relationship that seems almost irreparable…. The clever plot and involving characters of Long Bright River set a high standard for this new year.
Associated Press


[E]ectrifying…. In taut, propulsive sentences, Moore draws on the police procedural in conjuring a community on the brink while exploring tensions between two sisters on either side of the thin blue line.… Moore navigates assuredly through plot twists and big reveals… equal parts literary and thrilling—a compassionate, multidimensional look at an epidemic that surrounds us.… it’s got all the ingredients that make for an unputdownable mystery, but it’s got something more, a narrator who leads you into unexpected places, and keeps surprising you until the end.
Oprah Magazine


Moore weaves a police procedural and a family drama into a captivating novel.… Mickey’s personal journey [which] runs parallel to her pursuit is smartly crafted. Filled with strong characters and a layered plot, this will please fans of both genre and literary fiction.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review) In her fourth novel, Rome Prize–winning author Moore blends the reality of today’s deadly opioid crisis with a complicated family dynamic to create an intense mystery with stunning twists and turns. Impossible to put down, impossible to forget. —Beth Anderson, formerly of Ann Arbor Dist. Library
Library Journal


(Starred review) One of the pleasures of this deeply moving, absolutely page-turning novel is the way Moore…slowly peels back layer after layer, revealing the old-boy’s network in the Philadelphia police force…. Give this to readers who like character-driven crime novels with a strong sense of place.
Booklist


A young Philadelphia policewoman searches for her addicted sister on the streets.… The pace is frustratingly slow…, then picks up…toward the end…. With its flat, staccato tone and mournful mood, it's almost as if the book itself were suffering from depression.
Kirkus Reviews