Niceville

Niceville
by Carsten Stroud

Niceville, a small southern town where things aren't so nice. There's a giant cliff that reaches over the town, and a sink hole that defies science -- so black and too deep to measure. And the black crows that are always gathered. There's a missing boy, and then the boy is back. Or is he? And a daring bank robbery that goes terribly wrong. There's Nick, the cop; his wife Kate, the attorney; Dillon Walker, her dad and history prof at VMI who was researching 80 years of stranger abductions in Niceville; Glynis Ruelle and her sister Clara Mercer; Abel Teague, a rake; and a mysterious mirror -- that feels warm as blood; and a long-standing feud between the four founding families of Niceville that reaches from the past. Everything intersects. A well-written, quick read even at 383 pages. The plot moves along quickly and is full of interesting characters. Each chapter has a one-line title that gives a hint as to its contents -- sometimes tongue-in-cheek or understated and makes you chuckle ("Bock Gets More Consequences Than He Can Handle"). This is a supernatural story, a thriller, and a crime story rolled into one. Caution: some of the characters are not so nice so there will be language to match. All the threads were not as neatly tied up as this reader would have preferred but overall an excellent read. -- recommended by Charlotte K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Niceville web site from Carsten Stroud ]

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