Long Bright River
“This was the secret I learned that day: none of them want to be saved. They all want to sink backward toward the earth again, to be swallowed by the ground, to keep sleeping. There is hatred on their faces when they are roused from the dead.”
Synopsis: Mickey and Kasey are two sisters living in Philadelphia, but walking two different paths. Mickey is police officer patrolling the streets at night and Kasey is a drug addict looking for her next fix. Kasey mysteriously disappears right around the time of a string of murders and Mickey becomes obsessed with finding the murderer and her sister. The story alternates between their childhood and present day and each parts are equally riveting and shocking. Yes, this is a thriller, but it’s also much deeper than that
Nicholette’s Review: I didn’t really think that this was going to be the book for me, but I was wrong! It is a well written mystery, but SPOILER ALERT, it’s not really a mystery story. I mean it is superficially a mystery story, but at it’s core it is a family drama about the the ripple effect that opioid addiction has on a family, and a community. Kasey and Mickey are believable, flawed characters with a heartbreaking history. Raised by their grandmother after the overdose death of their mother, they go from inseparable, to not speaking at all, but their bond remains. A tenuous bond at times, but love endures. The topic is timely given our opioid epidemic, and while sad at times, I found it ultimately hopeful. I liked the fact that the writing in this book was so good it could make me truly enjoy a genre type fiction that I normally wouldn’t go for.
Rating: 4/5
Corey’s Review: Wow! I don’t even know where to begin with this one. It really has so many layers. It starts off as a murder mystery, but it turns into so much more that that. It is about family, loss, addiction and coping with whatever life throws at you. There are so many twists and turns in this book it will keep you engaged all the way until the end. It has always been interesting to me that two people who grow up under similar circumstances could be so different and choose such opposite ways of life. We read this in our book club and everyone loved it. It really has something for everyone. One thing that stuck out to me was the lack of quotation marks. It was obviously done on purpose, I just couldn’t figure that piece out.
Rating: 4/5
Menu: Philly= Philly cheese steaks of course! We have one non beef eater in our book club so we had to improvise and use chicken. I know- that is a big no-no, so I have included an easy traditional recipe below. This recipe comes from a food blogger Natasha’s Kitchen.
Ingredients
1 lb Ribeye steak trimmed and thinly sliced*
1/2 tsp Sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp Black pepper or to taste
1 sweet onion (large), diced
8 slices provolone cheese mild (not aged provolone)
4 Hoagie Rolls sliced 3/4 through
2 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
1 garlic clove pressed
2-4 Tbsp mayonnaise or to taste
Method:
Slice hoagie rolls 3/4 of the way through with a serrated knife. Dice onions and thinly slice beef.*
In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp softened butter with 1 pressed garlic clove. Spread garlic butter onto the cut sides of 4 hoagie roll. Toast the buns on a large skillet, flat cooktop or griddle on medium heat until golden brown then set aside.
Add 1 Tbsp oil to your pan/cooktop and sautee diced onions until caramelized then transfer to a bowl.
Increase to high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Spread the super thinly sliced steak in an even layer. Let brown for a couple of minutes undisturbed then flip and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Sautee until steak is fully cooked through then stir in the caramelized onions.
Divide into 4 even portions and top each with 2 slices of cheese and turn off the heat so the cheese will melt without overcooking the meat.
Spread a thin layer of mayo on the toasted side of each roll. Working with one portion at a time, place a toasted bun over each portion and use a spatula to scrape the cheesy beef into your bun as you flip it over. Serve warm.
