September 6, 2021
Colorado librarian Juniper Baker, the protagonist of this lyrical suspense novel from Baart (You Were Always Mine), has complex reasons for returning to rural Jericho, Iowa, which she left 13 years earlier at 19, entrusting her infant daughter, Willa, to be raised by her parents, ostensibly to help an old friend who is dealing with a cancer diagnosis but really so she could escape her demons. Juniper’s brief visits to see Willa over the years have made clear to her how much shared history she has squandered—and that if she hopes to forge anything resembling a real mother-daughter relationship with the 13-year-old, it’s now or never. In addition, there are online rumors that a true crime podcaster plans to reinvestigate the double murder in which her younger brother, Jonathan, became the prime suspect; Juniper hopes by doing some digging herself she can finally figure out what happened. But before Juniper can properly discuss the still unsolved case with him, alarming things begin to happen: her car tires are slashed, and someone poisons Jonathan’s dog. Despite the escalating peril, Juniper forces herself to revisit fraught memories, including those of her heady secret romance with Willa’s father, in search of clues. Baart delivers enough twists not to disappoint as she movingly evokes love and innocence lost. This delayed coming-of-age story will have broad appeal. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller Literary Assoc.
December 10, 2021
Juniper (June) Baker grew up in a small Iowa town that she longed to escape. The summer before college, she begins a secret romance with her best friend's love interest, and her impressions of the town take on a sinister note. The seemingly random harassment of a local couple, Beth and Cal Murphy, escalates to a brutal murder, with June's brother accused of the crime. Then June discovers she is pregnant and gives birth before being whisked off to college as her family takes over raising her daughter. Fifteen years later, June comes home to help a dying friend but also to solve the murders. She learns that someone is working on a podcast of the unsolved crime. Can June assuage her guilt at all that she didn't do and say so many years ago and begin anew with the child she left behind, or are some truths better left buried? Baart (Little Broken Things) is a master storyteller, and the alternating chapters between past and present wonderfully tease out the order of events, helping the reader piece this twisted puzzle together. June's teenage romance is poignant and bittersweet, adding to the feeling of impending doom that saturates the novel. VERDICT A definite purchase for suspense and mystery collections.--Amy Nolan, St. Joseph, MI
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Starred review from December 1, 2021
Juniper Baker didn't think she'd be back in Jericho, Iowa, for a long time, but she knew exactly how she'd feel upon seeing the city limits sign. A pit of dread in her stomach, clammy palms, and an overwhelming sense of unease wouldn't accompany most hometown visits, but most people's hometowns didn't have a grisly cold case. Especially not a cold case with a sibling as a primary suspect. Juniper and Jonathan were close in age and practically joined at the hip growing up, but in their late teens she sensed Jonathan pulling away. And then farming neighbors Cal and Beth Murphy were murdered one hot summer night, and Jonathan and the town are awash in unanswered questions. Years later, with a true crime podcast in the works threatening to expose her brother, Juniper knows she has to uncover the truth in Jericho, even if it means destroying her family. Baart (You Were Always Mine, 2018) lets Juniper's narration jump backwards and forwards in time, allowing readers to witness the events leading up to the murder and the years-later fallout. Packed with intrigue, suspicion, and plot twists, Baart's novel of familial ties, betrayals, and long-overdue confrontations should keep any Paula Hawkins, Mary Kubica, or Janelle Brown fan satisfied.
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