Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!
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Happy Friday, readers! If you are in the Midwest or Northeast, chances are you got dumped on this week. I’m still digging my way out of eight inches of snow that got dropped on us in Michigan and hunkering down for another round this weekend. All this snow has got me in the mood for a snowed-in kind of read, which is what I have for you today!
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
Cara is a detective with the Anchorage Police Department, but she sets out for the isolated town of Port Mettier, AK, when body parts wash up on the shores of the sound. Her job is just to collect evidence, but she’s got an ulterior motive for this errand — her husband and son disappeared a year earlier and were later found dead, and she wants answers. Port Mettier is only accessible by one road into town or boat, and all of the town’s residents live in the Davidson Condominiums, a large apartment complex abandoned by the military in the ’60s. When a snowstorm strands Cara in Port Mettier, she soon finds that dark secrets lurk in this small town, especially when all its residents live under one roof.
If you want an intriguing mystery with a thought-provoking setup and vibes for days, then this book is it! The setting of Port Mettier is based on a real town in Alaska. Whittier and Yamashita do an excellent job at building a really interesting setting populated with eccentric and interesting characters. Despite how interesting it is and how much it made me want to go there, there is a claustrophobic feeling that permeates the book, which just adds to the tension. The book is mainly told from Cara’s point of view, and she is arguably the protagonist, but we also get interludes from other residents of Port Mettier, all of whom have their own secrets and reasons for living in such a secluded and remote area. (None are from the killer’s perspective, though! I know some readers don’t love that.) Cara’s investigation ties into her own personal anguish, making the stakes higher at every turn, and there are some really riveting and dangerous scenes that underscore the risk people take by living so far away from easy access to hospitals and central communication hubs. While the mystery isn’t the most complex I’ve ever read, the questions raised and the unique setting kept me turning the pages. This book does have a good resolution to the central mystery, but it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger for Cara — so don’t miss the sequel, Village in the Dark, which is out the first week of February!
Happy reading!
Tirzah
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