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On the day her suburban neighbor Celia was murdered, Dana Catrell was the last known person to see her alive. Did she kill Celia, wonders Dana? Deep in the throes of her bipolar condition and on a day when both she and Celia had been drinking too much sangria, Dana's memories remain foggy. What she can recall of that day, however, is an argument over a photo of Dana's husband and another woman that Celia was so determined to share with her.
Solving this murder, however, may not be as straightforward as it seems. While it would be easy to suspect that Dana had the motive (kill the messenger) and opportunity to kill Celia, there are at least a few other people who have motives as well, one of them being Dana's own husband.
As Dana attempts to use her sleuthing skills to try and piece together what happened, all while her bipolar mania is intensifying, the detective assigned to the murder investigation is feeling pressure to solve the case quickly, so as to advance the career of an attractive woman in the prosecutor's office. Adding to this intense situation are the ghosts from Detective Jack Moss's own life, including a recently failed second marriage and a wayward, distant son.
Just as fascinating as the whodunit and why of this debut novel by Susan Crawford is Dana's ever-changing condition. The author captures the highs and lows of her bipolar disorder very well, and uses them to propel the storyline forward. It's a fascinating character study of a woman trying to keep a grip on her life when faced with an extremely tense situation. The not-knowing haunts both Dana and the book's readers, who will identify with the character, however different their own lives may be.
This is a well written, fascinating portrait of a woman on the edge of madness, facing down a situation that could mean life or death for her, in more ways than one. Surely Susan Crawford will have a
long career ahead of her if she can bring the force of her writing skills (as evidenced in this novel) to her future books.
§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, April 2015
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