“Let’s face it, a lot of times love doesn’t work out. Yet even when it fails, it connects you to others and, in the end, that is all you have, the connections.“ – Delia Owens

I am not usually one for murder mysteries. The only murder mysteries I’ve enjoyed over the years have been a handful of Agatha Christie novels. It’s a tall order, but Owens blows Christie out of the water with Where the Crawdads Sing, and it has quickly climbed to the top of my “Best Books of All Time” list. This is a must-read.

The novel is practically a song. Its rhythm and poetic prose are so fluid, you could put a beat to it and dance. The detailed and colorful descriptions of the marsh scene are beautiful enough to impress Steinbeck. I easily could have hunkered down and ignored my family for ten hours to read this in one sitting. I forced myself to stretch this read over the course of three days so that I could savor it.

The story follows a girl, Kya, abandoned by her entire family at a young age, which left me bawling my eyes out by page twelve. She lives in the marshes of low country, spends only one day in school, and over the years, her secretive and introverted behavior earns her the nickname “The Marsh Girl.” Though content in her routine, even “The Marsh Girl” desires love and connections.

It opens with a flash-forward peek into a small town murder. As the story progresses, Kya’s life and this mysterious murder intertwine leaving the reader in the middle of a heated court case. As with most murder mysteries, the “who done it” doesn’t come until the very end and it will shock you. Truly, and utterly, shock you. Sorry, no spoilers here, you’ll just have to grab a copy.

This book earns a 5/5 rating from me. I’m glad I bought the book because I will definitely be reading this one again before the movie comes out. Oh, did I forget to mention that? So here’s the deal. Reese Witherspoon endorsed and promoted the novel through her book club, Hello Sunshine, and it was such a huge hit, Reese decided to produce the movie herself. (Wow, right?) The film is currently in pre-production. Where the Crawdads Sing is Delia’s debut novel. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

By: @bethmarieauthor