A police chief who never grew up and a girl who never had a childhood try to solve the murder of someone they love. A tiny, picturesque town on the California coast is an emotional prison for the characters of this impressive, often lyrical thriller. Its two main characters are a cop with an improbable naïveté and a child too old for her years. Walk (short for Walker, his last name) is chief of the two-person police department in Cape Haven and a native son. He's kind and conscientious and haunted by a crime that occurred when he was a teenager, the death of a girl named Sissy Radley, whose body Walk discovered. Duchess Radley is that child's niece, the daughter of Star Radley, the town's doomed beauty. Most men lust after Star, including several of her neighbors and perhaps a sinister real estate developer named Dickie Darke. But Star is a substance abuser in a downward spiral, and her fatherless kids, Duchess and her younger brother, Robin, get, at best, Star's benign neglect. Walk, who's known Star since they were kids, is the family's protector. As the book begins, all of them are coming to terms with the return to town of Vincent King. He's Walk's former best friend, Star's former boyfriend, and he's served a 30-year prison term for the death of Sissy (and that of a man he killed in prison). Someone will end up dead, and the murder mystery structures the book. But its core is Duchess, a rage-filled girl who is her brother's tender, devoted caretaker, a beauty like her mother, and a fist-swinging fighter who introduces herself as "the outlaw Duchess Day Radley." Whitaker crafts an absorbing plot around crimes in the present and secrets long buried, springing surprises to the very end. A fierce 13-year-old girl propels this dark, moving thriller. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Whitaker's (Tall Oaks) latest novel is set in fictional Cape Haven, CA, and Copper Falls, MT, over a stretch of 30 years. Town police chief Walk and 13-year-old Duchess Day Radley, a fierce, emotionally damaged self-proclaimed outlaw, form the center of this intricate, emotional, character-driven tale of regret, revenge, and heartache. Walk gave the testimony that sent his friend Vincent to prison 30 years earlier, and now Vincent is being released and coming home. Duchess's mother, Star, neglects her daughter and five-year-old son, leaving Duchess to look after her brother. The aftermath of a decades-old tragedy becomes more heartbreaking as the story unfolds. George Newbern provides a solid reading of this bittersweet, gripping tale, but some listeners may find it a bit confusing that the narrator doesn't pause or otherwise indicate changes of section, time, or character. VERDICT This unforgettable coming-of-age story of love, loss, loyalty, and friendship, along with its unexpected plot twists, will appeal to readers of crime fiction, thrillers, suspense, and fiction.--Denise Garofalo, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

Gr 9 Up--A town that has witnessed a lot of tragedy is home to the people who are still picking up the pieces. Thirteen-year-old Duchess Day Radley, a self-proclaimed outlaw, takes on the responsibilities of raising herself and her younger brother, Robin, while her mother struggles with addiction and tries to live a life that doesn't continually echo the pain of her sister's murder nearly three decades earlier. Now, the convicted killer is set to return home to a place that still hasn't healed, and the ripple effects of each characters' decisions cause more and more misfortune. The fully developed characters in this novel are raw, real, and relatable; Whitaker makes it easy for readers to recognize someone they know. Duchess's story is one of resilience, growing up in a less than desired environment, and her foul-mouthed outbursts and Robin's pure heart provide some levity to a heavy thriller. VERDICT Recommended for high school libraries that need updated coming-of-age stories or less shiny characters full of grit. Cultivated readers will be able to handle the dual narrative along with some mature content and language.--Samantha Hull, Ephrata H.S., PA

Set largely in 2005, this superb thriller from Whitaker (Tall Oaks) examines the repercussions of a fatal accident decades earlier on the residents of Cape Haven, a tourist town on the California coast. At 15, Vincent King was sent to a men's prison for hitting and killing seven-year-old Sissy Radley while joyriding. Now, 30 years later, Vincent is being released. His childhood friend, Walker --Cape Haven's police chief--hopes that Vincent, and the town, can finally begin healing. But soon after Vincent's return, Star Radley--a single mother and Sissy's older sister--is found murdered in her home. With Vincent as the prime suspect, Chief Walker and Duchess, Star's 13-year-old daughter and self-proclaimed outlaw, each launch their respective quests for the truth. Powered by extraordinarily deep character development and an impressively intricate plot, this novel is simultaneously a murder mystery, a love story, and a heartbreaking tragedy. The existential agony is palpable throughout, but so, too, is the hope at the end. Whitaker has upped his game with this emotionally charged page-turner. (Mar.)