Book Review: Long Bright River

Book Review: Long Bright River
By Alexis Mercer

My book club has been on pause for much of the pandemic. There was one outdoor, distanced meet up we had in August, but other than that we haven’t met. Most of us spent so much time on zoom during the day in our jobs all spring and then again this fall, the last thing we wanted was more screen time. 

It had been long enough, however, and we were anxious for more books to read and a chance to catch up … even on Zoom! January finally worked out ot get on Zoom, discuss August’s book (The Magical Language of Others by EJ Koh), catch up on life, and choose a new book!

Oh how I missed book club books. They are never books I would choose on my own. And nearly every time I love them. Long Bright River by Liz Moore was no exception.

Mickey is a police officer who patrols the streets of Philadelphia. Her sister Kacey works those same streets - on the other side of the law.

Kasey comes up missing right after Mickey responds to a call of a young woman who walks the same streets as Kasey and it’s discovered the woman was murdered. Soon another woman is murdered - and another. Mickey desperately tries to find her sister all the while hoping the next body isn’t Kasey.

The story is more than a suspenseful thriller: it’s a captivating, realistic tale of life on the streets, the ties that hold families together, addiction, and love.

While this book is much more intense and realistically terrifying (mind you anything about drugs I find terrifying) than I normally choose to read - I really did love the book. The main character, Mickey, was believable and easy to get behind. The pages turned quickly and kept me in it until the very end.

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