Heather’s Bookshelf: The Year of the Snake
Author: EM Harris
Released: 05/04/24
Genre: Adult Thriller
“My feeling as a kid was much less complicated: sometimes bad is just bad. Looking back on it, and understanding Aida Turner better now, I think I know what she really meant. That with human beings it isn’t a matter of either/or, that human beings aren’t this or that, one thing or the other. Every one of us is a mixed bag.”
“The Year of the Snake” introduces Riley Pierce, an investigator hired by her childhood friend after her mother disappears. Her mother, Dr. Aida Turner, boarded a ship in Shanghai that exploded minutes later.
Most of the 1100 passengers passed away after the explosion. Dr. Aida Turner was presumed to be one of them until she is spotted alive three years later. Appearing beaten and confused, video and an eye witness are seemingly not enough to earn help from the government agencies involved.
Riley seeks the truth, interviewing witnesses and investigating leads. But with every step closer to the truth, she somehow also ends up farther away. Finding lies among long-time acquaintances and strangers, will Riley be able to find the truth before it’s too late?
Trigger Warning: violence, murder, animal death, torture, kidnapping, classism, adult language
Overall, I was a little torn on this story. The tale is mostly told through the POV of Riley as she investigates and deals with the consequences of others actions. At times it’s a little more “police procedural” than thriller and certainly delves into the mystery realm. The concept is interesting on the surface and the political/historical/cultural inclusion provided a fascinating background. However, the organization of the story, amount of characters, and disjointed plot found me more confused than interested throughout most of the story. I felt an absolute lack of connection to most of the characters including Aida. Even Riley, who had clear motivations and allegiances, was a bit hit or miss in her voice and reactions to events. There’s a transition near the last third of the book that insinuates interviews/recordings of Aida by Riley. I was excited for this part as I thought it might provide clarity on what actually happened and more of a voice for Aida. However, the section was written as a recording or recollection of a particular character telling a story. It wasn’t until the very near-end when Riley has a conversation with another ancillary character that truths are revealed. Unfortunately, the structure of the rest of the book took away from what should have been a major revelation. I did think the dinner with Riley and her ex was a nice touch at the end of the story, but hoped for something a little more powerful at the end.
OVERALL REVIEW:
Interesting historical/cultural setting and got a bit lost in a challenging and disjointed plot. Lack of connection to characters hindered what could have been a meaningful conclusion.
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