The eighth spot is taken by a literary/mystery work that focuses on a current epidemic sweeping the United States of America. It is Long Bright River by Liz Moore.

What is it about? Mickey is quiet, shy, a single mother, and a police officer. Her sister, Kacey, is bold, outspoken, living on the streets, and addicted to opioids. In Philadelphia, rocked by the opioid crisis, this is not uncommon and Mickey is forced to watch her sister’s struggles from a distance, helpless in Kacey’s struggle. That is until Kacey goes missing at the same time as a string of murders begin to occur, targeting addicted women living on the streets. Despite orders from her superiors and those who love her to not investigate further, Mickey can’t stop herself from getting involved because she too has an addiction and that is Kacey.

Why did I love it? Despite being a chunky book, Long Bright River was one of the fastest reads I experienced this year. The subject matter is timely and many will undoubtedly be triggered or moved by the content. Ms. Moore manages to craft a story that gets at the heart of this tragedy. The story felt authentic and the bond between Mickey and Kacey was expertly crafted. While there is a murder mystery aspect to the story, this is also very much a character study and a fascinating one at that. Unflinching in it’s depiction of addiction, both of drugs and other relationships/beliefs/issues, Long Bright River is an unmissable novel from an author who I will be reading more from in 2025.

My full review of Long Bright River can be found at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2024/01/long-bright-river-by-liz-moore-review/.