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Long Bright River

by Liz Moore

★★★★☆ 4.04 (199 169 ratings)
2020 · 496 pages · ~8h 16m read · Fiction

Set against the backdrop of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia, this novel follows Mickey, a patrol officer, and her estranged sister Kacey, who is struggling with addiction on the streets. When Kacey goes missing amidst a string of murders in the neighborhood, Mickey becomes obsessed with finding her. It is both a propulsive police procedural and a deeply moving literary portrait of sisters bound by blood but separated by circumstance, exploring themes of grief, redemption, and systemic failure.

A popular book with millions of readers worldwide.

Atmosphere: Real WorldVibe: IntensePacing: Relaxing
crimemysteryfamily

Notable Quotes

"I wouldn’t listen. I wanted everything to stay as it was. I was more afraid of the truth than the lie. The truth would change the circumstances of my life. The lie was static. The lie was peaceful. I was happy with the lie."
"This was the secret I learned that day: none of them want to be saved. They all want to sink backward toward the earth again, to be swallowed by the ground, to keep sleeping. There is hatred on their faces when they are roused from the dead."
"Who on earth can explain, in words alone, the great gutting tenderness of holding your child in your arms? The animal feeling of it—the baby’s soft muzzle, the baby’s new skin (which throws into relief the wear your own has endured), the little hand reaching up to your face, searching for family. The quick small pats, light as moths, that land on your cheek and chest."

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