Long Bright River

Author: Liz Moore
Genre: Crime Thriller
482 pages
Publisher: Riverhead Books, 2020

Synopsis
Two sisters travel the same streets, though their lives couldn’t be more different. Then, one of them goes missing.

In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don’t speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling.

Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey’s district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit–and her sister–before it’s too late.

Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters’ childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.

My review
Long Bright River by Liz Moore is a character-driven, emotional crime thriller that transcends its genre label. While it’s framed as a mystery, at its core is a story about family, sisterhood, and the ties that bind and break communities. Moore crafts a dark, gritty, and deeply believable portrait of Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. A place steeped in poverty, addiction, and despair. I’ve never been to Philadelphia, but through Moore’s vivid, empathetic writing, I could feel the weight of the streets she describes, the hopelessness, the corruption, and the failure of a justice system riddled with bias and self-interest.

The novel offers a heartbreaking exploration of generational drug addiction and its ripple effects on individuals, families, and entire communities. The personal devastation of addiction mirrors the broader decay of the neighborhood itself. Equal parts thriller, drama, and social commentary, Long Bright River shines a stark light on the opioid crisis while keeping its emotional core front and center.

Despite its length, the story never drags. Moore’s characters are layered and authentic, especially the protagonist, Mickey, and her estranged sister, Kacey. Mickey, a Philadelphia police officer, spends her days patrolling the same streets where Kacey, long addicted and often missing, lives in the shadows. Each time Mickey responds to an overdose, she fears the victim will be her sister. Through alternating timelines, Moore reveals their shared past and the gradual erosion of their bond, culminating in a poignant portrait of two women on opposite sides of justice and circumstance.

Mickey herself is a complex and sometimes frustrating character. For a seasoned detective, her choices occasionally come across as naive, but her unwavering moral compass and determination to do right make her compelling. In contrast, Kacey is the heart of the story for me, sympathetic, raw, and tragically human. Her struggle to overcome addiction, particularly for the sake of her unborn child, is both devastating and hopeful.

Long Bright River is a powerful, unforgettable novel that lingers long after the final page. Liz Moore masterfully blends suspense with social realism, creating a story that’s as emotionally resonant as it is thought-provoking. I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her work.

My recommendation: worth the read!