Hello,
Tawni O'Dell's "One of Us" is scheduled to be published August 19th, 2014. I was able to receive an advanced copy thanks to NetGalley.com.
This is a tale of Lost Creek and the mines that defined the people and the city, both in the past and the present. This is a tale about the cosmic scar the choices that people make which haunts them and future generations. Lastly this is a tale of how all this plays out and the frightening link between the Dawes and Doyle families. Most of this tale happens in a week, but the past is one of this novels most vibrant and haunting characters.
There's a psychic scar that affects the Doyles and has passed down from generation to generation. The scar plagues them from Prosperity to Danny. It began with the hanged Prosperity, of the famous Nellie O Neills, and travels all the way down to Danny. Unlike most residents of Lost Creek Danny was able to escape and has lived about 20 years previously in Philadelphia. Neither Philadelphia or Lost Creek are known for their hospitality. It's only through a well timed week Danny spends in Lost Creek that the scar finally begins to heal.
Sheridan "Danny" Doyle is a forensic psychologist in Philadelphia. He returns to the city he grew up , Lost Creek, to visit with Tommy, his grandfather. Tommy just recovered from a bout with pneumonia and is 96 years old. Danny meets some of the people that influenced his life growing, including police- man and Lost Creek's only detective, Rafe.
Visiting Lost Creek's famous gallows, Doyle discovers the body of Simon Husk. This is one of the details that only has limited interest in the novel. O'Dell sprinkles these details that end up not being as big as the reader would think. More on this later.
Two people who left and stayed away from Lost Creek are the narrators of "One of Us". The first is Sheridan "Danny" Doyle, he was able to escape and became a very successful forensic psychologist in Philadelphia. The other narrator, Scarlet Dawes, also left Lost Creek. She was essentially expelled by her family for troubling behavior. Scarlet was sent away to school following a very troubling incident involving her nanny. She's a child of privilege and also a wealthy socialite. But she has some very dark secrets, deaths of people follow her in her wake. Sheridan and Scarlet are in Lost Creek for the same week and engage in a game of wits.
Scarlet is the second narrator of the book and heir of the Dawes family. The Dawes family has owned almost literally Lost Creek for several generations. Scarlet reminds me so much of "Gone Girl's" female protagonist Amy Dunne. Both are lying, manipulative killers who somehow have got away with killing people. I don't use this word loosely but both women are evil. Is this a new trend in fiction? I hate both of these characters. I hate "Gone Girl" mostly because of how much I hate Amy. I realize that "Gone Girl" has an amazing reputation but I can't recommend that book to anyone. No matter how much you want to read the book, if you are like me you will regret reading it.
The glue that holds this story together is Tommy McNab, grandson of Prosperity and grandfather of Danny. Tommy is also the main reason Danny came to this damned town. He connects the generations and knows all the secrets of Lost Creek. His role is vital to this whole novel. Another major character is Rafe Malloy, the surrogate father to Danny. He was a cop as Danny grew up and now is the town's only detective.
The city of Lost Creek is haunted by hangings of the Nellie O' Neills in the town over a century ago. Lost Creek is a mining town ran by the original Walker Dawes and his descendants as mining becomes less and less important. Dawes owned most of Lost Creek. That also meant he controlled Lost Creek and local law enforcement. They were hung at the gallows that now serve as a reminder of Lost Creek's dark past. Most people in Lost Creek don't leave it, there are many generations that still live in the town. Although the gallows were only used once they remain standing.
The Nellie O' Neills murdered two people, killing two of their bosses. They also committed other violence. They were James 'Prosperity' McNab, Peter Tully, 19 and the youngest of the bunch, Kenny Kelly and Henry 'Footloose' McAnulty. They were hung from the famous local gallows.
The Nellie O' Neills are key in this novel, but don't pay too much attention to them. As mentioned above the author, O'Dell, has hidden a lot of extra details and characters to keep the reader in the dark. Another such distraction is The Ghost Sniffers, but again don't pay too much attention to them. The Ghost Sniffers drive the Mayhem Machine and are loosely based on Scooby Doo. The main person of their show isn't a person at all, he's a psychic fox terrier Wade Van Landingham. His handler, who the author calls Velma, is the one who relays the dogs insights is also their Velma. The rest of The Ghost Sniffers are Bambi, Brick, Z Mac. Van Landingham is the comic relief in the book.
One can't blame Danny for not wanting to return to Lost Creek. He has a complicated relationship with both of his parents. Owen is Sheridan's abusive father. Arlene is his Mom she's battled mental health issues for most of her life. She's been in and out of homes most of her life and has been able to play the system. She's a manic depressive, who killed her daughter, the newborn Molly. His Mom and Dad had a troubled marriage. We only find out the true depths of that as we read the book.
Many of the characters that play a part in this novel aren't even alive. One of the more intriguing characters is Fiona, Tommy's deceased wife. Her only appearance in this novel is her fearsome picture that is placed prominently in Tommy's house. It's always had an unsettling effect on Danny.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 7.5. Although this novel seemed to be going down the same dark path as "Gone Girl", thankfully it was saved at the last minute. The ending is a real corker when we find out the town's true history and how that affects all characters involved. While this isn't the best novel ever, it's a good book. I certainly suggest you read this book.
themusicaddict
