ALL THE BURNING BRIDGES
Neliza Drew
Blinking Neon Press, 2016
This book took me by surprise. It came to me recommended by reputable sources. One person said “Hey you should check this one out. It may not be your thing but have a look”.
That intrigued me. People usually say “Hey this book is as twisted as you are, Get after it”
Nobody has ever said to me get out of your comfort zone and try something new….At least not when it comes to reviewing.
And to take all this even further, some books appear at the right times when you need them the most.
Lately I’ve had a steady diet of the most nihilistic fiction you could imagine and it has been giving me a mental ulcer.
ALL THE BURNING BRIDGES is the story of Davis Groves, a young lady with a laundry list of demons. A mother with mental illness, father dead by drugs and the familiar element of one child taking on the role as parent to younger family members.
Davis Groves is that feral cat that comes by the house to eat but doesn’t let you pat her. That feral nature that comes with a well honed survival instinct. That is surviving by any means necessary. Fighting, fucking and running away.
You do what you have to do and that’s what Davis Groves did.
She took care of her sisters as long as she could until she had to grow herself and did that by distancing herself from all that she knew. That normal life gig, boyfriend, legal work, etc.
Now in crime fiction there is a certain plot point that has been used many,many times and it maybe a cliche but I love it. Something happens back home and the ne’er do well sister/brother/father/ex whomever gets the call to go back and make things right. In this case I was strongly reminded of Get Carter both the movie and the source novel by Ted Lewis. Not a bad thing either and for a first novel, safe territory to start building a series.
Davis gets the call from her very clearly mentally ill mother that her little sister has been arrested for murder and like a moth to the flame, Davis comes home. She has to open all the old wounds.
The emotions are high voltage throughout the story. That was something that took me by surprise. Many books bring you up and down like a rollercoaster. Others are very much of the slow burn nature.
I enjoyed this book. Davis Groves is a visceral character with strong emotions. Neliza Drew is going to be a rising star in crime fiction. Picture a athlete loosening up before a competition. That’s what this book is and what Neliza Drew is doing. Just getting warmed up
