Jody Linder is famous in small town Rose, KS because when she was three years old, during a bad Kansas storm, her father was murdered, and her mother mysteriously disappeared. But then 23 years after the incident, the main arrested and sent to prison is released, raising a whole bunch of new questions about what really happened that night.
There was a lot I liked about this. Thunderstorms in Kansas kind of have their own special magic. Maybe it's that way in all of the Midwest? I don't know. I am familiar with Kansas storms, so I liked that part of this book.
The ranch parts were interesting, which I know a little bit about (very, very little) just because of a friend of mine who's father does that sort of thing.
The original story was great. After we got through the back story into the "present" it sort of got hard. Jody was not likeable. The entire Linder families single minded obsession with Billy being the murderer just made them all appear stupid and ... not racist (cause race isn't a factor) but elitest? The author wanted us to think they were good people because "oh look they hired troubled youth out at their ranch but poor Billy couldn't be saved," but I just didn't buy it. The author also took it a bit far. Billy was such a bad seed he was almost a cartoon character.
It did not help that the reader knew Billy hadn't done it from very early on.
I think my public defender (in Kansas courts no less) friends should read this book. They'd be appalled. Actually maybe they shouldn't read it, as it is sort of appalling how the rich family in the small town railroaded the poor, lower class guy with no family and he spent 23 years in jail because they were CERTAIN he was guilty.
The ending wasn't satisfactory. I wanted some sort of vindication for Billy, but again, the cartoon character comes into play and he was just really guilty, just not of the particular crime he was accused of.
I gave this three stars on good reads, because it was interesting. But not four because there were problems.
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