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Publisher: Hutchinson / Random House Audio
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Format: MP3 Download
Pages: Hardcover: 288 | Audio Length: 8 hours 52 mins
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Source: Audiobook Publisher
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.
But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.
Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.
With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote, rural town of just five claustrophobic miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of the question: can you ever outrun your past?
*This audiobook was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Format: MP3 Download
Pages: Hardcover: 288 | Audio Length: 8 hours 52 mins
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Source: Audiobook Publisher
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.
But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.
Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.
With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote, rural town of just five claustrophobic miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of the question: can you ever outrun your past?
*This audiobook was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
The story opens up beautiful Kaycee Mitchell having what may be a seizure and collapsing during mock elections in the last year of high school in the small rural town of Barrens, Indiana. Kaycee’s illness has spread across the campus and mass hysteria (think Salem Witch Trials) has taken over amongst the clique of mean girls. Eventually the other girls confessed to lying about their illness, but Kaycee never did.
Before Kaycee became the popular, mean girl in high school, she was best friends with Abby Williams. They were inseparable. Kaycee with her tough exterior always challenged Abby to step out of her comfort zone and but she just couldn’t shake it and Kaycee eventually turned on Abby and joined in the bullying of her once best friend. Even though Kaycee was “unspeakably cruel,” she poisoned Abby’s dog and left the collar in her locker, Abby still cared a lot about her friend and was convinced that Kaycee was truly sick. Abby personally witnessed Kaycee throwing up blood in a school bathroom stall while saying “Why me?” She thought to herself, “no one could make this up.” So when Abby got wind that Kaycee, the girl who had everything going for her, up and left right after high school without a trace, she couldn’t believe it.
Fast forward 10 years, and this mysterious illness has reared its ugly head again or maybe not. Barren’s resident have been complaining about strange symptoms and skin irritations. They reach out to an Environmental Protection Law Firm from Chicago because they believe Optimal Plastics are to blame. And it just so happens that Ms. Abby Williams, former hometown girl of Barrens who also left right after high school and never looked back is employed as an environmental lawyer at this law firm.
Fast forward 10 years, and this mysterious illness has reared its ugly head again or maybe not. Barren’s resident have been complaining about strange symptoms and skin irritations. They reach out to an Environmental Protection Law Firm from Chicago because they believe Optimal Plastics are to blame. And it just so happens that Ms. Abby Williams, former hometown girl of Barrens who also left right after high school and never looked back is employed as an environmental lawyer at this law firm.
There are several characters in this book and Ritter does a brilliant job allowing the reader to get acquainted with each and every one even down to the clerk at the storage facility. She wastes no time introducing us to the leader of the Mean Girls Clique and “the alpha wolf of the pack,” Kaycee Mitchell. “She was the first to lose her virginity, try a cigarette and throw a party.” Misha, another member of the clique, is described as the loudest and meanest, but Kaycee was the obvious leader. And all of this was mentioned in the prologue.
Abby is a driven main character that is stronger than she was 10 years ago and is determined to show her high school villains that she knows they have a secret and she will reveal it. Brent was the handsome boyfriend of Kaycee who got a job with Optimal while in high school and has been promoted within the 10 year time period. Dave Condor was the so called “loser of the bunch” who became a teenage father and currently works at the local liquor store. As you read all of this you realize so much has changed, and so much has stayed the same. And then there is Abby’s law firm team (I would have loved to know more about her best friend Joe, but maybe that will be another story), her father, his best friend TJ and the town sheriff.
I am not a fan of books with an overabundance of characters because it can be difficult to keep up with their role in the story. However, Ritter does such a marvelous job with characterization and placement that I did not realize how many characters there were until I started writing this review.
I was drawn in immediately with Ritter’s gripping, suspenseful and visually enticing writing style. She hits us hard with her descriptive writing in this debut novel, she definitely has skills. I could smell the alcohol on Brent’s breath when he was up close and personal with Abby. I could hear the clinking of Kaycee’s ring on the podium when she was having the seizure during mock elections. I could see the seams pushing to their limits on Misha’s too tight skirt when Abby went to visit her at the high school. And I could feel the rope cutting into Abby’s wrists when she was tied up. Her years as an actress have definitely gifted her with the ability to write great prose. Some of my favorites include:
Abby is a driven main character that is stronger than she was 10 years ago and is determined to show her high school villains that she knows they have a secret and she will reveal it. Brent was the handsome boyfriend of Kaycee who got a job with Optimal while in high school and has been promoted within the 10 year time period. Dave Condor was the so called “loser of the bunch” who became a teenage father and currently works at the local liquor store. As you read all of this you realize so much has changed, and so much has stayed the same. And then there is Abby’s law firm team (I would have loved to know more about her best friend Joe, but maybe that will be another story), her father, his best friend TJ and the town sheriff.
I am not a fan of books with an overabundance of characters because it can be difficult to keep up with their role in the story. However, Ritter does such a marvelous job with characterization and placement that I did not realize how many characters there were until I started writing this review.
I was drawn in immediately with Ritter’s gripping, suspenseful and visually enticing writing style. She hits us hard with her descriptive writing in this debut novel, she definitely has skills. I could smell the alcohol on Brent’s breath when he was up close and personal with Abby. I could hear the clinking of Kaycee’s ring on the podium when she was having the seizure during mock elections. I could see the seams pushing to their limits on Misha’s too tight skirt when Abby went to visit her at the high school. And I could feel the rope cutting into Abby’s wrists when she was tied up. Her years as an actress have definitely gifted her with the ability to write great prose. Some of my favorites include:
“I always want the thing that hurts the most.”
“I can see him in Sarasota all mahogany colored and greased up, tanning oil quivering in his chest hairs.”
“I kissed him, taking the words off his lips.”
“Only the present is solid. The past is smoke.”
Karissa Vacker was first-rate with the narration of this book. At one point, I thought it was Krysten Ritter narrating her own book. After 15 minutes of listening to Bonfire, I had to look up other books narrated by Ms. Vacker. Her voice was crisp, clear and pleasant to my ears. Her transition from male to female and even child was seamless and not forced. She did not try to over sell the voices of the male characters, but she did make a clear distinction which is a major plus in my book.
Krysten Ritter is a great writer and pulls no punches with her debut novel. Does it have some quirks or some untied ends? Yes, but they do not take away from this fast-paced crime mystery. I say “Yes” to reading this book. If you like suspense, thriller or crime fiction books, you will enjoy Bonfire. And if you are a Krysten Ritter fan, I say don’t hesitate to read Bonfire because she does not disappoint.
Krysten Ritter is a great writer and pulls no punches with her debut novel. Does it have some quirks or some untied ends? Yes, but they do not take away from this fast-paced crime mystery. I say “Yes” to reading this book. If you like suspense, thriller or crime fiction books, you will enjoy Bonfire. And if you are a Krysten Ritter fan, I say don’t hesitate to read Bonfire because she does not disappoint.
