Whidbey - T Kira Madden

Whidbey by T Kira Madden is a mesmerizing debut novel that is incredibly tough, multi-layered and disturbing. It is a story of child sexual abuse, but also part mystery, and somehow also part madcap. This is a hard book to talk about since the main subject is the ramifications of abuse, but I can say that the weaving together of pain, murder and humor is incredibly masterful. 

Madden, the author, grew up in Boca Raton. The story takes place on Whidbey Island, Washington, and in a mix of bedraggled Florida towns along Lake Okeechobee. The large cast of character are misfits with complex backgrounds and motivations. Madden's portrayals of place and person are deeply descriptive and powerful. I was particularly blown away by a dive bar on Lake O. 

If you can handle the subject matter, you are in for quite a read. I was expecting a mystery, but Whidbey is much, much more.