I struggled to finish this as the characters don’t really grab my attention. I thought this story was going to be scarier based on the book notes but turned out to just be a mystery. Not a book I’d recommend.

A group of college kids visit the ruins of an old prison for fun one day. There is Tripper, the everything guy who had it all; looks, money and charm. Quentin was a dreamer and all the girls loved him, especially Rachel. Maisie was a former girlfriend of Tripper's and had brought along her young brother. Casey and Wailer had just gotten married the night before; Casey an overweight man with an enormous heart and Wailer was exotic with her foreign background. Their old classics teacher was accompanying them as well. The day ended in tragedy with Wailer missing and the police suspecting that she was killed but no body was ever found.

It's thirty years later and the book picks the group's stories back up. During a renovation, Wailer's body is finally found and the police are determined to get answers. None of the group is where they thought they'd end up. Trapper is a lawyer with a child off to college and a failing marriage. Casey is wealthy and has a chain of restaurants specializing in comfort food. Maisie has spent her life taking care of her brother, Ben, who never recovered from the trauma of that day. Rachel is a teacher and bored. And Quentin is the biggest surprise of all. The group thinks he is dead and he is, in a way. After that day, he finally found the courage to fake his death and run away to transform as Judith. Judith has a husband and family she's never told about her past and has much to lose if the truth comes out. Who killed Wailer?

Boylan has written an intriguing mystery that has interesting characters. The only flaw is that the book seems to be mostly a vehicle for discussing the transgender experience as that is also the author's experience. This may be intrusive for some readers who are looking just for a mystery. For most though, the novel will stand as an interesting read with characters who are relatable. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Years ago, a group of friends walked into an abandoned prison on a lark, and not all of them walked out. Now one of them is a likely murder suspect and the past is coming back to haunt them all. Judith has a happy, quiet, uncomplicated life in Maine with her husband and son, and she has no desire to revisit what happened that night in Eastern State Penitentiary. If she does, her carefully constructed existence could come tumbling down. This is a book about secrets and what people will do to protect them. It also packs one hell of a denouement—the climactic scene is intricately constructed, with a bunch of moving parts and crazy things happening simultaneously. My heart was pounding, not figuratively. If your tastes lean to the literary, this will be your jam.

Once upon a time, in 1980, there were six friends, all college graduates. Two of them had just gotten married. A day after the wedding celebration, they decided to visit Philadelphia’s notorious and abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary. They were accompanied by their German teacher and a young boy. Shortly upon entering, somebody locked them in, so they, in small groups of two or three, started wandering around. After some time they were saved by the police, but one of them --- Wailer, the bride --- was never found. Nonetheless, life went on, and the friends went their own separate ways, each of them changed by this terrifying incident.

Fast forward 35 years. The local authorities decide to refurbish the former penitentiary, and Wailer’s body is found. Her husband, Jon Casey, is the prime suspect, but things are far more complicated than they seem.
Full review available at: https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/long-black-veil

This begins with a fast and compelling start of a thriller, but then it tends to deviate into a more slow, character driven story. It is not exactly what I was expecting from the blurb.

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley.

This book is a portrait of six college students who break into an abandoned prison in 1980 one night, looking for a thrill, but get more than they bargained for when the realize the doors have locked behind them. In a horrifying turn of events, the group is separated, and one member of the party ends up dead. The surviving five go their separate ways and try to move on, but they are forever changed. When new evidence is discovered decades later and Jon is charged with murder, only Judith can testify to his innocence. However, in helping Casey, Judith risks exposing secrets of her own that could destroy the life she has painstakingly built in the aftermath of that fateful night. While the mystery is good, the novel is really a character study. What captivated me was Boylan's writing style. Her lyrical, almost melodic prose flows so freely it is almost like music in parts. Unfortunately, there are some parts of the plot that don't hold up to scrutiny. SPOI:LER ALERT!!!

For example, why does it take so long for investigators to discover the body if it was there since the murder occurred? Logically, the search parties should have discovered it when the five survivors emerged without the sixth member of their party.

SPOILER OVER--In any case, this book is still a good, quick read, and perfect for the times we live in currently. It is incredibly thought provoking, both in a personal sense and in a larger context, begging a variety of questions. How does our past continually shape our future, even when we make a conscious effort to leave it behind? What obligation do we have to tell the complete truths about ourselves to help others, even if in saving others we may destroy ourselves and others close to us? Are lies of omission ever justified? Can one major event separate our life into a "before" and an "after" or must the two lives always converge? The book also more obliquely begs the question of whether Judith's life would have been any different if she were born now in what is presumably an age of greater tolerance (or at least was until the last election)?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
An interesting book that moves right along. Although billed as a mystery, it really is a book about a transgender woman and how she claimed her real self. The mystery part is set at Eastern State Penitentiary which is real. The plot calls for a stretch of imagination in many places and I think I would not have liked it had the trans character not been present. She is well developed and, for the most part believable. The author paints the painful picture of what it was like to grow up trans in the 1980s.

I have very mixed emotions about this book. The mystery seemed to get lost within all the pathos of the other characters, and the whodunnit seemed weak and a stretch. I liked the inclusion of a trans character as a major character. While the story seemed to be trying too hard to be too many things, it did keep me reading.

You had to suspend a lot of disbelief with this title. Her husband didn't know, never guessed what those scars were?

Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan is dark and different.  It is about six post college friends.  For some reason, the six friends decided to explore an abandoned prison the night after two of the six were married.  It was never clear why they chose to do this.  They also took with them the little brother of one of the girls.  At the prison, we eventually find out one of the six was murdered.  

This story had alternating timelines which I normally love.  However, for this story, the chapters were too long for it to be fully effective in my opinion.  In the beginning of the novel, it would alternate between what was happening at the prison and what was happening in current time to just one of the main characters.  It would stay with that main character so long that by the time it went back to the prison storyline it was hard to remember the rest of the characters and what distinguished them. 

The other issue I had with this book was how loosely the two main storylines related to each other.  On one hand, we have a murder mystery.  On the other, we have the process of a transgender transformation.  I think the transgender transformation was handled in a superior manner compared to the murder mystery.  However, either would have made for a good novel but both together was a little offbeat.  I think the author is talented and based on this experience I would give her another try.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.

4 stars--I really liked it.

The descriptive copy for this book makes it sound like a mystery. It's not, really. In fact, there's not much plot at all. I'm going to talk about what the book IS about, and it might be considered a spoiler--though, since as I said, the plot is sparse, I personally don't think it's really a spoiler. But you've been warned!

This book is a character study about being trans. It's about Judith, a trans woman, and her experiences, and how she's changed and hasn't changed through her life. It's about her college friends and how they, too, have changed and stayed the same. It's about intimacy--what is it? Is it possible? How many secrets can you keep and still be known and loved by someone else?

I found Judith's voice to be genuine. She was both world-weary and hopeful. I especially emphasized when she said how she'd like, just once, to not have to explain herself and her gender to everyone--how she'd like to lay that burden down even for a moment.

For the first 50 pages or so, I found this book confusing. I wasn't sure who all the characters were, I wasn't sure who was speaking, and I found the writing style choppy. However, it grew on me. By the end of the book, I found the writing poignant, and the characterization was spot on.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Pretty good story. I can't remember a lot about it.

While I initially found this book difficult to get into, once I understood where it might be going I was engrossed. So many mysteries that all come back to the beginning scenes. Lots of characters who are not what you might imagine them to be and surprises at every juncture kept me reading for long stretches at a time!

3.4 - was tough to get into, since at first there seemed like too many characters; turns out they were just mostly unlikable characters, although the story/plot was intriguing

Long Black Veil, by Jennifer Finney Boylan, is a intriguing read!
There are many characters and alot going on. Once I got everyone and everything figured out the story flowed nicely.

A group of college friends, one younger brother and a teacher decide to tour Philadelphia's notorious and abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary. They become eerily locked in and one of the group ends up missing.

Twenty years later a skull and body is discovered hidden in the walls. A murderer was amongst the group on that fateful day. Who will it be? Their haunted lives are dissected revealing life changing secrets.

An enjoyable mystery with many twists and turns.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crown Publishing for an arc of this novel.

The publisher lists Jennifer Finney Boylan's Long Black Veil as a suspense and thriller novel. However, only in some regards is this true. There is the mysterious events in the penitentiary all those years ago, and there is no doubt they left an indelible impression on each person who was there. Plus, there are many unresolved questions about that night that beg answering. Adding to that, Ms. Boylan builds on the existing atmosphere of a dilapidated prison at night to create an eerie and intense scene that leaves its own impression on readers. There is no doubt that the very basic set-up of the story is a murder mystery in which the murderer could very well be one of the friends, lending the rest of the story a higher than normal amount of suspense.

Yet, Long Black Veil is also a study of identity, how we identify ourselves and how others identify us. It is one woman's search for those answers while she struggles to do what she knows to be right. It is yet another discussion of what makes us us.

To be fair, Judith's self-discovery journey is one that defines her entire life, and it is such a defining portion of her character that it makes sense that it takes up 80 percent of the novel. Had I known a bit more about Ms. Boylan's own personal history either before or while reading the novel, it would have also prepared me a bit more for the story. As it was, I was expecting a murder mystery; I was not expecting the identity exploration. To further confuse me, Ms. Boylan mentions in her author's notes that she dedicates the novel to anyone who is struggle with their identity, particularly their gender identity. Iif this were truly a thriller, I would not expect such a dedication.

Expectations aside, the novel itself is decent. It is not the most exciting thriller to grace bookshelves, but again, the thriller portion is just a minor part of the story. What it does well is explore the idea of identity and how crippling identity confusion is for someone. Through Judith, one gets a glimpse into the only some of the turmoil, despair, and desperation someone feels when their body does not match their mind. We see her fears regarding her own self-worth and the validity of her relationships should the truth be known. It is fascinating insight and something that really makes you think about the masks we wear, the truth hiding beneath them, and how all of that affects our behavior towards and relationships with others.

Long Black Veil is a thriller in that we are witness to a tragedy that remains unresolved until the body shows up 35 years later, with the killer still at large and unknown. Yet, it is so much more than a thriller that to pigeonhole it in that category does the entire novel a disservice. In this era of reading diversely and learning about other experiences, Long Black Veil provides great insight into the transgender experience with the added benefit of a murder mystery in which to surround the questions.

Before reading this novel, I knew nothing about Jennifer Finney Boylan. While reading, I learned that she is known mostly for her memoirs about her life as a transgender woman, and that she published under the name James Boylan before 2001. Her work focuses on themes of gender identity and the many ways that we can be haunted by our pasts – with that in mind, this new novel is a natural progression from her non-fiction work.

Long Black Veil begins with a group of college friends who make the ill-fated decision to go exploring in an abandoned prison – Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary. They have just celebrated the wedding of two of their friends, Wailer and Casey, and the group is in a festive mood, even as they wander through the dark, decaying rooms of the former prison. That is, until someone locks the doors from the outside, and tragedy strikes – one member of their group goes missing, never to be seen again.

Twenty years later, the body of the missing friend is discovered, hidden in the ruins of the prison as it is being excavated. Casey becomes the prime suspect in the murder, and the only person who can clear his name is his best friend, who went missing after the events in the prison and is also presumed dead. In fact, Judith is living across the country in an idyllic lake house, with a loving husband and a stepson that she has raised as her own child. If she comes forward to defend Casey, she will have to expose shocking secrets from her past and risk losing her family.

The novel is very confusing at first, as Boylan introduces a large cast of quirky characters, all with pretty absurd names (Wailer, Tripper, Falcon, to name a few). However, this confusion works to further the mystery plot, as we don’t find out who is missing, or even who is who, until well into the book. The shifting time lines also work to increase the suspense. The central mystery of events at the prison is not very convincing, but I think it is actually secondary to the aspects of character development that make this novel special. The writing is not perfect, but it is eclipsed by the originality of the story and the authentic thoughts and feelings of the characters.

The twists and turns of the story might seem predictable at first, but the main one is unexpected and unique. Ultimately this is a story of mistaken identity – the identity of the murderer, and more importantly, the ways that people learn to live with their own identity. The seemingly absurd mystery plot is really just a cover for the depth of the gender identity themes that this novel explores. Like all of us, these characters are haunted not only by their pasts, but also by the ghosts of who they used to be.

I received this book from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars.
Long Black Veil is a unique character study of six college friends, brought together 20 years after a pivotal incident in their lives tore them apart.

On a critical night, 20 years ago, six friends take a trip to an abandon prison in Philadelphia. One of them disappears inside. Thereafter, the remaining friends try to go on with their lives, most of them scattering, leaving each other behind. The memories of each other and that night however, linger forever. Memories however, aren’t the only thing that creep up in Long Black Veil and in the end, these six friends have to come face to face with their past.

For me, the character of Judith drew me in like a moth to a flame. My heart ached for her. I think it always will .

The storyline switches from past to present day and is told from different POV’s. At first, certain character’s POV’s are not spelled out. This is confusing at first, but I think the author, Jennifer Finney Boylan, did this on purpose and in retrospect, I think it was very effective. While the book is categorized as a mystery, it is, in my opinion, a character study of these six individuals over the course of 20 years and how they evolve after that one fateful night.

That said: Whatever you go into thinking Long Black Veil is, I promise you, it is not that.

It shocked and amazed me and I found it to be truly interesting. If you are looking something a little unique with strong characters, give this a try.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Jennifer Finney Boylan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon on 4.28.17.

LONG BLACK VEIL Written by Jennifer Finney Boylan
2017; 304 Pages (Crown)
Genre: literary fiction, mystery

(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)

RATING: 3 STARS

Okay, so I decided to go with this book based on the title. "Long Black Veil" is a song sung by Johnny Cash, and has always been haunting. The only description of the book was the following, "a new novel about a woman whose family and identity are threatened by the secrets of her past." The novel's first part takes place in a prison in the 1980s. Intrigued yet? I was. It took me a few days to really get into this book. The first half is confusing. I can't even describe to you why as I am afraid I will slip in a spoiler by accident. I was even confused on what to rate it, and even now as I write I keep volleying between 2.5 to 3. Once I got to the middle of the book I was able to read it pretty quickly. I was engaged even though some things didn't seem plausible and I figured out one plot twist (there are more!). The characters are not always likeable BUT some are interesting in their flaws. I am not even sure if I would recommend this book, and if I did, whom I would recommend it to. I will say that reading this book was entertaining for the most part but it is not one I would read again.

There are a lot of things that can make for a good book. Some books feature thought-provoking ideas. Others offer up compelling characters. Still others feature mouth-watering prose or sophisticated stories. Sometimes, you’ll find one that manages to meet more than one of these criteria. And occasionally, you’ll open a book that checks each and every one of those boxes.

A book like Jennifer Finney Boylan’s “Long Black Veil.”

This literary thriller bounces back and forth in time, telling the tale of a group of college friends who encounter a tragedy so impactful that it completely and utterly alters the live that they lead in its aftermath. And when the mysterious circumstances of that tragedy are brought out of the shadows decades later, they’re left to confront truths about each other – and about themselves – that they had long since believed to be buried.

In 1980, six college friends sneak into the long-abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. These twentysomethings are a tight-knit group – in fact, two of their number had married one another just the day previous – and are looking for a spooky thrill with which to bring their summer to a close. It’s all in good fun … right up until they find themselves locked inside.

And they aren’t alone.

They are trapped in the darkness, separated from one another and scared of what might be lurking in the shadows. Before they can make their escape, one of their own simply … disappears. Those that remain are forever changed, irreparably shattered by the nightmarish ordeal and the inexplicable loss of a dear friend.

In the present day, unexpected new evidence arises that shines a light on this decades-old cold case. This leaves one of the group – noted chef Jon Casey – accused of an unspeakable crime. Yet of all of them – painter-turned-professor Rachel, special needs music teacher Maisie, hotshot lawyer Tripper – only one can bring forth the truth of Jon’s innocence.

But travel writer Judith has secrets of her own – secrets that must be revealed in order to save her friend, but whose revelation could possibly destroy the idyllic small-town Maine life she has sacrificed so much to build. Will she risk her family – her husband and son – to save a friend that she lost long ago?

What we have in “Long Black Veil” is a perfect storm. Each of the pieces on its own would have made for a perfectly enjoyable reading experience. The twisting plot alone would have made for a delightful little potboiler of a thriller. The people that populate it would make for a compelling character study regardless of genre. The ideas about how our pasts impact our presents and the cleverly-crafted prose would be at home in any well-regarded work of literary fiction.

Instead, we get it all. Boylan’s gifts are all on full display, much to our benefit. Relationships are dynamic and rich; the portrayal of Judith’s journey is particularly powerful for a multitude of reasons. The narrative is laden with twists and a kinetic pacing. The words are funny and poignant and borderline addictive. And there’s a thoughtfulness throughout – particularly with the treatment of Judith – that lingers in a most effective manner.

As you’ve probably worked out, I’m a fan. But perhaps the best endorsement I can give is this: I read the final 270 or so pages of this book in a single sitting.

“Long Black Veil” is a thoughtful thriller, one concerned as much with character as it is with plot. It is smart and complex, bringing its cast of characters to vivid life while carving out a nervy mystery and addressing the complicated calculus that comes with the human condition. Boylan’s latest is fast-paced and concise and exquisitely-written – a beautiful and captivating stampede.