The characters are likeable. The plot is relatively realistic. The mystery was well done but... this is a very slow going read and that made it difficult to finish but am glad I did.

Black Diamond Fall by Joseph Olshan was just ok for me. I enjoyed his previous book, Cloudland, much more. This book was definitely interesting but wasn't fully realized for me. It took awhile to get me hooked and the ending was not what I expected. The writing however, is beautiful and I did enjoy that. I appreciate the copy of the ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lively and engaging story of a sensitive and creative young man in his early 20s, Luc, who disappears one February night in rural Vermont after playing hockey with some friends. From the start we learn he went back to the frozen pond to look for a ring that he lost and his perspective of getting knocked out by getting a hit to the head. The book explores the evolving responses and changed lives of his family, lovers and ex-lovers, and friends as they struggle through the hope that he has just run away to reach the conclusion that he must be dead, but whether by accident, suicide, or murder, none can reach a solid conclusion or consensus. With each view point we go back in time and gather in pieces of Luc’s life. A worry to his loving mother Eleanor, who nurtured him through recovery as a teen from brain damage after a hockey accident. A concern for ex-girlfriend Elizabeth, whom Luc had recently broken up with. A devastating blow to an older college professor, Sam, who was an earlier lover and desperately wanted him back. A genial police investigator draws out each of their stories and slowly homes in on the mystery of Luc’s death. Who in Luc’s circle or community might have a violent reaction to his bisexuality, or could there just be a hidden gay-basher in the town? Could it have just been an accident, perhaps compounded by an epileptic or panic attack? A dealer of steroid drugs for athletes like Luc is known by him to be active in the area, so there are even more avenues for the cop to investigate. Unfortunately, the nature of winter in Vermont means Luc, and any evidence about cause of death, could be buried under feet of snow for a long time.

Olshan had an interesting premise for a mystery with a very personal impact for the survivors. I appreciated his unfolding of layers of grief by those who loved Luc. I like some aspects of embedding the tale into the life of a rural community, but the skiing interludes felt somewhat tacked on and the connection of some characters to Robert Frost was stretched thin. Having Luc have a neurological condition rouses a bit of extra empathy for him, but overall that aspect muddied the waters on my focus. I also felt a bit manipulated in the way limited details critical to the mystery of his death were so obviously fed to me form the round-robin of minds we tour in our reading. We spend a lot of time with Sam, who truly adores Luc. But I only can dredge up a "que lastima" over his not being ready to take their relationship out of the closet at the 2013 date for the tale (the 30-year age difference as the true stigma draws another sigh). People in the “Q” phase of the LGBTQ spectrum should be explored more in literature, but the issue seems mostly subjugated to background for an orchestrated mystery. Sometimes I felt the ambition of the tale to be a clever take on the nature of our social fabric, in both its fragile and resilient elements, but ultimately I came away with a diffuse sadness and little in the way of new insights. By comparison, I had a lot more fun and insights about the dangers and thrills for youth in the Q phase from Irving’s novel, “In One Person.”

This book was provided by the publisher for review through the Netgalley program.

Olshan ambitiously weaves together a plot combining the mystery of the disappearance of a student at Middlebury College and the vandalism of poet’s Robert Frost’s home on campus. I actually found the mystery part to be a distraction from the central core of musing on the nature of love. Olshan writes beautifully and I found myself deeply pondering that aspect of the book. I would definitely read more literary fiction by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Polis Books, and the author Joseph Olshan for an advanced electronic reading copy.

I am so sorry to give such a low-ish rating to that book because it was really good, so I will start by explaining what I did like about it. The writing is very good. The emotions of Sam and Luc, the two main characters, are very well portrayed and believable, the mystery is also believable and not far fetched and over-the-top like so many recent books I've read that are trying too hard to be original or shocking and miserably fails. This is life, and it's a pleasure to read.

But then there is what didn't truly convinced me. First of all I felt detached to the story, which is strange because it should have been an emotional read, the writing was so good but still I wasn't moved even during some tragic moments (and there are plenty!). I loved Sam and understood him, but still couldn't really feel his grief. Why? Maybe it was just my problem, because I can't see why I wasn't more involved.

Second..the plot.

BUT IF YOU PLAN TO READ THE BOOK YOU REALLY HAVE TO STOP READING HERE BECAUSE

**********BIG BIG SPOILERS AHED**********

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

As I said I was not truly invested, but around 70% I was really starting to enjoy the mystery, and hoping for some sort of rewarding ending, and then POUFF, nothing special there.
The culprit isn't really a killer and we never get a full insight to her emotions, what really happened or why (it just says why in two or three words, no explanations, as if the scene had been cut off).
There was no active intention to murder, Luc's death is just the consequence of bad luck, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, meeting the wrong people, the police not being able to be fast enough resolving the crime to save his life. What meaning did his death hold? None for me, just "things happens". I have enough of that shit in my everyday life without asking for more when I'm reading a book. I don't mean I always need to have a HEA, I'm ok with those kind of epilogues that leaves your mounth hanging in shock at how bad thigs went, but only if it makes sense, or rather gives sense to the story. That wasn't the case.
Poor Sam ends up even loosing his dog, and why? Was there a meaning to that? Somebody killed him for a reason? No, just bad luck. Again. The more I write the more enraged I feel about all that! It's a shame because the was so much potential.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me ARC of that book in exchange for an honest review.

I thank the Netgalley website and the Polis Book editions for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted by the summary.

The story takes place at Middlebury College where two events have occurred: the disappearance of Luc Flanders and the vandalism of Robert Frost Homestead.

The author tells the story on different points of view brilliantly. I loved the captivating story filled with suspense and twists.

This book will be hard to review. The writing is good, the story is interesting, but the book itself is very slow and I found myself having to push through it. I like the way Joseph Olshan writes, but this book was not a favorite of mine.

My first Joseph Olshan and I know that it won't be my last one. Even if I wanted to DNF it during the first 10%. But it is the writing that kept me on going on. And now I can say, I am REALLY glad I didn't give up: the author CAN write and I absolutely UNDERSTAND why he is an award-winning American novelist.

My problem was not the writing, but the story. Here I have to say, Joseph Olshan managed to do the best from the scarce resources he HAD to use. With all due respect for the author's idea to create a literary mystery based and united by two real events, the subject matter is not suitable for an exciting story: try to make a psychological thriller out of a telephone book! Well, I have faith in Joseph Olshan after finishing this book. If not him, who else?!

There were good moments in this book, and me, as an inveterate optimist, hoped that a HEA COULD be yet possible...but this book not about a happy ending, but WHAT caused the disappearance of a student during winter break.



Bottom line:

A very slow and somehow boring beginning. The middle part of the book was good, poignant and even became shortly a page turner. I would say, the author did the best from the material he had.

Couldn't get into this one. I pretty sure it was the subject matter. I"m not a fan of stories/books that take place in academia. I know it's a mystery that is based on actual events. So, maybe that's it. I'm not a fan of things that are based on real-life situations. So, that's on me like I said. Don't let my review here deter you from reading this if that's your thing. It just didn't resonate with me.

I’ve been trying to articulate my thoughts about this book. The premise sounded really interesting and it’s written by such an established and esteemed author. But for whatever reason, I could not get into the story.

It did, however, have quite a beautiful ending and this is what brought it up another star. Guess this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Joseph Olshan, Polis Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.