My full review is on goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3464992364

I absolutely loved this perfect tragedy of a novel that has a beautiful tiny sliver of a silver lining at the end. The characters were perfect, flawed and relatable and perfectly tragic and there was not a single one that did not have some vulnerability. The story was effortless and I could not put this book down after I started, reading it only in about 3 sittings. Chris Whitaker is a master of his craft and his prose was very well written, blunt, but slightly poetic. I cannot wait to purchase it in hardback when it is released.

"I saw you that time in town. You're the angel with the golden hair."
"If you knew anything at all, you'd know I'm about as far from an angel as you can get. Now shut the fuck up and face forward."

Meet 13 year old Duchess Day Radley. She's an outlaw. She lives to protect her younger brother from this hateful world. Their world is not an easy one. Their aunt was killed a long time ago and the guy that killed her is about to get out of prison. Their mom can't take care of herself let alone two kids.

Duchess for me is that character that became part of me as I read this book. She has a strong sense of wrong and right and right is her little brother.
She is who she is and does not apologize for it.

This book.......Just read it.

"Hal said we begin at the end."
"So where are we now?"
"I'm not sure it matters."
"Wherever it is, I hope we can stay here a little longer."

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

An utterly compelling and truly original entry into the crowded crime genre. Highly recommended first purchase for all fiction collections.

Outlaw Duchess Rae Radley. That is all the reader needs to know. All the other characters pale in comparison to this beautiful, bad ass, willful, independent, smart, sassy 13yo girl who has been dealt the worst hands in life and keeps going going going.

Chief Walker. The other star in this story. The town Police chief struggling with his own health and his career ending because of it. His need to take care of Duchess and her little brother warms the heart of the reader.

Vincent King is serving time in prison for the murder of Sissy Radley. Star Radley is her sister and Vincent was Star's high school boyfriend. Coincidentally, Vincent is released and Star is murdered. Vincent is the prime suspect but let's not forget about Dicke Darke (Dickie Darkie) or the strange hippie man who lives next door to the Radleys or the Mechanic that lives across the street.

Every character in Chris Whitaker's third book is multi-layered and complex. From the Grandfather taking care of his daughter's children, whom he has never met, to the struggling single mom covering for her boyfriend. Everyone has lied and has secrets they won't tell. By the middle of the book, you assume everyone is lying.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last. His writing is beautiful and the characters he has created, unforgettable. I loved Duchess and her stand out personality and love for her little brother. She will remain one of my favorite characters of all time.

A solid five stars.

We Begin at the End is a cleverly plotted, engaging mystery I struggled to put down. This books is a good book because of solid plotting and a powerful sense of setting, but I loved it for the characters, who are well developed and so engaging. Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Duchess Day Radley is only 13 but she's an Outlaw. That's what she tells herself, and everyone else who tries to get close, through a torrent of fists, f-bombs, and put-downs. She has no time or patience for anyone else. She's too busy taking care of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and their mother, Star, an addict.

Walk is a small-town Chief of Police who has been friends with Star since they were kids and does his best to keep an eye on Duchess which opens him up to her wrath, which he takes without complaint. He's already been beating himself up for the past 30 years when he turned in his best friend, Vincent, at age 15 which sent him to prison.

Vincent has served his time and just gotten out, but the trouble is just beginning.

A whole cast of deep and complex characters all fighting the demons of their past. Everyone wants to do the right thing but nobody is really sure what that is or how to accomplish it. This book will break your heart, it will make you root for a happy ending, and it will make you want to give everyone a hug for all the pain they have endured.

This book started off slow for me and I'm glad I kept going, mostly for Duchess because I just loved that girl from the get-go. But it quickly picked up and I kept hoping and praying that all these deeply damaged characters found the connection they so deeply deserved. The ending both blew me away and crushed me. I highly recommend this one when it comes out in March 2021. In the meantime, this author has written 2 other books and you can join me in going back and reading them.

I want to thank #NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for an advanced copy of #WeBeginattheEnd.

13 year old Dutchess Radley, self proclaimed outlaw, is the unlikely star in this sweeping tale set in small town California and big sky Montana. Her take no prisoners attitude, along with her well-intentioned vengeance, set the stage for a narrative focusing on family and friend loyalty and the fallout of retribution.

“She watched old Westerns, read her books, knew that lives could be colored so boldly by revenge they blackened all the good a person might once have had.” “At times she felt so far from a place she had never been, like home was somewhere out there and calling, she just did not know how to find it.”

Dutchess cares for her 7 year old brother Robin in heartbraking and often times misguided ways, and many scenes between these siblings had this reader weeping. Mr. Whitaker’s other characters jump from the pages as they weave in and out of the story against the wonderfully written scenic backdrops. Quite simply, the type of storytelling that makes me passionate about reading.

Equal parts police procedural drama and love story, I will be highly recommending this novel from now through the March 2021 publishing date and beyond.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a book I didn’t want to put down. I found myself resenting every little thing that kept me from reading it. I was so involved with the characters. Their brokenness, their sense of justice, the overall tragedy of their lives, and yet, their deep and abiding love for each other. I laughed out loud more than a few times, despite how sad and tragic this book was on so many levels. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. It was that good. One of the best books I’ve ever read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

What an extraordinary book. Brilliant characters. Red herrings all over the place which leads to a mindblowing ending. Such a sad, sweet story of people's lives. I absolutely loved it.

This book is destined to be a classic. Its characters drive the book as each carries his/her flaws almost as a badge as they relate to each other and the past. Slow at times, this probably adds to the tension that seems to exist throughout.

This is the best book I've read all year! Yes, 5 stars AND the extremely rare "favorites" tag to my bookshelf. This is also one of those books that I wouldn't recommend to everyone because of its dark nature, but I still want everyone to read so I can talk about it with them.

This book couldn't have come at a better time. I've been home bound, like most of us during this pandemic, and nothing has taken my attention like this book. This is what I like to call a "frozen pizza" book. Meaning that is what my family will eat for dinner because I don't want to be pulled from the story any longer than that. I miss being so invested in certain character's lives that I will think about them long after I've turned the last page.

Duchess is likened to To Kill a Mockingbird's, Scout. I really think it's because of the commonality of her last name being Radley (as in Boo), but that's just my opinion. I will admit to seeing some similarities, but Duchess is a self declared Outlaw and takes it seriously. Her brother Robin had my heart and sympathy from the beginning. Then there's Walk, who was genuine (far from perfect) and the best friend a person could ever ask for. The story switches from both Duchess' and Walk's lives and struggles. I will miss all the characters that made up this amazing story and continue to think of them for a long time.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for honest review

What a book! I can't really find the words except the following:

Bold, heartbreaking, soul crushing choices by one impacts many others; deep abiding loves, lifelong friendships; tragedy following wrong choices followed by harm to the innocent. Amazing characters, incredible plotting! A few confusing/awkward sentences but overall very powerful. These characters are REAL.

I don't mind reading a longer book, especially when you're enjoying it and don't want it to end, but I felt my interest wane in some places and I wanted it to move a little quicker.


Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not a child. I am an outlaw.

A couple of years back I picked up an early copy of a book that no one was really talking about and that little book (She Rides Shotgun) ended up being the best thing I read all year. I picked up this little book that no one is really talking about yet because my friend Shelley sent me a DM saying she thought it would be right up my alley and since she isn’t much of a bookpusher I took her seriously and requested a copy pronto. And then . . . . .

W.O.W.

While not really alike as far as comparisons go, much like in She Rides Shotgun, We Begin at the End featured a storyline with a dead mama, steering clear of a potential bad guy, lots of grit and a leading lady in the form of a young girl that I absolutely fell in love with. This will easily go down as one of the best things I read this year (and it’s the time of the ‘Rona, so your girl be reading ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME.) and will be one of the rarities that stick with me for years to come.

All the Stars and highly recommended.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Thank You NetGalley for the ARC.
When I began We Begin At The End I was expecting a powerful story, but not one so emotionally draining. It took me completely off guard. In fact my first thought was not to review it - I knew it would be very well received and I didn’t want to accidentally mislead people in to thinking I didn’t like it because it was a mystery that was so disturbing. After a days reflection I accepted the book for what it was,an exceptionally well plotted tale packed with very real, very troubled characters. I realized that to escape from your own life in a book is not always a happy escape but one that can leave you a fuller person for it.

Absolutely riveting, heartbreaking, tragic and powerful. One of the best books of 2020.!

Watch this one from Chris Whitaker, this book will stay with you for a long, long time.
One of the most compelling books I’ve read in a long time.

Duchess Day Ridley will sweep you up. Fierce, wild, angry. She will break your heart. Wrapping you into her unforgettable family her mother Star, tragic, beautiful; her younger brother Robin, hopeful, looking for that perfect family, someone to love him unconditionally.

The compelling cast of characters from the little California seaside town of Cape Haven will haunt you long after you’ve put the book down. Walk, Chief of Police, Mr. Integrity. Vincent, bad boy looking for redemption, or is he?
Dickie Darke, strip club owner, wants to tear down everything in this small coastal town and replace it with high-end homes sought by the tourists. Regardless of who he destroys, how many families are left homeless and broken.

Do not miss the chance to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy for review. My comments are my own and in no way influenced by the author or NetGalley.

I know this book isn't out until March BUT the synopsis made me want to read it right away. I found the book thoroughly engrossing and devoured it in a day of suspenseful, terrifying reading. Chris Whitaker skillfully captures the gamut of the characters' emotions as they struggle through events for which no one could be prepared.

From the blurb of this book, I thought I had good idea of the subject material. Only in the broadest sense of human conduct unbecoming was I correct. This author kept me guessing until the end, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

This is the first book of this author I have read, but it will certainly not be the last. I love his writing style. I loved the character development. But most of all I loved how smoothly the story flowed. I urge those who are thinking of reading this story to do so now. All. The. Stars.