Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the advance listen and read. I really did enjoy this story. Felt as if the characters were real people. The narrator was okay. It was hard to tell which character in the story he was at times. Could not tell when it was a female character. Also sometimes the chapter would start with one character then immediately switch to a different character in the same chapter. I enjoyed reading about all the people and how their lives unfolded within the story. I did get irritated the Duchess but had to remember she had been through a lot and that and this was her way of dealing with it all. As I said felt so real. I would recommend this book to others.

REALLY enjoyed this one. I had a very brief issue in the beginning with some of the writing and sentence structure that made me a bit nervous, but I plugged through that pretty quickly and then just got lost in an amazing tale of small town life. The highlight of this book for me was the raw and real characters. Good or bad, all the characters were well-developed and intertwined in such a detailed and twisted way that I loved them all, even when I didn't like them all that much. Walk and Duchess could have carried the entire book from beginning to end, but I was pleasantly surprised with the addition of Hal, Dolly and Thomas Noble half way through. I honestly can't recall the last book I read with the nuance of characters that this one had, so if characters are your thing, this is a must-read for you.

Moving on to the storyline, again, incredibly well-written. There were details and intricacies that didn't have to be there, but the fact that they were, and the way they were included, helped weave a compelling tale of small town living, dysfunctional families, tragedy and overcoming it (or not, depending on your perspective), love, loss, forgiveness, survival and resilience. It's ALL there, but written in a way that isn't overwhelming or drawn out. Not once did I even think, "Get to the point!"

If I had any criticism, it would be that Duchess was almost too rough, and I would have liked to see a few different outcomes. But those are personal preference based on my connections with the characters, and not a true criticism of the book itself.

I have only a handful of books I've rated 5 stars - I don't give them out often, and an author has to really work for that with me. And it's been so long since I've given a 5-star review I originally marked this as 4 stars. But in writing the review, and replaying this book in my head, I realized how much I honestly and truly enjoyed it, and that it earned a 5-star review.

Twists and turns galore! We Begin at the End is full of them, some you see coming, some you don’t. At least, that was my experience with Chris Whitaker’s work!

To have such a young character as Duchess grow and unfold this story alongside Walk, who was coming to the end of his career seeing his mortality in the mirror, seemed an unlikely pair to headline a book. For me, it was
the perfect pair. They were uniquely different, but both totally driven to care for and protect
those they loved. What wouldn’t they do to that end? Nearly nothing it seemed.


Some beautiful scenic settings in California and Montana were well-described by the author, only adding to the intensity of the story. It’s not often that I can actually see myself in the backdrops authors describe, but there was no problem doing so in the case.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity the read and offer my thoughts.

Wow. Just wow. I don’t even know how to start my review of this book except just to say that it was amazing.
I didn’t know that much about this book going in and I’m glad I didn’t. We meet Duchess Day Radley at the beginning of the book who is a self-proclaimed “outlaw”. You will meet her and her family and they will warm your heart and break it too. I loved the description of the characters and also the setting. It had a mystery element that made you want to keep reading.
I was sad when I finished the book because I didn’t want my time with the characters to end. I wished I would have spent more time highlighting quotes in my book because there were so many good ones.
Grab this book now so you can fall in love with these characters too!




Thank you #netgalley and #henryholtandco for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A list of three things I wanted to do immediately after finishing this book:

1. Hug it
2. Reread it
3. Press it into the hands of every bookworm I know

I cannot recommend it enough. ALL THE STARS. The sibling relationship between the Radley children, Duchess and Robin, left an indelible mark on my heart. Right next to the one left by Meg and Charles Wallace. But it doesn’t stop there. The prose is beautiful, and the story itself is probably one of the most finely-crafted mysteries I’ve ever read. Read this when you are in the mood for a book that is part suspense novel, part love story for the ages, and part study of friendship and loyalty versus morality and justice. It is Beartown by Fredrik Backman meets This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. Best paired with two cocoas and a small cupcake with a single candle in it. XO, Tara

We Begin at the End is a powerful story that's equally heartbreaking and uplifting. There's a diverse and tragic cast of characters, with the most memorable being Duchess Day Radley, a 13-going-on-30 girl whose life has made her tough, resilient and profane.

The story is set in a California coastal town and the wilds of Montana, and traces the effects of a 30-year-0ld killing on the entire community.

Duchess holds day-to-day responsibility for her small brother and their mother, who has borne one too many tragedies to remain functional. Police Chief Walker keeps an eye on the family, out of loyalty borne of childhood friendship.

The mysteries at the heart of the story are well paced, and there's a vivid sense of place in both locales -- but what really sets this book apart are the relationships. Author Chris Whitaker shows how fragile and yet how enduring family ties and friendships can be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for an advance readers copy.

Overall I thought the story was good and it had strong characters. But man was it a slow burn and I struggled to finish it. However, my biggest issue with this book was the writing. There were a couple of times it was confusing and I had to re-read the sentence. POV jumped around and I would have to guess who it was. Even though I liked the character of Chief Walker, why did the author have to keep calling him Walk? Nobody else in the story called him by this nickname.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company and Chris Whitaker for a copy of "We Begin at the End" in exchange of an honest review.

Well, well, well, this was certainly an unexpected surprise.

A story of murder, redemption, forgiveness and so much more. Whitaker does a fabulous job with character and plot development.

My thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for this advanced readers copy. This book released in March 2021.

This is a story of family, given versus chosen. It is also a did he really do it kind of story. It was my first read by Chris Whitaker. It was a little confusing at first on the point of view at times, but it was an interesting story.

This is one of the best novels I have ever read. The writing is beautiful, the characters as real as a sunset. Central to the story is thirteen year old Duchess Radley and Walk, chief of police in Cape Haven. They are forever intertwined by a tragedy from the past. That tragedy is a dark cloud hanging over them and much of the events that take place in the story. This is one where, even though the plot is twisty and intricate, that matters little. Giving a synopsis cheapens how utterly brilliant the novel is. Just read it.

"We Begin At The End" started out for me as a five star read, but by the end of the book I was firmly at a 3. I was really surprised by by that because I was so hopeful that this would be a five star read for me! The things that did work for me in the book were all plot based. The author, Chris Whitaker, does an excellent job setting the scene, creating mystery, and then adding to that mystery through the course of the novel. There were several plots to follow and enough suspense to keep me turning the page. What didn't work for me were the characters, who were *very* character-y. Duchess, one of the main characters, in particular just felt like too much. She had a laundry list of character traits that were all brought out at the same time and it was difficult for me to buy into the character or imagine her as a real 13 year old girl. Towards the end of the book the plot started to weaken for me as things were tied up a little too neatly. Despite that, I would still read another book by this author to see if those issues carried over or not.

This book reminded me a lot of the Longmire novels. I kept seeing the actor who played Longmire in the TV adaptation as I read, and I mean that in the best possible way--I'm not a big reader of Westerns but I loved Longmire and I ended up really enjoying this book! It was a hard read for me, as I struggle to keep going when kids are hurt, but I'm glad I finished it. The plotting is really well done and intricate. The characters are compelling and unique. I ached for the central children in the story--what a very hard road for them. I'm still thinking about this book!

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker has a depth of characters and intriguing plot. This book takes the reader up and down, forward and backward, and will not be forgotten easily.

This story, this writing, by this author is mesmerizing. It's been a long time since I have read something so good. I read the last 10% of the book twice. All of the characters, the places, the homes, the feelings & emotions were all so very present and visible. You know how sometimes on a rare event you read a book and you can't stop thinking about what the characters went through and what they were left with after having gone through such extreme challenges in life, and you just want to talk to somebody about them and even try to help them, and then you have to remind yourself that they are just characters in a book? Well that is how this book left me.

So what is it about? It is about being born into a dysfunctional family and dealing with challenges on a daily basis, it is about a singular childhood event that shapes the life's of so many, it is about self worth and lack thereof, of finding a place to belong in this world and making sacrifices for yourself and for others on a daily basis, growing up and growing old, the inability to move forward, hope for the future, it is a mesmerizing story about so many people in one small town and then beyond who make horrific and life changing decisions that effect everything and everyone. So We Begin at the End, each time, after a life changing event and we pick ourselves up and begin again.....

A huge thank you to Netgalley, and the author for allowing me to read an early edition of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

We Begin At The End is absolutely as stunning as everyone says it is and I think demand for this is only going to increase as more people read this gorgeously heartfelt novel. This is 100% amazing and definitely one of the best novels of 2021. Very very highly recommended.

Free ARC from NET GALLEY

Duchess, Robin, and Star. Not my usual fare but wonderful writing. The "star" has truly fallen here but Duchess is true human royalty throughout the story. What a pleasant surprise.

Wow! Quite possibly the best book I have ever read,

This is a beautiful written, heart breaking read.. The characters are loyal, flawed, and so much more than they seem.

“None of us are any one thing. We’re just a collection of the best and worst things we’ve done.”

This is a story about people who have gotten a raw deal. It’s about hardships and our hope in humanity.. It is about the family you are given and the family you choose. It is about crippling grief, regrets, revenge, hope forgiveness, friendship and love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co publishing, and Chris Whitaker for the ARC. This story will stick with me for a long time.

Duchess is a troubled young girl, marked by a life filled with tragedy and deprivation. Forced to grow up too soon In order to survive and take care of her 6-year-old brother, Robin, she’s hardened herself to protect herself from pain. Any softness in her is reserved for Robin, a sweet boy who wants nothing more than a family to call his own.

The bond between brother and sister was touching and their search for belonging is heart-wrenching. These children have known more pain and loss than any person should have to endure at such a young age. Yet, still more tragedy and loss is coming.

This is a murder/revenge tale, that began 30 years ago, and continues to the present. It’s a book filled with pain and violence, but it’s the characters that wormed their way into my heart. All are vividly drawn and have a thread that connects them in one way or another to the tragedy that occurred 30 years ago. This event set a course that changes all of their lives. So much happens in this novel that to talk about the plot would involve spoilers.

But the characters!

- Walk, the small town sheriff, has struggles of his own but will stop at nothing to protect the children and seek justice for them. His best friend, Vincent, has just been released from prison after a 30 year sentence. Walk has never stopped believing in him, while Vincent has never forgiven himself.
- Hal, the grandfather, is a character that reminds me of the ones in Kent Haruf’s novels. He’s a man of few words but deep character.
- Dolly is a woman who knows pain but has a heart of gold. She can break through Duchess’s defenses when no one else can.
- And then there’s sweet Thomas Noble, a young boy who is also an outcast, and proves himself to be a great friend to Duchess.

This is an intricate tale with many surprises along the way that I didn’t see coming. This gripping emotional story took hold of my heart and wouldn’t let go, bringing me to tears more than once.

However, as much as I fell in love with Duchess, I do wish her tough exterior had been more nuanced. Her language and precociousness didn’t always ring true to me as the way a child (or even an adult) would talk.

It took a while for me to get into the story but my patience was rewarded. Once the setting moved to Montana, I couldn’t put it down. This is a book to savor, and one I won’t soon forget. The layers of this story are slowly revealed with a final reveal that was shocking and heart breaking.

OMG how I loved this book! This book is heart-wrenching. But I couldn’t stop reading this story about the various characters in a Washington town deeply impacted by the death of a little girl 30 years earlier. I just really needed to know that Duchess and Robin would be okay and teared up several times while reading their story. This book will stay with me for a long time – how a 13-year-old mothers her younger brother, how a man sticks by his friend for 30 years, how a grandfather doesn’t give up for 13 years. I won’t write anymore because I don’t want to give anything away. I think readers should go into this book not knowing much about it. Run, don't walk, to get this book.

I'm taking all the stars I have for the rest of the year and throwing them all at this amazing book! I'm not okay, and I sincerely don't know if I will ever be okay after spending time in Duchess Day Radley, Outlaw's world. I think we all know that life isn't fair, but this girl is seriously dealt some of the harshest blows in life and the hits keep coming for her and her brother. The things she sees and learns and the decisions she is forced to face are unfathomable. She's just a child, but her reality is beyond harsh. There is a never-ending supply of characters to love - Duchess, Robin, Walk, Thomas Noble. The list goes on. There are just a handful of stories that remain with me over the years, but this one shoots to the top of the list as unforgettable in it's harsh and haunting themes.