The Body Below

Daniel Hecht keeps the reader moving along in this mystery. There are a few eccentric clues and fascinating people with character in a true sense of the word—banged up in the present and interesting stories and experiences as to how they got here. Though there’s not a lot of action, the pace seems right as you delve into small-town Vermont life as the protagonists, Conn and Celine—journalist and counselor respectively—augment law enforcement’s efforts to discover if Conn’s sister is dead and who may have killed her. You quickly learn that Conn and his sister were estranged but not the entire story until you get near the end. This has you questioning, commiserating and celebrating the ebbs and flows maneuvering through their and our individual lives’ defeats and victories.

This is a complex story involving themes of domestic and sexual violence against women, redemption, ethics and friendship which are expertly woven together by Hecht. The main characters of Conn, Céline, Mason and Selanski are fully drawn as we navigate this mystery. The question of what makes a good person when we all make mistakes is deftly explored from several different angles giving the reader plenty to think about once the story is over. This is one of the better psychological thrillers out there.

This was such a good mystery novel, it had everything that I was hoping for from the description. Daniel Hecht has a great writing style that I enjoyed a lot. It kept me engaged and getting to continue this mystery genre. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and thought the characters were what I was looking for. I can't wait to read more from Daniel Hecht.

"His working title was “Chief,” and he began the tale by stating, “Killing people is sometimes acceptable —sometimes necessary.” That got my attention. He told the story, then let me read his notes. When Conn was around eight, his family lived for a time in a house in one of Richfield’s outlying towns, right on Route 170, a narrow two-lane that served as the area’s main north—south thoroughfare. Truly, almost on it, according to Conn—the front wall of the house was only seven feet from the pavement."

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

The Body Below is absolutely a pulse pounding thriller that kept giving the reader just enough to keep them turning the page. The prose and characters are both expertly crafted as well.

This was a wonderful book. A great Thor ill er that kept me guessing the whole time. I would recommend this to all thriller lovers!