GROUP B BOOKS 2023-2024: 10 Nominated books. Vote for no more than 5.

B10 Type: Literary Mystery What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins, 2021 / MVLC: 33

Basics · Protagonist: There are two, Isaac and Lorrie, both living as neighbors along the coast, each having had to deal with the violent death of a son; one was murdered by the other who then killed himself. · Briefly: After violent crimes, how do people "move on"? What comes after? · Setting: Contemporary coastal area of Washington State. · Context: This is the author's first book, a standalone literary crime fiction novel. · % of Amazon readers giving 5-star ratings: 46% · Combined % of Amazon readers giving either 4 OR 5-star ratings: 79% · Total all Amazon ratings this book: 2,171 Long Form After the shocking death of two teenage boys tears apart a community in the Pacific Northwest, a mysterious pregnant girl emerges out of the woods and into the lives of those same boys’ families—a moving and hopeful novel about forgiveness and human connection. In misty, coastal Washington State, Isaac lives alone with his dog, grieving the recent death of his teenage son, Daniel. Next door, Lorrie, a working single mother, struggles with a heinous act committed by her own teenage son. Separated by only a silvery stretch of trees, the two parents are emotionally stranded, isolated by their great losses—until an unfamiliar sixteen-year-old girl shows up, bridges the gap, and changes everything. Evangeline’s arrival at first feels like a blessing, but she is also clearly hiding something. When Isaac, who has retreated into his Quaker faith, isn’t equipped to handle her alone, Lorrie forges her own relationship with the girl. Soon all three characters are forced to examine what really happened in their overlapping pasts, and what it all possibly means for a shared future. With a propulsive mystery at its core, What Comes After offers an unforgettable story of loss and anger, but also of kindness and hope, courage and forgiveness. It is a deeply moving account of strangers and friends not only helping each other forward after tragedy but inspiring a new kind of family. -------- Named a top beach read of summer by Oprah Daily, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal, and more “Nail-biting wallop of a debut . . . a thoughtful, unexpectedly optimistic tale.” —The New York Times “[A] story about forgiving the unforgivable, gaining new family, and hope.” —Shondaland.com “What Comes After is a poignant and suspenseful debut novel about the tensions of love, anger, courage, forgiveness, and everything in between. . . . unforgettable . . . an impressive debut by an author who is clearly here to stay.” —Bookreporter "I thoroughly enjoyed it--good writing, good character development with themes of abandonment, redemption, kindness, soul searching and creating a new family from tragedy. [It's a literary mystery where] it's all about character development unfurling with the mystery being secondary. It would make for a good discussion about the characters and their motivations, [even though] the mystery is given away about 3/4 of the way through the book. It is not the traditional type of book we do, but ... overall, I'd say it's a good book." –Leslie Suggested as a popular "literary mystery" by Maddy, read by Leslie who found it to be a worthwhile read (see her comments above), that's how it got onto the nomination list. –Dick Awards for this Book § Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction 2022 - Finalist § Washington State Book Award for Fiction 2022 - Finalist § Edgar Award, Best First Novel by an American Author 2022 - Finalist