Family drama. Long buried mystery/murder. The pace of the book was a little slow and it read kind of choppy. More than once I felt like I missed something and was confused. Not a bad read. ( )

Loni Murrow has escaped her childhood existence in the humid swamp/marshlands of Florida to work as a bird portraitist at The Smithsonian in Washington DC. She is called back home to attend to her mother who has developed dementia. Her return unlocks secrets about her father who she thought committed suicide when she was twelve years old as well as her arduous relationship with her mother.

Beautifully written and exquisitely detailed, the mystery is slow to unravel and there are a few different story lines. The descriptions of Loni’s canoe trips along the mangroves in search of a purple gallinule were so vivid, I felt I was there with her seeing the glorious flora and fauna of the area. Her characterizations of some of the locals were equally striking. I especially liked the man with the “barbecue belly”!

This is not an edge of your seat thriller. Read it not so much for the suspense, but rather for the eloquent depictions that transport you to the unique and primeval marshlands of Florida. ( )

I really enjoyed this atmospheric novel, both in terms of the evocative Florida panhandle setting and the way the protagonist's work as a bird illustrator for the Smithsonian is woven into the story. It's elegantly written and does a good job of balancing deep dives into the characters' family relationships and the mystery surrounding the protagonist's father's suicide. So top marks for setting, character development, plot, and writing style.

When Loni Mae Murrow finds out her mother's health is quickly declining, she goes back home to help her brother take care of her. She plans to stay for just a couple weeks, until she finds a mysterious note among her mother's belongings.

"There are some things I have to tell you about Boyd's death."

Her father, long dead from a presumed suicide, is the subject of this note. What could it mean? Was his death more than a suicide? All while battling her mother's long-time coldness, working on projects for work, and a love interest that she isn't sure she wants to pursue, Loni must put together the pieces of her father's death. This means lots of dead ends from people who don't want to bring up the past. When intimidation attempts to get her off the trail become serious, Loni must decide whether the truth is worth uncovering....

Before I begin, this is a slow paced thriller. If you're looking for an adrenaline filled, fast paced suspense, this is not it. That being said, I felt small parts of this book dragged due to this. The larger part, though, was enjoyable. I specifically enjoyed how Hartman wrote about Loni's past in a way that was almost poetic. The strained family relationships felt extremely real to me. Hartman's descriptions of Florida's marshes and wildlife were beautiful, making me nearly smell and see these sights while reading. Her writing style is wonderful! Also, the plot twist and suspense at the end had me totally hooked. I was really invested in seeing how this all ended up. Add in a sweet romance? Winner! Overall, I thoroughly liked reading this novel. I would recommend it to everyone who is in search of a cozy, well written, slow paced thriller.

Content Warning: Mild use of language, non-graphic death of unborn child, mention of suicide and other crime-thriller related deaths ( )

Loni Mae Murrow, 36, has worked for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as a bird artist for nine years.

Her world is shaken when she gets a call from her 12-years-younger brother Phil in Tenetkee, Florida - her former hometown. Phil tells Loni that their mom Ruth has taken a fall, and has also been having memory issues. Phil and his wife Tammy have relocated Ruth to St. Agnes Home for physical and occupational therapy, and possibly a permanent move. Phil and Tammy need Loni’s help to go through Ruth’s things so they can rent out the house to help pay for her treatment.

Loni is able to get family leave that allows her to take off for up to eight weeks. The leave is granted without pay, but Loni is able to get piece work as a liaison at the nearby the Tallahassee Science Museum while she is in Florida. As it happens, Loni’s BFF from childhood, Estelle, is a curator there, and can indeed send some work Loni’s way.

While Loni is going through Ruth’s things, she finds a note from a woman named “Henrietta” who wrote: “Dear Ruth, There are some things I have to tell you about Boyd’s death.”

Boyd is Loni’s father who died at the age of 37 in an improbable accident out on the swamp in his boat. He worked at Fish & Game, and knew the swamp like the back of his hand. Loni has always believed the rumor that her dad committed suicide, because he wouldn’t have had an “accident” - and she wants to protect Phil from finding out.

Phil hardly knew his dad, and Loni never would broach the subject. For her, “talking about my dad is like touching an abscess. Fresh pain, long after the wound should have scabbed and mended.” But now they must, since Phil is trying to get the state to put up some money for Ruth’s care based on Boyd’s death while on the job. Loni knows that if Boyd committed suicide, there would be no compensation money.

Loni starts asking questions around town, and before long she is getting anonymous death threats.

Loni also begins taking a canoe out frequently to help her sketch some of the birds Estelle has requested pictures of. She fights an attraction to Adlai Brinkert, who runs the rental place, but doesn’t know whom she can trust.

Frank Chappelle, her dad’s former boss, finally tells Loni that her dad was involved in doing drug deals. Loni doesn’t think that can be right, and in any event, with the danger to her in the town, there is clearly still something that someone doesn’t want Loni to know.

Evaluation: The pace of this story is quite slow. While it may seem as if Boyd’s fate and the threats to Loni should take center stage, there is really much more time devoted to the flora and fauna of the swamp, the changing colors, and beauty of, the birds there, and the frustrations of trying to capture their essence by drawings on a page. ( )