A River Red with Blood

As I listened to this audiobook, I found myself completely absorbed in the world of the Kennebec River Valley. Connolly's prose is as evocative as ever, painting vivid pictures of the landscape and the characters that inhabit it. I particularly enjoyed the way the author layered the story, gradually revealing more about the past and its connection to the present. The pacing is well-balanced, hurtling forward at a breakneck pace yet pausing to allow the listener to absorb the impact of key revelations. Where I would have liked to see more development was in the character of Emily, the young woman whose disappearance sets the story in motion. At times, I felt like she was more a plot device than a fully fleshed-out person. Still, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise gripping narrative that's sure to leave listeners on the edge of their seats.