Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler
Summary: Set in the 1980s, Ashes to Water is an atmospheric story of a small-town Florida murder and one young woman’s reluctant involvement in its resolution.
When Annie Bartlett returns home to bury her murdered father, she confronts the woman arrested for the crime, only to discover reasons to fight for the woman’s acquittal. This pits her against her erratic and unwell sister, Leigh, whose very survival may depend on a guilty verdict.
Annie soon becomes snarled in the social and political dynamics of the town, a wrenching attraction to her old boyfriend, and the emotionally difficult business of sorting out her estranged father’s tangled past. Obstructing Annie further are “visits” from her mother, who drowned in Widow Lake when Annie was nine. As her attempts to solve her father’s murder lead to more bloodshed, Annie finds herself a suspect in a plot not of her making, and a threat to the town’s movers and shakers, suddenly very anxious to see her gone. When Annie’s father is finally laid to rest in the lake that claimed her mother, Annie glimpses in his sinking ashes the flashing glints of hope and healing.
My Thoughts: While I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t one that I felt I couldn’t put down. I was able to take my time reading it, and didn’t feel I had to keep going to get to the bottom of the mystery. There’s definite mystery, and I think the answer to the question of “who” will surprise you – it sure surprised me! It was nice to not figure it out before it was revealed. Again, this is definitely a mystery, but I would not call it thriller. In my mind, a thriller is something that keeps me on the edge of my seat, unable to read fast enough to find out how it all works together. That wasn’t the case here. It was a good mystery, though.
What I liked: The characters (most of them) were great! Annie was full of depth and character, as was Leigh. Most of the characters were people I felt I knew a good amount about, and I didn’t feel there was no depth to them. Another plus is that I had no idea (until I read the “About the Author” blurb at the end) that this book has a prequel! I never once felt like I was missing out on something, or that I didn’t have the information that I needed to understand what was happening.
What I didn’t like: It seemed too obvious to me who Eugene’s father was. I think it was meant to be a surprising revelation once revealed, but it just wasn’t. Also, I don’t like how everything worked out. No one was forced to face legal repercussions to their actions. No, this isn’t meant to be a legal thriller, but an arrest or two at the end would have been nice.
Despite my misgivings and unanswered questions, I did enjoy this book. It was an enjoyable read, and I will definitely be looking for the prequel, Rules of the Lake: Stories.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Source: Received through Crazy Book Tours for review.
Read It: Get your own copy HERE.
FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.
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[...] Ziegler wrote Ashes to Water, a book that I really enjoyed reading last year. It was very interesting, and I still remember it [...]