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Any city-dweller thinking of moving to the countryside for a simpler, more wholesome place to bring up their kids should read this book. And then not go. Especially if they're a liberal East Coast American moving to the small town of Haeden, New York. Dominated by a massive industrial dairy farm, Haeden is definitely not a rural paradise. A perfect storm of few jobs, low incomes, outdated attitudes and limited horizons, it's the scene of the disappearance, torture and eventual murder of local barmaid Wendy White. Incoming reporter Stacy Flynn, newly-appointed editor of the town's paper, hopes the case will make her career and enable her to up sticks back to the big city. But she also has a strong feminist streak and is desperate to find Wendy before she comes to harm. She badgers the local police chief to take adequate action to no avail. In town longer than Stacy, medic-turned-organic-smallholder Gene, his doctor partner Claire and their daughter Alice are still outsiders after well over ten years. Not only are they highly educated but they hold left-wing views and their good friend Constant is from Beirut. Claire, for one, has realised they don't fit in and longs for the conversation of like-minded souls. The experience has, however, made Alice extremely self-reliant. Hofmann inserts clues so subtly that it's likely you'll want to go straight back to page one on finishing so you can pick up on everything you missed first time around. The narrative trail is littered chock-full of distracting side-paths and hidden meanings. Even when you think you know whodunit, enough doubt and unease remain to keep you hooked. The quick-changing focus from one character to another can at times feel like a series of disjointed snapshots rather than the smooth unfolding of a drama. This makes it hard to relate to some of the cast members. Claire, Gene and Constant's shared past and life-views are intriguingly depicted but many of the other characters feel a little flat. That said, the atmosphere of the town and throw-back attitudes of its inhabitants feel very real. If Haeden had a tourist board this is definitely a publication it would want to suppress. §Lisa Kahlua is a writer based in Bristol. She enjoys reading a wide range of fiction, as long as it's not too gruesome.
Reviewed by Lisa Kahlua, May 2012
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