Have bought a range of more mature reads for the school library and this was a huge hit with staff and students alike. A good read that created plenty of opportunities for discussion -will definitely recommend

This book has been sitting on my Netgalley shelf for an age and I’m not sure why I left it so long to read, as I absolutely loved it!

I really liked the police aspect to it but also that it wasn’t your usual police procedural book. Bringing the personal aspect into the police side of things really added to it and made it all the more impactful.

This book is very hard hitting and covers so many different issues. I found the writing pitched perfectly between keeping you reading but also adding in the emotions that go along with it. Liz Moore is a brilliant author and I will be picking more up by her in the future.

Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC for an honest review. I listened to the audiobook through Libby, the library app.

Add this to your TBR if you enjoy dark, serious novels filled with emotional depth and suspense. It follows a tumultuous relationship between sisters who were brought up together and have taken very different paths. Mickey, who is a police officer and Kacey, who is in the grips of a opioid addiction. When Kacey goes missing and women starts turning up dead in their neighbourhood, Mickey feels compelled to uncover what really happened.

Writing this review 6 months after reading it - I must admit it is quite hazy in my memory which doesn't suggest that it captured me as much as I would have liked. I still rate the book highly because it was an intense, atmospheric read that pulls you into this dark humourless hole that explores how crippling addiction can get and what it does to whole communities and families. Mickey is the MC and we follow most closely throughout the book. I wouldn't say she is a likeable character - but this seems like the wrong way to describe it. She is just there and we are hearing her story. The tone doesn't really lift at all so it just feels hard to connect to her as the MC. It focuses on the flaws of humanity in individuals and in general. Mickey wants to desperately find her sister while also working a case which in turn leads to blunders and mostly making things worse.

Moore has created characters who are complex, flawed, and broken. She doesn’t impose any judgement but rather captures the realities of addiction. This book came out in 2020 and is definitely still very relevant now with so many headlines involving addiction and death recently.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Any book concerned with the opioid crisis will get my attention and this was no different. I thought Liz Moore's writing about addiction was moving and well-informed and the relationship between the main character and her addict sister was very well-written. I had an issue with the lack of speech marks - I try not to mind - but it turns out I do. And also that the front story - the crime solving story was not as good as the back story. However I did really feel for Mickey and I read this to the end and found parts of it very moving. I like that the author worked hard to expose the inevitably, sometimes-cavalier attitude of law enforcement to the death of drug addicts.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

The Long Bright River by Liz Moore is not a comfortable or easy book to read. It highlights the opiod crisis and addiction of all forms. It is a story about humanity, families, sisters, people and cities in crisis, love, forgiveness and hope.

omg i really enjoyed this one! i loved how different the story was, it wasn’t your typical procedural crime book and it focused a lot on the familial connections of the characters as well as the active murder case. it made the both a lot more intriguing to read as there were two storylines working alongside each other and i couldn’t put it down.

3.5 stars

thank you netgalley and penguin for the arc!

This book blew me away... Definitely in my top 10 reads for the year. Beautifully told story about two sisters, its an absolute eye opener and made me so upset and angry.. the drug addiction and the part pharma play in the big picture I was shook.

At the heart of the story is the sisterly love and connection. I highly recommend this book its amazing.

Tried multiple times to read this on my kindle but compatibility issues seem to be preventing it downloading properly. Unable to review. Apologies.

Thank you NetGalley,

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read

Mickey is a Philadelphia Police Officer and she has had a pretty rough time. mickey comes from a very complex family and is explored throughout the book. Her mother died of a drug overdose, her sister is a drug addict and prostitute, she is estranged from her father and her son's father is also a Police Officer.
When Mickey's sister goes missing the Police department don't seem too concerned, just another addict!! Mickey decides to take things upon herself to try to solve the case of the missing and murdered addicts.
This is a very good story with many layers, I highly recommend it.

i had heard so much about this and was looking forward to it. Unfortunately it wasn't for me. I couldn't get into it
at all. I thought it was going to be fast paced and it wasn't.. I gave it for as long as i could, but i did not finish it

This is very much more than a police procedural – it’s full of complex, authentic characters, and at the heart there’s a story about family, loss, poverty and hardship.
Mickey is a well-drawn and likeable main characters and this is very much her story. Her love and concern for her sister fells authentic and you really want to keep reading, to find out what has happened to her and for both to have a happy ever after, however far-fetched that might feel against the back drop of drug riddled, crime ridden inner city Philadelphia.
I was concerned that there might be judgement here, but drug issues and addiction are treated compassionately and realistically, with sympathy for those caught up in a system that puts the most vulnerable in society at risk.
Heartfelt and well-written, a recommended read.

Long Bright River features Mickey, a police officer who encounters addicts, sex workers and drug dealers on a daily basis through her work. Her sister is the polar opposite, a street worker who has gone missing. Given that there's been a spate of murders in the area, Mickey is understandably concerned for her sister, which gives her greater motivation to find the killer and put him away.

Against this plot is a backdrop of abusive childhoods and the impact this has, the issues of drug abuse and what happens when men abuse their power. It can be a tough read, but there's also hope here and plenty of food for thought.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Mickey Fitzpatrick has been patrolling the 24th District for years. She knows most of the working women by name. She knows what desperation looks like and what people will do when they need a fix. She's become used to finding overdose victims: their numbers are growing every year. But every time she sees someone sprawled out, slumped over, cold to the touch, she has to pray it's not her sister, Kacey.

When the bodies of murdered sex workers start turning up on the Ave, the Chief of Police is keen to bury the news. They're not the kind of victims that generate a whole lot of press anyway. But Mickey is obsessed, dangerously so, with finding the perpetrator - before Kacey becomes the next victim.

Firstly, thank you so much to Lydia at Cornerstone for sending me a copy of this novel.

This debut is absolutely incredible.

I was hooked right from the first page. The book explores the life of a female police officer and her hunt for a serial killer. The book was fast paced and a real page turner. I did not want the book to end.

I did not guess the ending and I cannot recommend this book enough!

I cannot wait to read more by this author

I was so looking forward to Long Bright River but unfortunately it just didn't live up to the book I was expecting. I found I wasn't gripped by it at all and had to push hard to get through.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as I was hoping to. I liked the idea behind it and the storyline, but it fell flat for me. I can see why some people love this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

An intense and compelling family thriller, I found it to be evocative and moving, keeping me hooked right up to the end.

Following a police officer as her city is plagued by a series of murders, but with each new body she visits the worry grows that this could be her troubled sister.
This was a long and peaceful mystery told with tender love. If you are looking for a fast-paced romp of a thriller you will not find it here. This is ultimately a story about familial love in a mystery wrapper.

Great quiet read.

Thank you Penguin Random House UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
This wasn't one for me. I found it too intense and didn't like the main characters and couldn't connect to them.
The story was ok but not one I'd recommend.