Penitence is the debut novel from Kristin Koval.

"A shocking murder happens in the home of Angie and David Sheehan. Their lives shattered, they turn to retiring lawyer Martine Dumont for help. Martine happens to be the mother of Angie's first love, Julian, who is now an attorney in New York. Julian is asked to help with the case. He says yes but must work through the secrets that he and Angie still share."

This is a melancholy story from Koval. There are not many good moments for any of the characters. The whole situation is tragic and awful. Koval's story looks at how families deal with secrets and tragedy and past choices.
There's a big twist - you'll mostly see it coming. I like Angie's ending. I would have liked resolution from one part of the story.

An interesting look at people and relationships from Koval.

Bookish thoughts: Author Kristin Koval wrote a beautiful debut novel about family drama, secrets, an unthinkable event and the aftermath of choices made. I love when stories center its plot around forgiveness and the struggles characters face on the journey of redemption.

I appreciated the author’s acknowledgment of where the inspiration came from for this book.

My only complaint is that I am not a big fan of nonlinear timelines so I had to make sure I paid attention.

Title: Penitence
Author: Kristin M.E. Koval (Debut Author)
Publisher: Celadon Books
Genre: Suspense, Family Drama
Pub Date January 28, 2025
My Rating: 4.2 Stars
Pages: 320

Story takes place in Lodgepole, Colorado a small ski town
Angie and David Sheehan have two children thirteen year old daughter, Nora and fourteen year old son Nico. Angie is an art teacher and David a park ranger, Nico has always been active as well as an excellent skier. However once he learned he had juvenile Huntington’s disease his life as well as family’s changed. The nightmare the family was experiencing turned to a horror movie as Nico is now dead and Nora is responsible.

The Sheehan’s hire lawyer Martine Dumont, who is the best lawyer in Lodgepole. However to add to this drama -Martine and Angie have history. Martine is the mother of Julian- Angie’s first love,
Angie and Julian were ‘THE’ couple in high school. And then something terrible that happened.

We learn Angie, Julian and Angie’s young sister Diana were out skiing when a tragic accident happened and Diana died. Ruled an accident when she hit a tree but guilt still follows both Angie and Julian.
Story goes back and forth between what is happening now and what happened nearly twenty years ago. Although the back story was somewhat slow I was curious and hang onto every word.

Things are looking bad for Nora and although Martine is working pro bono she doesn’t have a lot of experience. Daniel did research on her son Julian and saw he is one of New York City’s best criminal defense attorneys. Daniel asks Martine if perhaps her son might help.
Angie is furious with Daniel for asking. Julian is surprised about being asking and considers that helping Angie’s daughter might bring the release of guilt he has been carrying all these years

Nora kept me curious (I read a lot of thrillers and had an idea why she did it.)

No doubt the story stirs up many emotional, Felt terrible for Nora as well as Nico.
I was angry at times as well as liked and disliked these adults, with all their drama and secrets.
~Some of the secrets weren’t all THAT secretive. ~
However the entire story held my attention and I will definitely read another story by Ms. Koval.
In fact, thank You Ms. Koval for this GREAT debut!!!!

I believe this story would be great for a book club discussion.

As for Penitence – I did look up the difference between penance and penitence…Penance refers to a prescribed act of atonement for sins, as guided by religious authority.
Penitence, however, is an internal state of remorse or regret for past wrongdoings, which can lead to acts of penance.
I also enjoyed the author’s “Acknowledgements” -definitely worth reading.
Ms. Koval thanks the many who helped in her journey in writing this additionally tells readers her inspiration for this story is personal. - One of being forgiving as well as forgiving others. Also that fratricide might be the framework for a novel about forgiveness.
The meaning of fratricide - Is the killing of one's brother or sister.
Also the accidental killing of one's own forces in war-s
Such as in the Vietnam War were fratricide increases because of the close-in jungle fighting.

Want to thank NetGalley and Celadon Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 28, 2025.

I love having a new author to follow!
Family story set in Colorado. We are introduced to them as the daughter, Nora, is arrested for shooting her brother Nico to death and the parents, Angie and David, need a lawyer fast. Nora is only 13 and is being held by the police so of course you would want the best attorney and fast.

Who do they turn to? Martine, the mother of Angie's old boyfriend Julian, who is himself a defense attorney; he plays a large role in the entire story, not just the criminal defense part. Are the past and the present intertwined? Oh yes.

I expected this would be a story of why Nora did it, as she admitted to doing, but that was not the center of the story. What Angie and Julian had was a somewhat typical boyfriend/girlfriend relationship that was cut short by Martine and this one act changed the course of life for all of them.

I definitely look forward to this author writing more! It's a very comfortable read and one that you will say to yourself, just one more chapter....

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

A thought provoking book about grief, love, and family. A well written debut novel with well developed characters!

This was a tough read because of the serious subject matter, but it was well-written. It kept me engaged and caring about the characters. I’d definitely read more by this author.

This story is tragic and deep. Most times dark and sad. Nora, a 13 year old girl shoots and kills her brother. Now a mother and father has to navigate life with a child that is murdered and a child that is the murderer. While burying one, and trying to support the other at court hearings you see how they cope, place blame, self soothe and try to carry on. The lawyer defending Nora is her mother's ex-boyfriend from long ago. You do get their back story from the past which involves a separate tragic incident. And secrets from that incident carries on through current times. There was a twist in the story which was very welcomed, almost like you were reading a mystery. It made me even more interested to keep turning the pages. In the end you find out if forgiveness can be attained. You can put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself if you could act in the same way as they did. Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy. I really enjoyed this debut novel by Kristin Koval.

What an amazing debut novel!! Penitence by Kristin Koval grabbed my attention with the first paragraph; the richly drawn, complex characters and the complex, interlacing storyline kept me riveted throughout. This is one of my favorite reads of the year!

Thirteen-year-old Nora Sheehan has murdered her 14-year-old brother Nico. Their parents, Angie and David, struggle to come to grips with the horrific shock of knowing their daughter has deliberately killed their son as they try to get help for their daughter. David turns to neighbor and lawyer Martine Dumont for help with Nora's defense. Martine, a small-town lawyer who knows a murder trial is out of her expertise, asks her son Julian, a NYC criminal defense attorney (and Angie's first love) to assist in the case.

This dark and emotional read is a story of two families told in two timelines (with a family tragedy happening in each of them) from the POV of most of the main characters. It looks at family loyalty, grief, loss, anger, blame, guilt, remorse, regrets, redemption and forgiveness.

This powerful debut novel is beautifully written and executed. I look forward to reading Kristin Koval's next book!

My thanks to Celadon Books for allowing me to access a DRC of this novel via NetGalley. Publication is 1/28/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

This book was a lot! What a first novel - complex, dark and overall well written. Koval obviously understands the dark and light of humans deeply. While I didn’t find myself championing any of the characters, you are left with a feeling of hope for each and everyone of them. This is a long and detailed book but at the end you will find yourself challenged and reflecting on humanity. It’s not an easy read, but it’s worthwhile. Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read Penitence in exchange for an honest review.

Penitence will pull you into the story from the first paragraph!
Angie and David Sheehan live in their small Colorado hometown, and have been peacefully raising their two children, Nico and Nora. After a heartbreaking medical diagnosis, they regroup, with Angie refocusing all of her energies on her sick child.
But, then, the unspeakable happens: 13 year old Nora fatally shoots her 14 year old brother. My expectation was that the focus would be on the two children, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, Penitence takes a deeper look at the stories of Angie and David, Martine (their neighbor and lawyer), and Julian, Martine’s son and Angie’s former partner.
I felt there was a missed opportunity for education about Huntington’s disease. Nico was introduced to us suffering from this fatal illness, but his story was only on the periphery. The combination of illness, legal matters, and strong character development did, however, remind me of the earlier style and subject matter tackled by Jodi Picoult.
Penitence definitely didn’t go in the direction I expected, but it was still a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Koval. Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read Penitence in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts off looking like a legal thriller but it is really a character driven novel of love, recovering from tragedy, and forgiveness. I struggled with the slow pace of the story as well as the abundance of broken characters. Although the characters were all fully developed, I didn't like any of them. The story was well written, and sometimes very moving, but it progressed at such a snail's pace that I had trouble concentrating on the multitude of subplots and flashbacks. I admit that I may be in a minority in my judgement and that maybe this book just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced reader copy.

I was intrigued by the description of this debut novel, so I was excited to be approved for an ARC from NetGalley (thank you!). I was immediately drawn into this family drama. I thought the author did a phenomenal job of developing the characters, and I enjoyed the way she told the story in dual timelines. Despite being centered around a murder, this is not a mystery; it is a poignant story of family tragedy. I look forward to Koval’s next novel!

"Penitence" by Kristin Koval is a difficult and heart-wrenching read. Readers who are sensitive to books with plots that include the death of a child, dementia, or childhood trauma/violence will probably want to steer clear of this one. I don't want to give any of the plot away, but I can say that this is a very heavy read that will break your heart over and over. The characters and plot are very well-developed, especially for a debut. The story is complex and rich, weaving together several related storylines of loss, secrets, forgiveness, and redemption. This book would make an excellent book club pick as the moral issues the characters face will lead to lively discussions. This book was particularly interesting to me as a former criminal defense attorney, but anyone interested in the criminal justice system or in family dramas will want to add this book to their TBR list. This tear jerker is filled with flawed but very realistic characters that any reader will recognize in their friends and neighbors. At first, I was a little disappointed with the ending, but the more I thought about it (and think about it I did-I can't get this book off my mind), I came to the conclusion that the ending is exactly right.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book. More please, Ms. Koval!

thank you net galley for the arc.this was an emotinal and powerful read. nora shoot her brother who was just diagnosed with huningtons diesease.and her mom ex boyfreind comes from new york to help with the case.

Penitence is one of those books that grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. A young teen girl shoots and kills her brother. The story goes back and forth from past to present with insight into the family dynamics and and the parent’s past history. There is much drama with this family’s trauma of loosing one child to a violent death and another child who is facing a long prison time for the murder of her brother.
The final question of why this tragedy actually happened is never revealed. I was disappointed and a little frustrated with the ending. For that reason I gave it four stars instead of five.

3 stars-Nora shoots and intentionally kills her brother who has been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. That was what caught my attention. Why did she shoot her brother? What was her life like up until the trial? I was bummed that Nora was really just a minor character and plot in the story. This book was really about her mom, Angie, and her mom’s boyfriend from the past, Julian. Angie’s husband hires Julian’s mom to represent Nora for the murder. And…Julian just happens to be a criminal defense lawyer. So we get SO MUCH (mostly uninteresting) backstory of the two and their parents…and I flipped some pages. Still backstory…more pages flipped. I would have liked to have seen this written in multiple POV’s and for the story to center around Nora. Those are my thoughts, many other reviewers have loved this book. I think my expectations about what it was not matching what it turned out to be made this one a miss for me. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

For a book that overall moves slowly it packs a series of emotional punches. I started this one on audiobook and I liked the narrator a lot. I thought it made the story move a little better actually. I moved to the physical book because I wanted to finish it quickly. This is a book of a series of moral questions and I’m not sure I agree with where any of them landed, but that’s life and it’s grey and messy. Nora who is only thirteen shoots and kills her brother (who had just been diagnosed with Huntington’s) and then calls 911. Despite signs of a mental health crisis she is charged as an adult and her mother’s ex-boyfriend comes from New York to help with her defense. This book was beautiful but in all of the saddest ways even if it’s trying to explore the idea of forgiveness. It was a great book and I would definitely read more by this author.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I wasn't taken with this book or the storylines. A sister shoots her brother, small town, lawyer with a past/connection to the town, etc. I felt like the character development was a little all over the place and this one just didn't grab me.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

This book was complex and messy, which is a really good thing as a reader this type of fiction. This story has several primary characters and 2 alternating timelines with some backstory of the supporting characters. The topics are heavy, but the characters felt real. They made terrible decisions, they were unlikable at times, but they felt human.

The author was able to weave several supporting plots into the main plot in a way that enriched the characters rather than provide distraction. I really do wish that we got more into Nora's motivation and her thought process. We got some explanation and also had to do some guessing with her. While her actions were central to the book, I felt we should have had more discussion around her and what she did.

Wow, what a wild ride this book was! I was super excited to read it because of the dual Colorado (where I live now) and New York (where I was born and raised) settings, and the mysteries behind the two tragedies intrigued me. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. I was heartbroken for many of the characters throughout the whole book, and got so angry at some of the decisions they made. I didn’t love how a few things were never explained, and I guessed a few of the big twists well before their reveals, but I still really enjoyed it. Each character felt rich and well-developed, and I really felt like I was in the vividly-described locations - the industrial, isolated, juvenile detention center, the sunny but cold and snow-filled ski slopes, the picturesque town of Lodgepole, and the varying neighborhoods of New York City. I would highly recommend this book and hope to read more by this author soon!