📚 2024 #43: “Holy City” by Henry Wise

📕 This book tells the story of a man's return to his hometown after spending 10 years away. Will Seems is working as deputy sheriff and trying to find where he fits into this rural town in Southern Virginia when things take a sudden turn with an apparent homicide. Will is now faced with investigating the crime, putting the pieces together on a case that the rest of the town seems to want to put to rest as quickly as possible.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5: This is Wise's first novel and I'm impressed by the story overall. The characters and their relationships felt nuanced and real; I only wish some had been fleshed out a little more. As interesting as the plot was, I found it hard at times to stay fully engaged in the story. There was a lack of tension-building and suspense that I'm used to, but at the same time it felt fitting with the slow, no-fuss setting of the rural South. I'd definitely consider reading future work's by this author and the audiobook narrator was great!

🤓 You should read this if you enjoyed "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver or "The Reformatory" by Tananarive Due.

🥰 Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Henry Wise's debut novel, HOLY CITY, immediately got my attention because of SA Cosby's blurb - I will literally read anything that SA Cosby recommends. Will Seems, a newly-returned deputy sheriff to his rural Southern Virginia hometown, finds himself entangled in a murder investigation that dredges up long-buried memories. Will has family trauma that stems prior to his exile from the town. He is confronted by his no-contact sister, his absentee father, the memories of his deceased mother, and the struggles of his impoverished hometown, Will has plenty of reasons to walk away. However, when a man whose family welcomed him with open arms is accused of the crime, Will becomes determined to clear his name, despite the Sheriff’s efforts to close the case swiftly.

This book is very much a character-driven novel and was not what I was expecting. HOLY CITY isn't a bad book by any means, but I prefer plot-driven mysteries over character-driven ones. This book will be great for fans of Chris Whitaker. I am middle of the road when it comes to this book because I appreciated how the story developed, but it just wasn't for me.

Holy City is a superb debut of Southern noir. Flawed characters, many grossly so, create a sense of place where coming back stirs up the memories of the past complete with all the feelings. I enjoyed the well written novel and the audio reader was the perfect choice, soothing voice that help ground you in place. I did feel the tension that race played throughout the book, but it does seem like you have to remind yourself while listening that this town is still dealing with their opinions since there are plantations and old school thinking still around. Grab this one if you enjoy SA Crosby who also seems to have loved this one!

Synopsis:
Will Seems, a newly-returned deputy sheriff to his hometown in rural Southern Virginia, attempts to solve a murder investigation that continues bringing up the past. Between a no-contact sister, a father who refuses to return, the memory of his deceased mother, and an impoverished town, Will has many reasons to leave. But when the man who's family welcomed him with open arms is accused of murder, Will is determined to clear his name despite the attempts of the Sheriff to have the case closed as quickly as possible.

Review:
Very well written story. The descriptions and cadence of the book were very spot on to a small-southern town. I enjoyed the book, but I felt like there were many pieces of the story were not given the justice of being fully fledged like they could have been. There was information given that you felt would end up being a much bigger part of the story but ended up either just being extra or being anti-climatic.

Audiobook Review:
Narrator Chris Henry Coffey was a great choice for this book. Being set in Southern Virginia, his accent was just enough to have the Southern feel without being overly done. Inflection was barely changed when voicing other characters, so that could be confusing at times.

Book Title: Holy City
Author: Henry Wise - Debut Author
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Chris Henry Coffey
Publisher: RB Media
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 352
Will Seems left his home to rural Virginia after a tragedy. Will returns home to try and right the wrongs created in his youth. I
Will faces his past by connecting with family and friends. I He is now going to be a deputy sheriff in the poor area filled equally with plantations and old school relationships.
Will owes a favor to a friend and it becomes clear when another friend is murder.

This was an interesting read - not a wow read but it had me curious.

Thank You NetGalley and RB Media, for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date Scheduled for June 4, 2024

This is a good read along the lines of William Kent Krueger or SA Cosby but the story itself was a little hard for me to get into. The writing is beautiful but the substance of the plot meandered too much and I lost some interest.