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Until She Comes Home
In 1958 Detroit, on Alder Avenue, neighbors struggle to care for neighbors amid a city ripe with conflicts that threaten their peaceful street.
Grace, Alder’s only expectant mother, eagerly awaits her first born. Best friend Julia prepares to welcome twin nieces. And Malina sets the tone with her stylish dresses, tasteful home, and ironfisted stewardship of St. Alban’s bake sale.
Life erupts when childlike Elizabeth disappears while in the care of Grace and Julia. All the ladies fear the recent murder of a black woman at the factory on Willingham Avenue where their husbands work may warn of what has become of Elizabeth, and they worry what is yet to become of Julia—the last to see Elizabeth alive.
The men mount an around-the-clock search, leaving their families vulnerable to sinister elements hidden in plain sight. Only Grace knows what happened, but her mother warns her not to tell. “No man wants to know this about his wife.” Ashamed that her silence puts loved ones in harm’s way, Grace gravitates toward the women of Willingham Avenue, who recognize her suffering as their own. Through their acceptance, Grace conquers her fear and dares to act.
On Alder Avenue, vicious secrets bind friends, neighbors, and spouses. For the wicked among them, the walk home will be long.
Grace, Alder’s only expectant mother, eagerly awaits her first born. Best friend Julia prepares to welcome twin nieces. And Malina sets the tone with her stylish dresses, tasteful home, and ironfisted stewardship of St. Alban’s bake sale.
Life erupts when childlike Elizabeth disappears while in the care of Grace and Julia. All the ladies fear the recent murder of a black woman at the factory on Willingham Avenue where their husbands work may warn of what has become of Elizabeth, and they worry what is yet to become of Julia—the last to see Elizabeth alive.
The men mount an around-the-clock search, leaving their families vulnerable to sinister elements hidden in plain sight. Only Grace knows what happened, but her mother warns her not to tell. “No man wants to know this about his wife.” Ashamed that her silence puts loved ones in harm’s way, Grace gravitates toward the women of Willingham Avenue, who recognize her suffering as their own. Through their acceptance, Grace conquers her fear and dares to act.
On Alder Avenue, vicious secrets bind friends, neighbors, and spouses. For the wicked among them, the walk home will be long.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2013
59 people are currently reading
2299 people want to read
About the author
Lori Roy
13 books300 followersLori Roy’s debut novel, Bent Road, was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author. Her work has been twice named a New York Times Notable Crime Book and has been included on various “best of” and summer reading lists. Until She Comes Home was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel.
Let Me Die in His Footsteps was included among the top fiction of 2015 by Books-A-Million and named one of the best fifteen mystery novels of 2015 by Oline Cogdill. The novel also received the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, making Lori the first woman to receive an Edgar Award for both Best First Novel and Best Novel—and only the third person ever to have done so. Gone Too Long was named a People magazine Book of the Week, was named one of the Best Books of Summer 2019, and was excerpted by Oprah magazine.
Lori's latest, THE FINAL EPISODE, will hit stores June 25, 2025.
Lori lives with her family in west central Florida.
Let Me Die in His Footsteps was included among the top fiction of 2015 by Books-A-Million and named one of the best fifteen mystery novels of 2015 by Oline Cogdill. The novel also received the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, making Lori the first woman to receive an Edgar Award for both Best First Novel and Best Novel—and only the third person ever to have done so. Gone Too Long was named a People magazine Book of the Week, was named one of the Best Books of Summer 2019, and was excerpted by Oprah magazine.
Lori's latest, THE FINAL EPISODE, will hit stores June 25, 2025.
Lori lives with her family in west central Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
March 25, 2020
2014 edgar nominee for best novel!
until she comes home is about the women, the wives living on a street in a white detroit neighborhood in 1958. their cozy world of bake sales and homemaking is shattered as the racial divide begins to shift, as black women entice their husbands near the factory where they work, and black men cut through the alleys on their street, breaking glass and committing an act of violence towards one of the women. when a developmentally disabled woman goes missing soon after a black woman is murdered near the factory, fingers are pointed from behind curtained windows.
the changing racial climate is what initially brings about the novel's fear and tension, but the reality is that the street was already corroded from within. suspicions, mysterious deaths, infidelities, and unsavory attractions were already there, just all hidden beneath the veneer of perfectly frosted carrot cakes and spotless gloves.
but things are starting to come to the surface.
things start small, as they always do, with the faintest ripples, but by the end of this novel, the fear and crimes will have grown into a whirlpool, sucking the entire street down into a spiral of crime and revenge and betrayal and death.
and those horrors, to me, as bad as they are, are nothing compared to the more ordinary horrors a modern reader will experience.
the horror of being a woman when sexuality was such a minefield and appearances of propriety were so valued that we have a character whose mother encourages her not to tell her husband that she was raped in her own garage when she was already hugely pregnant because she worries that if he finds out, he won't look at her the same again. that, to me, is almost as horrifying as the rape itself - to have to smile and get dinner on the table while mom covers up the bruises with makeup and everything is just peachy.
the horror of living in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone's business, and a woman suspects her husband of infidelity, worrying what the neighbors will think of the absence of his car in the driveway, when all the other husbands have already come home.
the horror of… twins…
that one is probably just my own personal horror.
a woman is murdered, a woman goes missing, a woman is raped. suspicions form, blame is placed, crimes are covered up, and nothing is going to unfold the way you think it will.
roy does a really good job depicting the attitudes and mindsets of cloistered women, which was frequently horrifying to me, but rings true. shudder. it is a tidy and surprising crime novel with a satisfying tailfeather spread of an ending, and a fascinating study of neighborhood politics.
come to my blog!
until she comes home is about the women, the wives living on a street in a white detroit neighborhood in 1958. their cozy world of bake sales and homemaking is shattered as the racial divide begins to shift, as black women entice their husbands near the factory where they work, and black men cut through the alleys on their street, breaking glass and committing an act of violence towards one of the women. when a developmentally disabled woman goes missing soon after a black woman is murdered near the factory, fingers are pointed from behind curtained windows.
the changing racial climate is what initially brings about the novel's fear and tension, but the reality is that the street was already corroded from within. suspicions, mysterious deaths, infidelities, and unsavory attractions were already there, just all hidden beneath the veneer of perfectly frosted carrot cakes and spotless gloves.
but things are starting to come to the surface.
things start small, as they always do, with the faintest ripples, but by the end of this novel, the fear and crimes will have grown into a whirlpool, sucking the entire street down into a spiral of crime and revenge and betrayal and death.
and those horrors, to me, as bad as they are, are nothing compared to the more ordinary horrors a modern reader will experience.
the horror of being a woman when sexuality was such a minefield and appearances of propriety were so valued that we have a character whose mother encourages her not to tell her husband that she was raped in her own garage when she was already hugely pregnant because she worries that if he finds out, he won't look at her the same again. that, to me, is almost as horrifying as the rape itself - to have to smile and get dinner on the table while mom covers up the bruises with makeup and everything is just peachy.
the horror of living in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone's business, and a woman suspects her husband of infidelity, worrying what the neighbors will think of the absence of his car in the driveway, when all the other husbands have already come home.
the horror of… twins…
that one is probably just my own personal horror.
a woman is murdered, a woman goes missing, a woman is raped. suspicions form, blame is placed, crimes are covered up, and nothing is going to unfold the way you think it will.
roy does a really good job depicting the attitudes and mindsets of cloistered women, which was frequently horrifying to me, but rings true. shudder. it is a tidy and surprising crime novel with a satisfying tailfeather spread of an ending, and a fascinating study of neighborhood politics.
come to my blog!
June 16, 2013
Alder Street in Detroit is your typical middle class street of the 1950's. The factory in town is the main employer and the women wait for their men to come home after a hard day at work, looking their best and ready to put food on the table. Things are changing, however, some colored have moved into the rooming house at the edge of the town and a colored woman has been murdered and fear begins to mount in the neighborhood. When a white woman goes missing, a woman who is mentally challenged, the town gears up and starts searching. As the search continues the cracks begin appearing in the everyday lives on the street. In the nineteen fifties there was the attitude that what went on in ones house stayed there. So it is on this street, but as the cracks widen the secrets are exposed.
I loved this author's Bent Road and I loved this one as well. The tension and fear permeates the pages and at one point I actually had goosebumps down my arm. It is really hard to tell from the beginning exactly where this novel is going to go. There is a mystery involved and there are many secrets to be found. All the characters are so well drawn that one can imagine living on this block. One of my favorite new authors for sure.
I loved this author's Bent Road and I loved this one as well. The tension and fear permeates the pages and at one point I actually had goosebumps down my arm. It is really hard to tell from the beginning exactly where this novel is going to go. There is a mystery involved and there are many secrets to be found. All the characters are so well drawn that one can imagine living on this block. One of my favorite new authors for sure.
August 30, 2020
I just couldn't get "Until She Comes Home." I tried. I wanted to like it.
Here are some of my gripes:
-While I think the actual storyline is kind of interesting, it felt very disconnected to read. There was no big twist, there were several plots going on and I can't tell if I think they wove together or not. If I was asked to give away the ending, honestly, I don't know what I'd say. I couldn't tell what happened.
-The lack of character development is what got my goat the most. The female characters especially had no substance. It was all about cooking, cleaning, and having babies while the men did all the hard labor. They lied to each other. There was no real love or support. Just bleh.
-There's lots of talk about race in the book, but really I can't tell if it amounted to anything. I know the 1950's were a racist time to be alive, but I just feel like this could have been addressed with more class in the book.
Eh, I wouldn't recommend it.
Here are some of my gripes:
-While I think the actual storyline is kind of interesting, it felt very disconnected to read. There was no big twist, there were several plots going on and I can't tell if I think they wove together or not. If I was asked to give away the ending, honestly, I don't know what I'd say. I couldn't tell what happened.
-The lack of character development is what got my goat the most. The female characters especially had no substance. It was all about cooking, cleaning, and having babies while the men did all the hard labor. They lied to each other. There was no real love or support. Just bleh.
-There's lots of talk about race in the book, but really I can't tell if it amounted to anything. I know the 1950's were a racist time to be alive, but I just feel like this could have been addressed with more class in the book.
Eh, I wouldn't recommend it.
May 8, 2014
1950's Detroit. Alder Avenue is your quintessential Pleasantville, until a black woman shows up missing near the factory where all the husbands work. The wives are busy running bake sales and keeping up with community appearances until one of them goes missing...
Interesting perspective and good story overall, a couple of unexpected twists make this one better than the average read.
Interesting perspective and good story overall, a couple of unexpected twists make this one better than the average read.
August 9, 2013
I got just past the half way point. And really had no further interest in reading about these unlikeable characters and single dimensional women. Flat and revisionist stereotypes of some clichéd idea of what housewives were and what lives they lead before "social enlightenment" of more modern sensibilities.
It would not have been SO bad, but this writer does not know Detroit, nor the 1950's either. This was neither. Not even close.
She should have put this story into some alternate world or some era that was sci.fi. and made them real robots, it would have made a bit more sense.
The mystery part wasn't either.
It's shocking to me that so many posters believe that this is what the predominant mindset and value judgment was like in the 1950's for housewives in changing neighborhoods.
It would not have been SO bad, but this writer does not know Detroit, nor the 1950's either. This was neither. Not even close.
She should have put this story into some alternate world or some era that was sci.fi. and made them real robots, it would have made a bit more sense.
The mystery part wasn't either.
It's shocking to me that so many posters believe that this is what the predominant mindset and value judgment was like in the 1950's for housewives in changing neighborhoods.
December 7, 2013
This book rates 2.5 stars. The book was interesting enough to keep reading it, but in the end, their were numerous issues that kept it from being rated any higher.
"Until She Comes Home" follows the story of a missing girl on Alder Street, Detroit, in the summer of 1958. Is Elizabeth's absence connected to the recent murder of a black girl? Over the course of several days, tempers rise and otherwise cordial neighborly relationships are put to the test as unresolved grief, suspicion, accusations and racial tensions simmer.
The author's style of writing is really confusing. Many things were suggested or insinuated, yet the author never followed through on the details or resolving the problem that was suggested. Furthering the confusion were the abrupt transitions from one character situation to the next.
"Until She Comes Home" follows the story of a missing girl on Alder Street, Detroit, in the summer of 1958. Is Elizabeth's absence connected to the recent murder of a black girl? Over the course of several days, tempers rise and otherwise cordial neighborly relationships are put to the test as unresolved grief, suspicion, accusations and racial tensions simmer.
The author's style of writing is really confusing. Many things were suggested or insinuated, yet the author never followed through on the details or resolving the problem that was suggested. Furthering the confusion were the abrupt transitions from one character situation to the next.
July 31, 2013
Lori Roy has created a wonderful story of life in Detroit in 1958. The people in this story grab your interest and you feel for them. She creates a wonderful sense of time and place with little details - the women wear gloves to go on the bus shopping; people don't talk directly about sex or bad things. You can see the kitchens, the bedrooms, the dark places.
The plot is about a young girl (probably mentally diasbled) who is missing and about two women who were supposed to watch out for her and didn't. Lots of great characters, including a group of women of the church who are almost never described separately; they function as a unit. Great idea! The twins you can't tell apart but who have separate personalities are also well done.
The book is about the story but it's also about changing times, racial tension, marital expectations, and more.
It's definitely worth a read.
I'm re-reading it in depth, making notes on how the author constructs the story, and I'm finding things I missed the first time. Yes, it's that good.
The plot is about a young girl (probably mentally diasbled) who is missing and about two women who were supposed to watch out for her and didn't. Lots of great characters, including a group of women of the church who are almost never described separately; they function as a unit. Great idea! The twins you can't tell apart but who have separate personalities are also well done.
The book is about the story but it's also about changing times, racial tension, marital expectations, and more.
It's definitely worth a read.
I'm re-reading it in depth, making notes on how the author constructs the story, and I'm finding things I missed the first time. Yes, it's that good.
October 24, 2019
This book was set in the 1950s in Detroit. It was OK but not one of my favorite books the least favorite one I've read all year.
July 29, 2013
Alder Street in Detroit in the late 1950's is a place desperately trying to hold on to its appearance of conventional routine. It's a struggle that comes to boiling point with the disappearance of one of its own, 20-year-old Elizabeth, a woman with a child's mind. The ladies of Alder Street ramp up their cooking and baking roles to support their men, who play out their assigned roles of protector in searching for Elizabeth. As the search drags out into the week, the fears and secrets of the residents of Alder come to a head. With the death of a black woman near the factory where the men of Alder Street work, questions arise about what connection that might have to the community, and the confrontation between races comes closer to boiling point. Reminiscent of classics such as Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, the point is driven that nobody really knows what goes on behind the closed doors of a neighborhood. The descriptions of 1950's roles of men and women are depicted with care, although the lack of children on the street captures mostly adult interactions. Being born in the fifties, I experienced a different view of life, what it was growing up with ready playmates all around me. The dearth of children in the novel and on the street made for a much more depressing setting than I cared for, but it did allow the focus to be on the adults' secrets from one another. The women and men must work through years of repressive feelings to arrive at either their salvation or their destruction in this novel. Lori Roy has given readers an interesting look at how life was changing in the late fifties and how secrets can destroy us anywhere, anytime.
August 16, 2013
I couldn't justify giving this more than three stars. The basic story is about a neighborhood block of Detrot in the year 1958. Although some readers criticized the author's portrayal of the women of the era as being stereotypical, I would say they were written exactly the same as I remember the neighbor ladies on my block ar that time. Well, with one glaring difference. These characters suffered variously from infant deaths, divorce, rape, murder, alcoholism, suicide, and kidnapping. That was a very busy block. My main opposition to the book was the author's meandering narrative which would swiftly change settings, scenes and thoughts within one sentence. I did a lot of backtracking to zone in on who was speaking to whom and what they were talking about. My other complaint was the numerous loose ends that were never addressed. What happened to Malina? Could Bill and Julia find peace? Was Grace absolved of all guilt? I never found those answers.
July 16, 2013
I loved Lori Roy's depiction of the wives in this book--the way rituals and expectations shaped their lives--the cleaning, ironing, cooking, baking are all integrated into the women's actions, and there's always something to do that involves bending, scraping, scrubbing. The women are of a particular time period, 1958--and we witness the ways that their routines are both comforting and confining. At one point, Grace forgets to wear her gloves into town, and must hide her bare hands. So many fine details here, and of course, a brilliant mystery, and an unsettling sense of place. Like Bent Road, the tone is dark, the characters' lives filled with secrets.
June 29, 2013
Until She Came Home is Lori Roy’s second novel. Last year I read her first book, Bent Road and said at that time, she was an excellent writer, and we should expect more of the same from her. Well I can safely say, she has done it again. Until She Comes Home is a suspense story of two tragedies that take place in the same neighborhood in Detroit. It is a somber and tension filled story of how these murders intermingle, during a time of racial conflict, and how it causes everything to slowly crumble.
We meet the ladies early on, as they all are at Grace’s house for an afternoon get together. We meet Grace, who is pregnant, and her best friend Julia, who is taking care of her two nieces. Malina is another of the wives we meet, and we learn that her husband is cheating on her with one of the prostitutes who hang around the factory where many of the men work. Malina goes one evening to follow him, only to come face to face with a few of “colored ladies” who know why she is there. The next day, one of the those woman is found dead. Malina is worried her husband is responsible, and is desperate to hide that she tried to follow him.
At a get together at Grace’s house, the gossip is about the murder in town. Malina is the one doing most of the talking. During this time, we meet Elizabeth, who is somewhat handicapped mentally, and Grace, keeps an eye on her. When it is time to get Elizabeth home, Grace makes sure Julia walks her home. That night, Elizabeth is found to be missing, and the neighborhood joins forces to search for her. All the men take turns, leaving no stone unturned, but to no avail, Elizabeth remains missing. Everyone fears the worse.
A day or so later, while she is in her garage, Grace is attacked by three men, one of whom rapes her. Grace’s mother finds her, and cleans her up. She tells Grace to never tell anyone, especially her husband what happened, because he will never look at her the same. Also in this mix is Julia’s two nieces, who may have witnessed something bad that happened to Grace, but they are afraid to say anything. Despite being warned to stay in the house, they continue to go about and find themselves getting into trouble.
What follows is a tense story of how the murder of the prostitute, and the disappearance of Elizabeth effect everyone and turns their lives around. The secrets, the fears, and the betrayals divide everyone, creating dangerous situations.
Does Grace tell her husband and the police the truth, to help find the men who may have done the same thing to Elizabeth; or does she hide the truth to save her marriage? What secrets does Julia discover about her husband that threatens their marriage? Will Malina continue to hide where she was the night of the murder, and to what will she go through to protect herself?
Lori Roy does a fantastic job in this suspenseful and tense tale of a neighborhood that seemed a perfect place to live, become a cesspool of lies and secrets. Roy slowly rips the masks of their lives, and shows us what is underneath in the face of tragedy. The key here is that she does this so flawlessly. This was a very intense story, very well written, with so many emotional moments, that I found myself thinking about this book for two days before I wrote this review.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
We meet the ladies early on, as they all are at Grace’s house for an afternoon get together. We meet Grace, who is pregnant, and her best friend Julia, who is taking care of her two nieces. Malina is another of the wives we meet, and we learn that her husband is cheating on her with one of the prostitutes who hang around the factory where many of the men work. Malina goes one evening to follow him, only to come face to face with a few of “colored ladies” who know why she is there. The next day, one of the those woman is found dead. Malina is worried her husband is responsible, and is desperate to hide that she tried to follow him.
At a get together at Grace’s house, the gossip is about the murder in town. Malina is the one doing most of the talking. During this time, we meet Elizabeth, who is somewhat handicapped mentally, and Grace, keeps an eye on her. When it is time to get Elizabeth home, Grace makes sure Julia walks her home. That night, Elizabeth is found to be missing, and the neighborhood joins forces to search for her. All the men take turns, leaving no stone unturned, but to no avail, Elizabeth remains missing. Everyone fears the worse.
A day or so later, while she is in her garage, Grace is attacked by three men, one of whom rapes her. Grace’s mother finds her, and cleans her up. She tells Grace to never tell anyone, especially her husband what happened, because he will never look at her the same. Also in this mix is Julia’s two nieces, who may have witnessed something bad that happened to Grace, but they are afraid to say anything. Despite being warned to stay in the house, they continue to go about and find themselves getting into trouble.
What follows is a tense story of how the murder of the prostitute, and the disappearance of Elizabeth effect everyone and turns their lives around. The secrets, the fears, and the betrayals divide everyone, creating dangerous situations.
Does Grace tell her husband and the police the truth, to help find the men who may have done the same thing to Elizabeth; or does she hide the truth to save her marriage? What secrets does Julia discover about her husband that threatens their marriage? Will Malina continue to hide where she was the night of the murder, and to what will she go through to protect herself?
Lori Roy does a fantastic job in this suspenseful and tense tale of a neighborhood that seemed a perfect place to live, become a cesspool of lies and secrets. Roy slowly rips the masks of their lives, and shows us what is underneath in the face of tragedy. The key here is that she does this so flawlessly. This was a very intense story, very well written, with so many emotional moments, that I found myself thinking about this book for two days before I wrote this review.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
April 23, 2014
Didn't like this any more than her first novel, Bent Road, despite their Edgar Award nominations.
The one thing I felt Ms. Roy got right was the 1950s atmosphere of repressed housewives doing the right things to impress their husbands and make good impressions on their neighbors. Grace was the most likeable of the wives of Alder Ave., but that isn't saying much.
There are multiple stories going on and near the end I became confused and had to go back to re-read some things. Each story has an ending, mostly sad. It was an okay book, but I wouldn't enthusiastically select Ms. Roy's next novel to be at the top of my reading list.
April 16, 2015
This novel mostly just annoyed me. It is a type of mystery; one of those that are written as confusingly as possible so that the reader doesn't really know what is going on and therefore it is a mystery. She suggests something but doesn't follow through or give any details until sometime later when she jumps from one situation to another. I then have to go back thinking I've missed something (or fallen asleep) which makes for a lot of rereading and this book isn't good enough to have to reread.
Time period - 1950's in urban Detroit. I don't know enough about Detroit to comment but I think she was pretty accurate about the plight of women, race, neighborhood living, etc.
Read her first novel and while it wasn't the best, I think it was still better than this one.
Time period - 1950's in urban Detroit. I don't know enough about Detroit to comment but I think she was pretty accurate about the plight of women, race, neighborhood living, etc.
Read her first novel and while it wasn't the best, I think it was still better than this one.
July 18, 2013
Once again, Lori Roy ensnares me in a world of damaged people. This time it's Detroit just as its eperiencing a demographic shift in the late 50's. Race is a huge factor in this novel, but not really what the story is about. Instead, it's a sort-of mystery about a dead black woman and a missing white girl. Are the connected? Are they both dead?
What I loved was the way Roy unpeeled the layers of thought for multiple characters so flawlessly. We get the perspectives of Malina, Grace and Julia -- all neighbors involved in the story. It's hard to say more without giving away the very engaging twists and turns of this novel, but it all works well.
What I loved was the way Roy unpeeled the layers of thought for multiple characters so flawlessly. We get the perspectives of Malina, Grace and Julia -- all neighbors involved in the story. It's hard to say more without giving away the very engaging twists and turns of this novel, but it all works well.
August 23, 2013
I think the only reason I finished this book is because I expected there to be more to it. I kept reading hoping that the story would eventually suck me in and I would lose myself in it. I really wanted to like it. I love books who have women as the main characters and go through some sort of turmoil.
But the losing myself never happened. I just never got attached to this book or really felt like it drew me in and had that intangible quality that I crave when reading.
But the losing myself never happened. I just never got attached to this book or really felt like it drew me in and had that intangible quality that I crave when reading.
October 5, 2013
I gave this book three chances to get me interested, and after reading eight chapters (about 1/4 of the book) I finally abandoned it. Even after one character goes missing and another gets raped I still didn't care about any of them. I like books with significant character development and these women were all just flat. Perhaps that was the point, but I didn't want to spend any more time with them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2014
I love a good mystery. So I am very critical when it comes to reviewing books in this genre. Perhaps my expectations are far too great. Until She Comes Home is just okay. It is not a mystery that will have your mind full of theories. It is not as suspenseful as the front matter claims. It is not haunting. Most disappointing of all, there was little reference to Detroit.
Full Review on www.LiteraryMarie.com
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews
Full Review on www.LiteraryMarie.com
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews
September 16, 2021
This book definitely pulled me in on the first page. There is much that happens in this little neighborhood and this story pulls no punches in depicting them. The women who make up the society of this neighborhood are very different from one another, each with her own set of problems, desires, hurts, and needs. The author does a great job making each one interesting in her own way while also showing the expectation that the characters conform to the social norms of their day. I loved the little details she included such as where they shopped, what chose to wear and why, and even how they cooked. All of these extras gave insight into the world these woman inhabited and how they found both security and constraints in the rules that governed their social lives.
There are some scenes that were hard to read, and one in particular that was disturbing. There is a dark side to the perfect front these women want to show, and the author showed that with vivid details. This is a good mystery, with a satisfying ending, but the reader must wade through some tough, gritty situations to get there. I recommend this with a bit of a warning for those who like a softer read.
There are some scenes that were hard to read, and one in particular that was disturbing. There is a dark side to the perfect front these women want to show, and the author showed that with vivid details. This is a good mystery, with a satisfying ending, but the reader must wade through some tough, gritty situations to get there. I recommend this with a bit of a warning for those who like a softer read.
September 24, 2021
Just interesting enough to keep reading--Blacks moving into a white neighborhood, factory men carousing with loose women, a black girl murdered, a mentally challenged white girl vanishes, missing hammers, etc., sounded intriguing, but overall it was confusing, too many plot threads that didn't seem to weave together well, not sure what to say about the ending. Characters not very likable or well developed and there were so many of them! Wanted to like this as it was a different setting and time period (Detroit in 1958), but really found myself unable to get excited about it. I managed to finish it, but not sure why I bothered.
July 5, 2013
It's 1958 in a working class Detroit neighborhood, and things are changing. Factories are starting to close, poor people are moving closer bringing prostitution, drinking and broken glass. A group of women on Alder Ave. keep to their rituals: washing and pressing their husband's shirts, taking care of their children and/or gardens, donating clothing to the thrift shop, holding bake sales at the local church.
Malina, married 25 yrs, but still referring to her husband as Mr. Herve, runs the church ladies group with an iron fist. Malina has never lost her figure. She is tiny and elegant - and nearly always terrified of her husband. Malina and Mr. Herve have never had children. Mr. Herve, however, has had other women in his life. Malina thinks that he has a child with a young "colored" girl.
Every week the ladies get together to discuss plans for the church. This time it's about the upcoming bake sale. Grace, married 5 yrs, and FINALLY pregnant is sweet and pretty and always looks perfect. She gets her work done in the morning so she can "putter" in the afternoons and freshen her makeup so that James, her husband who is ten years older, will not EVER lose interest.
Julie, on the other hand, has a problem keeping her frizzy red hair under control as well as her figure. Her sister's children are visiting from their grandmother's. (One flaw in this story is why we never really know what's going on with this situation, but it is peripheral to the story.) Julie lost her baby to SIDS three years prior. While none of her friends will admit it, they just don't quite trust her with children.
Elizabeth is also at the weekly get together. It's her birthday. She's wearing her favorite lavender dress. Elizabeth is sweet, but she's a little off, she's like a child really. She needs to be protected. Someone needs to make sure that she gets home. It's usually Grace or Julie, but somehow they are both distracted. Julie remembers Elizabeth turning at her gate and going home only she never makes it home. The men mount search parties.
Mr. Herve is the boss so he makes arrangements for them to skip work and search. The women make sandwiches and coffee and casseroles and desserts. The men keep on looking. Grace is nearly ready to deliver so she is excused from a lot of the tasks that the rest of the women are doing to support their menfolk. However, one thing that Grace is NOT excused from is her inability to make a decent pierogi. Her mother despairs as her dumplings split because she over filled them or the dough just wasn't EXACTLY right.
Their weekly bus ride to the store to do their shopping never varies. However, one thing concerns them: the people who are moving closer to their neighborhood are shopping at the same stores. A local Polish bakery is one of the stops, but they want her to close on payday so that they won't have to rub elbows with the "Negroes." Everyone is sure that Elizabeth's disappearance has something to do with the Negroes that cut through their alley behind their street. Then something awful happens to Grace, and Julie begins to suspect that her 3 month old daughter did not die a natural death.
This book may be one of the creepiest I've read in a long time. It's also one of the best. Roy is a terrific writer who knows exactly how to set the stage. This is Roy's second novel. Her first, "Bent Rd," won an Edgar. I don't know how I missed it, but I'll be reading it soon.
Malina, married 25 yrs, but still referring to her husband as Mr. Herve, runs the church ladies group with an iron fist. Malina has never lost her figure. She is tiny and elegant - and nearly always terrified of her husband. Malina and Mr. Herve have never had children. Mr. Herve, however, has had other women in his life. Malina thinks that he has a child with a young "colored" girl.
Every week the ladies get together to discuss plans for the church. This time it's about the upcoming bake sale. Grace, married 5 yrs, and FINALLY pregnant is sweet and pretty and always looks perfect. She gets her work done in the morning so she can "putter" in the afternoons and freshen her makeup so that James, her husband who is ten years older, will not EVER lose interest.
Julie, on the other hand, has a problem keeping her frizzy red hair under control as well as her figure. Her sister's children are visiting from their grandmother's. (One flaw in this story is why we never really know what's going on with this situation, but it is peripheral to the story.) Julie lost her baby to SIDS three years prior. While none of her friends will admit it, they just don't quite trust her with children.
Elizabeth is also at the weekly get together. It's her birthday. She's wearing her favorite lavender dress. Elizabeth is sweet, but she's a little off, she's like a child really. She needs to be protected. Someone needs to make sure that she gets home. It's usually Grace or Julie, but somehow they are both distracted. Julie remembers Elizabeth turning at her gate and going home only she never makes it home. The men mount search parties.
Mr. Herve is the boss so he makes arrangements for them to skip work and search. The women make sandwiches and coffee and casseroles and desserts. The men keep on looking. Grace is nearly ready to deliver so she is excused from a lot of the tasks that the rest of the women are doing to support their menfolk. However, one thing that Grace is NOT excused from is her inability to make a decent pierogi. Her mother despairs as her dumplings split because she over filled them or the dough just wasn't EXACTLY right.
Their weekly bus ride to the store to do their shopping never varies. However, one thing concerns them: the people who are moving closer to their neighborhood are shopping at the same stores. A local Polish bakery is one of the stops, but they want her to close on payday so that they won't have to rub elbows with the "Negroes." Everyone is sure that Elizabeth's disappearance has something to do with the Negroes that cut through their alley behind their street. Then something awful happens to Grace, and Julie begins to suspect that her 3 month old daughter did not die a natural death.
This book may be one of the creepiest I've read in a long time. It's also one of the best. Roy is a terrific writer who knows exactly how to set the stage. This is Roy's second novel. Her first, "Bent Rd," won an Edgar. I don't know how I missed it, but I'll be reading it soon.
June 20, 2013
Until She Comes Home is the riveting novel by Lori Roy. This is the first I've read by this author but I have read many good reviews for Bent Road. I can understand why the reviews are favorable because Roy is quite a gifted author. Until She Comes Home begins with Malina fretting in her kitchen about the whereabouts of her husband and concerned that the town will know exactly where he is since his vehicle is missing from the driveway. The first chapter lets us know that there are some serious problems in this town that will soon be coming to a head.
With the death of a black woman and the disappearance of a "childlike" woman named Elizabeth, the whole town is on pins and needles and engulfed in fear. Neighbors are contemplating moving form the homes since the sudden influx of coloreds and the disappearance of Elizabeth. While the men go out searching for the girl, the wives stay in the "safety" of their homes. One woman in particular knows what may have happened to Elizabeth, but she is too afraid to tell. Rather, she's encouraged not to tell because of it's possible repercussions.
Until She Comes Home is fast paced and immediately absorbing. I got lost in the lives of the towns folk for the week they spent looking for Elizabeth. The twins Izzy and Arie are completely mesmerizing and fun to follow being the only children in the novel. Grace, and her secrets keeps readers in suspense about what she may do regarding the missing girl. Malina and her craziness only further paints a vivid picture of this 1950s neighborhood. Each character is vividly drawn and their depth comes from some of the secrets they harbor.
Blurbs of this book suggest that it's a thriller but I didn't find it suspenseful in the conventional sense. Besides on harrowing scene in a garage, the other main plot driver was done off scene. There is a mysterious buildup but never a hair standing up on the back of my neck feeling. The book is perfectly acceptable as is, but the blurb does not do much in that regard except be misleading. Much of the characters are full of fear but not for killers on the loose.
Ultimately, I look forward to reading Bent Road by Lori Roy. Her fans will find this to be a great followup. Until She Comes Home is definitely a not-to-be-missed read.
With the death of a black woman and the disappearance of a "childlike" woman named Elizabeth, the whole town is on pins and needles and engulfed in fear. Neighbors are contemplating moving form the homes since the sudden influx of coloreds and the disappearance of Elizabeth. While the men go out searching for the girl, the wives stay in the "safety" of their homes. One woman in particular knows what may have happened to Elizabeth, but she is too afraid to tell. Rather, she's encouraged not to tell because of it's possible repercussions.
Until She Comes Home is fast paced and immediately absorbing. I got lost in the lives of the towns folk for the week they spent looking for Elizabeth. The twins Izzy and Arie are completely mesmerizing and fun to follow being the only children in the novel. Grace, and her secrets keeps readers in suspense about what she may do regarding the missing girl. Malina and her craziness only further paints a vivid picture of this 1950s neighborhood. Each character is vividly drawn and their depth comes from some of the secrets they harbor.
Blurbs of this book suggest that it's a thriller but I didn't find it suspenseful in the conventional sense. Besides on harrowing scene in a garage, the other main plot driver was done off scene. There is a mysterious buildup but never a hair standing up on the back of my neck feeling. The book is perfectly acceptable as is, but the blurb does not do much in that regard except be misleading. Much of the characters are full of fear but not for killers on the loose.
Ultimately, I look forward to reading Bent Road by Lori Roy. Her fans will find this to be a great followup. Until She Comes Home is definitely a not-to-be-missed read.
July 15, 2013
“Until She Comes Home,” Lory Roy’s second novel after her Edgar-winning debut “Bent Road,” is set in 1958 in a hardscrabble suburb of Detroit, a Polish neighborhood destabilized by factory closings and a changing population. The disappearance of Elizabeth Symanski, the dreamy, mentally-challenged daughter of an elderly neighbor, sets everyone’s nerves on edge and nearly topples the social order. Life stops as the police mobilize. Every able-bodied man helps with the search; the women make casseroles; and conjectures about what happened to Elizabeth breed suspicion. Meanwhile, a black prostitute from a nearby enclave is murdered, and no one even knows her name.
Readers looking for a protagonist won’t find one. The story is told by the women living on Alder Avenue. These include Grace Richardson, happily married and pregnant, who is obsessed with the impossibly high standards her Polish mother sets; her best friend, Julia Wagner, who is still in the throes of grief after her baby’s death; Julia’s two spunky nieces, who, determined to find their missing cat, put themselves in constant danger; and Malina Herze, the prim, powerful, and oh-so-judgmental wife of the factory boss, who is desperate to maintain a patina of dignity despite what is obvious to everyone in town: Her husband rarely comes home.
Every family on Alder Avenue harbors secrets, and what happened to Elizabeth is the least of them. Roy weaves a complex tapestry of entwined lives that can, at times, feel overwhelming and a bit unfocused. Much of the suspense depends on jump cuts and flash forwards in the narrative, and on character after character withholding vital information. This is one to read for rich characterization, setting, and family drama.
First published in The Boston Gobe 7/6/2013
Readers looking for a protagonist won’t find one. The story is told by the women living on Alder Avenue. These include Grace Richardson, happily married and pregnant, who is obsessed with the impossibly high standards her Polish mother sets; her best friend, Julia Wagner, who is still in the throes of grief after her baby’s death; Julia’s two spunky nieces, who, determined to find their missing cat, put themselves in constant danger; and Malina Herze, the prim, powerful, and oh-so-judgmental wife of the factory boss, who is desperate to maintain a patina of dignity despite what is obvious to everyone in town: Her husband rarely comes home.
Every family on Alder Avenue harbors secrets, and what happened to Elizabeth is the least of them. Roy weaves a complex tapestry of entwined lives that can, at times, feel overwhelming and a bit unfocused. Much of the suspense depends on jump cuts and flash forwards in the narrative, and on character after character withholding vital information. This is one to read for rich characterization, setting, and family drama.
First published in The Boston Gobe 7/6/2013
July 13, 2013
It is 1958, in Detroit, Michigan. Families are still cared for by stay-at-home mothers. Fathers work at local factories. Friends care for friends, and neighbours are close. Times are simple and secure.
Suddenly everything changes. The normal, quiet neighborhood is overcome with unsettling situations, as it struggles with the rapidly changing world. Unfortunately, the neighbourhood is changing, too.
One of the neighbourhood women disappears. There is concern there could be a possible connection to the recent murder of a black woman at the local factory. The men search for answers. No one can be sure if she is still alive, or who may be next. They wonder if there is an unspeakable danger walking amoung them.
One woman knows the truth, but fears prevent her from coming forth. She knows that to tell would forever change things. She finds comfort in the women who are related to a murdered woman. These women are very different. She safe with them and no longer feels that way in her own neighborhood.
Things and times are changing; it is unsure who is safe or if anyone really is. Nothing is what it seems, nor is to be trusted. Friends and neighbours are suddenly pitted against each other. Everything and everyone will forever be affected, no matter what the answers ultimately are.
Lori Roy is a very talented and gifted author. Her characters are well developed and genuine. She draws you into her stories of suspense with urgency, and holds you there until the very end. Then she leaves you wanting more. She does that here, as she did in her first book, "Bent Road".
Suddenly everything changes. The normal, quiet neighborhood is overcome with unsettling situations, as it struggles with the rapidly changing world. Unfortunately, the neighbourhood is changing, too.
One of the neighbourhood women disappears. There is concern there could be a possible connection to the recent murder of a black woman at the local factory. The men search for answers. No one can be sure if she is still alive, or who may be next. They wonder if there is an unspeakable danger walking amoung them.
One woman knows the truth, but fears prevent her from coming forth. She knows that to tell would forever change things. She finds comfort in the women who are related to a murdered woman. These women are very different. She safe with them and no longer feels that way in her own neighborhood.
Things and times are changing; it is unsure who is safe or if anyone really is. Nothing is what it seems, nor is to be trusted. Friends and neighbours are suddenly pitted against each other. Everything and everyone will forever be affected, no matter what the answers ultimately are.
Lori Roy is a very talented and gifted author. Her characters are well developed and genuine. She draws you into her stories of suspense with urgency, and holds you there until the very end. Then she leaves you wanting more. She does that here, as she did in her first book, "Bent Road".
May 7, 2015
The author does a wonderful job of slowly building up this multi-layered character study. It's a quiet book, not very fast paced, that gradually pulls you into the lives of the people of this community in the 1950's and their fears, desires, lies and secrets. It's packed with the various stories of the hidden lives of each of these neighbors that twist and wind together into a compelling tale. To say too much about the plot would be to give away some of the shocks that this book contains. Suffice it to say that this is a fascinating read as you watch this once respectable neighborhood gradually crumble into chaos around its residents.
It's very suspenseful. I don't care much for "women in distress" type of books where there's a woman in trouble and there's a handsome police officer or detective or neighbor or whatever who you know will eventually save her from the bad guys. This book is so much more than that. The mysteries involved are completely unpredictable in their outcome and will keep you guessing. The book also touches on the racial conflicts in Detroit during that time and how integration affected this community.
This book has so many layers to it and is so masterfully written with genuine, true-to-life believable characters. Recommended.
It's very suspenseful. I don't care much for "women in distress" type of books where there's a woman in trouble and there's a handsome police officer or detective or neighbor or whatever who you know will eventually save her from the bad guys. This book is so much more than that. The mysteries involved are completely unpredictable in their outcome and will keep you guessing. The book also touches on the racial conflicts in Detroit during that time and how integration affected this community.
This book has so many layers to it and is so masterfully written with genuine, true-to-life believable characters. Recommended.
May 3, 2013
I loved Bent Road and I loved Until She Comes Home just as much. Roy is great at telling you a story that seems to effortlessly glide along, while you second guess every character and every action. One thing I love about her storytelling is the way the characters get lost in their thoughts until the person talking to them jerks them back. That is such a real-life thing and she does it better than most other authors I've read.
I've been recommending Bent Road to anyone who loves Gillian Flynn and now I am glad that I have a second book from Lori Roy to add to that.
I've been recommending Bent Road to anyone who loves Gillian Flynn and now I am glad that I have a second book from Lori Roy to add to that.
October 17, 2014
So many good reviews for this make me feel like maybe I just didn't get it.
I don't think I really liked Roy's story telling technique. It was way too hard to keep up with who the narrator was and which of the women the narrator was talking about.
So many of the plot elements and character traits didn't add up to me. I also didn't get the idea Roy knew much about Detroit.
I also take huge issues with the rapists and murderers being black.
I don't think I really liked Roy's story telling technique. It was way too hard to keep up with who the narrator was and which of the women the narrator was talking about.
So many of the plot elements and character traits didn't add up to me. I also didn't get the idea Roy knew much about Detroit.
I also take huge issues with the rapists and murderers being black.
July 18, 2016
This book is bleak. There's death, rape, racial tensions, spouse abuse, and good old-fashioned mysogyny -- all the makings of a riveting and thought-provoking narrative about the gritty realities of 1950s Detroit. And it does have its moments. Overall, though, I found many of the characters to be cliche and difficult to relate to. Much of the plot depends on characters withholding information for flimsy reasons -- frustrating.
September 9, 2013
I only finished reading it cause its a book for my book club. Stereotypes galore. Confusing. Some of the characters had no character development.
November 29, 2013
This was the most awesome book. It was like watching a train wreck. You can't imagine all the stuff that happens in this book. It would be a great choice for bookclub.
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