Prodigal: A Novel

by Phyllis Gobbell

It's the Fourth of July, 2000. In a small Southern town, fireworks light the sky above the City Park, while down the street a smaller flash of light changes everything for 19-year-old Connor Burdette. He has just lost the girl he loves. Now, buying beer at the Back Home Market, he becomes an accomplice to a shooting. Out of desperation, he runs. It will take ten years and a death to bring him back. But it's so hard to come home. The town still blames him for his part in the convenience store shooting. His wealthy grandmother's will, leaving her fortune to Connor, only causes tension in the family. The Burdettes are caught in the fierce push and pull of loyalties and deception. And like the gun that washes up in a rainstorm, family secrets won't stay buried. Nikki, who is married to Connor's brother, Russ, has kept the most powerful secret of all. Connor has to face his past, his cowardice at the convenience store, and his betrayal of his brother. At the Back Home Market, where it all began, Connor is given one last chance to redeem himself, to be forgiven and to forgive himself. PRODIGAL is a modern-day retelling of an age-old story, unique in the context of a Southern family. Told by multiple narrators, PRODIGAL is about forgiveness, redemption, and the sacrifice that love demands.

264 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2024

About the author

Phyllis Gobbell's new novel, Prodigal, is Southern fiction, due for release November 2024. Her fourth Jordan Mayfair mystery is now available -Notorious in Nashville (2023)! Award-winner Treachery in Tuscany (2018) is third in the Jordan Mayfair Mystery Series that began with Pursuit in Provence (2015) and continued with Secrets and Shamrocks (2016). She also co-authored two true-crime books based on high-profile murders in Nashville: An Unfinished Canvas with Mike Glasgow (Berkley, 2007) and A Season of Darkness with Doug Jones (Berkley, 2010). She was interviewed on Discovery ID's "Deadly Sins," discussing the murder case in An Unfinished Canvas. Her narrative, "Lost Innocence," was published in the anthology, Masters of True Crime (Prometheus, 2012) and is now available as an audiobook. She has received awards in both fiction and nonfiction, including a Silver Falchion Award for Best Cozy Mystery and Tennessee's Individual Artist Literary Award. She was associate professor of English at Nashville State Community College, where she taught writing and literature.

Reviews

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely book! It’s quite a slow burn, and tells the story of the Burdette family. It’s all about love, forgiveness and atonement.

Nineteen-year-old Connor disappeared ten years ago after a shooting in a convenience store. Everyone thought he did it, though we are pretty sure he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. He hasn’t been in touch with his family since he left – until now.

Lady, his grandmother, is a bit of a battleaxe to be honest. Hard to like. When she dies, she leaves everything to Connor, which is bound to cause conflict in the family. Her son Daniel is a Baptist minister, married to Kitty. Connor is the youngest of their children, the other two being Russ and Ivy. Russ is married to Nikki and they have two sons. It took me a while to work all this out!

So back to the story. It’s not complicated, but there are a lot of characters involved. You may not like all of them (especially Boone). I really loved Connor, not so much Russ or Nikki, though I warmed to her towards the end, which is quite strange, as I probably shouldn’t have. Ivy was my second favourite. I struggled a bit with the religious aspect, particularly Daniel. He’s such a kind person, but the Baptist Church thing grated on me at times. Because of where this is set, it’s very alien to us in the UK, the whole community getting together, judging, vilifying anyone who doesn’t go to church. And the use of the word ‘daddy’ because no-one here says that past the age of ten.

But it’s also a snapshot of life in a small town in the Southern States of America. And it was very emotional at the end. Everyone can be saved, secrets will out, but some dilemmas just can’t be resolved.

Many thanks to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Amys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phyllis Gobbell writes an riveting story

In Prodigal, the reader is brought to the town of Montpier, a small town in Tennessee. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. The setting of the community and connections within this small town play a large part in the story. Unfortunately, at the town's annual Fourth of July celebrating, it becomes a time of mourning. This story also takes the reader into the dynamics of a small town, secrets, gossip, and even shunning those who don't fit what others think as a normal life. A reader can get lost in the story. This story is grand read. Ten years ago, was a day set in infamy for the small town, and its resident Connor, left, under suspicion that he had a part in the devastating shooting, and now he's returned. A very unpredictable story, my favorite kind! This story has a well-written plot. I like how the author presents the instability of a town, that surrounds one person, and now he has returned. It's told by various narrators, and that sometimes can be too much, but it works for this story. Prodigal is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book also write a review.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mistake can cause your life to change in the blink of an eye - or a shot from a gun, but either way, for Connor, it’ll never be the same. Gobbell expertly draws you into his story, and doesn’t let you go until the very last page. There’s a literary lilt to the story, and although it touches on many topics, how much a person can grow and change, facing old hurts, and the bonds that tie us together are woven together to take center stage. The story is compelling, maybe because it could’ve happened in any of many small towns. If you’ve lived in a small town, you might recognize some of the dynamics at play, which are brought to life expertly. It’s not just the imagery - it’s how real the characters feel that keep you captivated by the story. They all feel like real people, like you could walk into the local grocery and see them browsing the aisles too. The story itself moves along at a good pace, and it was honestly surprising when I reached the end to realize just how long I’d been sitting there reading. I cannot recommend this enough if you want a book that will make you feel connected to the characters on a whole new level.

[Randy O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the Bible story, this novel is heartbreaking and evocative. A great read.

[Esther Swink · Rating 5 out of 5]

gripping story

Fast moving, lots of intrigue, lots of twists and turns. Characters are complicated and believable. Infused with the theme of familial complications, love win.

[Jack Nadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town southern life the way it still may be.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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