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The Evidence Room: A Mystery
In the vein of Tana French and Laura Lippman, this atmospheric and beautifully written police procedural is set in Florida where a murder of a young mother shook a small bayou town to its core. Twenty years later, the victim's daughter returns to the scene of the crime and learns that the tragedy of her past has very real consequences for her future.
Everyone in Cooper's Bayou knows the story of Raylene Atchison, the local woman who was murdered on the banks of the bayou, and her daughter, Aurora, who was found on the steps of the mini-mart, alone. But when Aurora, who was raised far away from Cooper's Bayou, returns to Florida to settle her grandfather's estate, she learns that the suspect in her mother's murder was wrongly accused. Aurora meets Josh Hudson, a cop who has been put on administrative leave in the at the Evidence Room, a warehouse of dusty and forgotten items that could hold the key for solving Raylene's murder. Together, Josh and Aurora delve into the past and find that that the answers they are seeking lie just below the surface of the bayou they thought they knew.
Spanning decades of secrets and lies and featuring a setting that comes alive as a character in its own right, THE EVIDENCE ROOM is a stunning debut mystery from a new literary talent.
Everyone in Cooper's Bayou knows the story of Raylene Atchison, the local woman who was murdered on the banks of the bayou, and her daughter, Aurora, who was found on the steps of the mini-mart, alone. But when Aurora, who was raised far away from Cooper's Bayou, returns to Florida to settle her grandfather's estate, she learns that the suspect in her mother's murder was wrongly accused. Aurora meets Josh Hudson, a cop who has been put on administrative leave in the at the Evidence Room, a warehouse of dusty and forgotten items that could hold the key for solving Raylene's murder. Together, Josh and Aurora delve into the past and find that that the answers they are seeking lie just below the surface of the bayou they thought they knew.
Spanning decades of secrets and lies and featuring a setting that comes alive as a character in its own right, THE EVIDENCE ROOM is a stunning debut mystery from a new literary talent.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2015
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751 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 8, 2015
The Evidence Room is a good solid mystery - the way mysteries were that first enticed me to start reading the genre. The two main characters are very likeable, the supporting characters add the quirky charm, the environment is the Florida bayous (think True Detective season 1), the chapters are short and well paced, and the mystery is a murder case that was semi-solved in that everyone felt they knew who did it but the guy was never arrested. But, to make this novel, the obvious is not the answer and so a cold case is reopened that no one wants to have reopened.
Debut novel and a very good read.
Debut novel and a very good read.
December 6, 2015
First Sentence: Dr. James Mason was more comfortable with the dead than the living.
In 1989, a small girl was brought to the morgue of Dr. James Mason. She was something of an anomaly as she was alive. Little Aurora’s mother had been murdered and they were looking for her father. Now, in 2014, upon the death of her grandfather, Aurora, now an ER nurse in New York, finds she needs to return to her home town of Cooper’s Bayou, Florida and the home of her birth to settle his estate. Josh Hudson, in looking for his missing sister, has been suspended from his job on the police force and relegated to the evidence warehouse, overseen by Samba, who knows where all the records and secrets are stored. Can the three of them find the answers they seek?
Harvey opens with an excellent hook; touching, interesting and compelling with characters with whom one can identify. Just as we become involved, we skip forward 25 years. And are introduced to new, equally compelling characters.
Harvey writes excellent dialogue—“All those blond techs look the same to me. Good genetic material for a baby, but about as interesting as unflavored oatmeal.”—as well as lines that make us stop and consider—“We all got something that haunts us, Josh.”
It is so important to have characters with which one can emphasize and identify. Harvey’s character’s are fully dimensional, and very interesting,; Ruby, Doc Mason, Samba, Josh—but it is Aurora who is smart, independent, and doesn’t depend upon a man to save her, who truly captures our interest. Only occasionally does the fragmentation of the story makes keeping track of them a bit challenging.
The sense of place is strong and visual…”The bayou was wilder here, the water heaving past in an unrelenting torrent the color of strong tea…” He writes with wonderful imagery…”The graveyard by the state prison was manicured and well-kept, but these people—people whose greatest crime was dying anonymously---were spending eternity in an overgrown dump.” One can even appreciate the fascinating information on voodoo versus voudon.
“The Evidence Room” has an excellent plot, with clever twists, very good suspense yet without overt violence. It is a wonderful debut by an author one should consider following.
THE EVIDENCE ROOM (Mys-Aurora Atchinson/Josh Hudson-Florida-Contemp) – Ex
Harvey, Cameron – 1st book
Minotaur Books – June 2015
In 1989, a small girl was brought to the morgue of Dr. James Mason. She was something of an anomaly as she was alive. Little Aurora’s mother had been murdered and they were looking for her father. Now, in 2014, upon the death of her grandfather, Aurora, now an ER nurse in New York, finds she needs to return to her home town of Cooper’s Bayou, Florida and the home of her birth to settle his estate. Josh Hudson, in looking for his missing sister, has been suspended from his job on the police force and relegated to the evidence warehouse, overseen by Samba, who knows where all the records and secrets are stored. Can the three of them find the answers they seek?
Harvey opens with an excellent hook; touching, interesting and compelling with characters with whom one can identify. Just as we become involved, we skip forward 25 years. And are introduced to new, equally compelling characters.
Harvey writes excellent dialogue—“All those blond techs look the same to me. Good genetic material for a baby, but about as interesting as unflavored oatmeal.”—as well as lines that make us stop and consider—“We all got something that haunts us, Josh.”
It is so important to have characters with which one can emphasize and identify. Harvey’s character’s are fully dimensional, and very interesting,; Ruby, Doc Mason, Samba, Josh—but it is Aurora who is smart, independent, and doesn’t depend upon a man to save her, who truly captures our interest. Only occasionally does the fragmentation of the story makes keeping track of them a bit challenging.
The sense of place is strong and visual…”The bayou was wilder here, the water heaving past in an unrelenting torrent the color of strong tea…” He writes with wonderful imagery…”The graveyard by the state prison was manicured and well-kept, but these people—people whose greatest crime was dying anonymously---were spending eternity in an overgrown dump.” One can even appreciate the fascinating information on voodoo versus voudon.
“The Evidence Room” has an excellent plot, with clever twists, very good suspense yet without overt violence. It is a wonderful debut by an author one should consider following.
THE EVIDENCE ROOM (Mys-Aurora Atchinson/Josh Hudson-Florida-Contemp) – Ex
Harvey, Cameron – 1st book
Minotaur Books – June 2015
August 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this mystery. Mom killed, daughter comes back when her grandfather dies and wants to know the truth of murder
October 25, 2022
the ending wrapped up way too fast imo
June 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It's different from what I've been reading lately, so maybe that is part of the interest. The two main characters have both similar and tragic family histories, which is a little too coincidental if we are being realistic. However, both stories are interesting and suspenseful. The story about Aurora unfolds into political corruption and grudges. Josh's storyline becomes a sad truth that has haunted him since childhood. His story left something unsettled, which bothers me a bit. It's a pretty important part of the plot that Josh's sister ran away. In fact, his search for her is the reason he lands in the evidence room to begin with. I would've liked to learned what happened to her, but I suppose then it would've been too neat and tidy, which in my experience, isn't the way life goes either.
January 19, 2015
When Aurora Atchison returns to Cooper’s Bayou, the Florida town where she was born and where her mother was murdered, to settle her grandfather’s estate, she finds more questions than answers to what really happened so many years ago. She meets Josh Hudson, a cop who has been put on administrative leave at the Evidence Room (a warehouse full of old and forgotten crime related items), and together they delve into the past which now seems as murky and dangerous as the bayou that is the setting for this intriguing police procedural.
August 8, 2015
This was an awesome read! It grabbed me from the beginning and kept my attention through the whole book ---- author made a great story entailing the Bayou, the people, customs and atmosphere! For a first story it was truly entertaining --- can’t wait to see what’s next in this new author’s writing! Not enough stars to rate this book!
December 22, 2016
2.5 stars
And just once I'd like to read about a medical examiner who is an extrovert who loves to go clubbing or something.
And just once I'd like to read about a medical examiner who is an extrovert who loves to go clubbing or something.
June 6, 2017
Definitely not the Florida I remember from my childhood!
July 20, 2018
I found this book very unsatisfactory because so many issues and questions that arose during the book were left entirely unanswered. In fact, in the end nothing was resolved. This terrible non-ending ending makes mad at myself for wasting my time in the first place. While I don't necessarily like everything tied up in a nice little bow at the end, so that the ending appears rushed, I am livid when ALL of the questions germane to the mystery are left unattended. !!## or as my hubby says "Oh funduda" instead of the other "f" word! Pass on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2021
There are some beautiful descriptive passages in this book and the characters are likeable. Despite one misuse of “ya’ll,” the author even did a wonderful job with southern dialect and culture. I’m a third generation Floridian and had no idea we even had a bayou, but Florida has many very different sides to its character. I’m giving this book a three beacause the police work seemed a little improbable. The plot could have been a bit stronger. I did enjoy the book, and will have to see the Florida bayou for myself now.
May 31, 2017
I usually steer clear of mysteries set in the contemporary US (OK, mostly I just read mysteries set in the UK or Ireland or France...) but enough reviewers compared this to Tana French that I gave it a try and it was pretty good.
July 5, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, it kept my interest and was easy to read. For a first time author I was pleasantly surprised by how well written it was. Looking forward to more books by this author.
October 7, 2018
A captivating, gripping mystery. Kept me glued to the last page. Lots of surprising twists and turns.
November 29, 2020
OK. Nothing spectacularly compelling. I must admit, though, stories based in the south are not really my thing.
May 30, 2022
Great read! Had me at the edge of my seat the whole time.
December 17, 2024
Plenty of potential but, in the end, nothing new here
May 23, 2025
The story was ok, the writing was ok; I just didn't identify with, or really even care about, any of the characters.
June 10, 2015
The Evidence Room by Cameron Harvey is set in Cooper's Bayou, a little back-water town in Florida. Two young people have recently returned to Cooper's Bayou after long absences.
Josh Hudson is a cop who has an obsession with finding his older sister. Aurora Atchison has just returned to settle her grandfather's estate. When Aurora discovers that perhaps her father was not guilty of her mother's murder, she begins digging into some old secrets that several Cooper's Bayou citizens would rather be left alone. Josh and Aurora have sad pasts in common, and Josh, who has been placed on administrative leave and "sentenced" to working the evidence room, is inclined to help.
Both characters have tragic and depressing pasts. It is a bit too coincidental that they both have a murdered family member, a missing family member, and more questions than answers. The repeated assurances from many different individuals that Josh is a "good man" got on my nerves. Aurora doesn't need to be told more than once and having so many characters make the same remark is redundant.
The Evidence Room is unexceptional. I wasn't tempted to put it in the DNF pile, but neither did I find it compelling.
ARC from Minotaur Books.
Crime/Mystery. 2015. 306 pages.
Josh Hudson is a cop who has an obsession with finding his older sister. Aurora Atchison has just returned to settle her grandfather's estate. When Aurora discovers that perhaps her father was not guilty of her mother's murder, she begins digging into some old secrets that several Cooper's Bayou citizens would rather be left alone. Josh and Aurora have sad pasts in common, and Josh, who has been placed on administrative leave and "sentenced" to working the evidence room, is inclined to help.
Both characters have tragic and depressing pasts. It is a bit too coincidental that they both have a murdered family member, a missing family member, and more questions than answers. The repeated assurances from many different individuals that Josh is a "good man" got on my nerves. Aurora doesn't need to be told more than once and having so many characters make the same remark is redundant.
The Evidence Room is unexceptional. I wasn't tempted to put it in the DNF pile, but neither did I find it compelling.
ARC from Minotaur Books.
Crime/Mystery. 2015. 306 pages.
June 15, 2015
Cooper Bayou cop Josh Hudson, on administrative leave and sent to the Evidence Room as punishment, is a damaged young man. Compromising a drug case in an attempt to get information on his sisters disappearance, Josh knows he would have made the same decision no matter what the consequences. Aurora Atkison has returned to the small Florida town where she was born in order to settle her grandfathers estate. She is sed to realize her grandfather had been investigating the murder of her mother. And that her father, long assumed to be the killer, may be innocent. With the help of Mike Sambarella, Sambo to friends and acquaintances, and the man's beloved Evidence Room, Josh and Aurora will meet each other and begin to delve into their haunted pasts. This hypnotic mystery is enhanced by the small-town atmosphere, voodoo, and events of the past. As new eyes view old events, evidence takes new meaning, decomposed bodies are unearthed, and the towns people are viewed in a different perspective. All becomes new and nothing is as it appears to be. This book is surprisingly easy to read
August 8, 2015
A great debut novel by Cameron Harvey. Aurora and Josh are great characters. Brought together by tradegies in their past. Looking for answers to questions long in the making. Samba and Doc helping to figure out the truth down in the Bayou. Plot, characters, and setting woven together fantastically, I cannot say enough positive things about this mystery. I was first drawn to the book by the cover and it turned out to be quite a treat. I hope Harvey writes another, and I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries.
August 14, 2015
I loved it right up until about 60 pages from the end where it got a little rushed. The beginning was awesome with cool characters (a nurse who returns to the bayou to solve her mothers murder and a cop who gets moved to the evidence room pending a hearing and a lot of other unsavory characters), a great setting (the bayou)and a mystery that was more than one mystery (who killed her mother, was it her father, is her father dead or not, what's with all the juju in the house and why didn't her grandfather tell her any of this before he died?) all wrapped up together. As Harvey's debut novel, I can see where she can only get better.
July 2, 2015
I picked this book up off the "new" shelf at the library with high hopes because I love crime, I love the South and I love Tana French.
My hopes were not only met but exceeded. The characters in this book were instantly likable and the plot grabbed my attention right away and held on until the final chapter. The setting was authentic and filled with the kind of rich details that create vivid mental pictures.
I would love to read more stories about Aurora and Josh, I hope this will be a series.
My hopes were not only met but exceeded. The characters in this book were instantly likable and the plot grabbed my attention right away and held on until the final chapter. The setting was authentic and filled with the kind of rich details that create vivid mental pictures.
I would love to read more stories about Aurora and Josh, I hope this will be a series.
June 7, 2015
Thank you goodreads for sending me an advanced reading copy. Tragedy strikes Josh and Aurora as children and they leave the bayou only to return as adults and try to solve the mysteries of their pasts. It's a good setting and the plot has several twists and turns to it. I feel like the story and the supporting characters need to be fleshed out more. It has a bare bones feel to it that I can appreciate in some stories, but not this one. The plot has somewhat of a paint by number feel to it.
September 27, 2015
The main character, Aurora, finds herself returning to Cooper’s Bayou, her birthplace, to settle her grandfather’s estate. While there she becomes immersed in trying to solve the mystery behind her mother’s murder. A cop with his own issues that is on administrative leave assists her. While it was an interesting read, it was also too predictable. However, there was one mystery left unsolved, so there might be a sequel. I doubt I will read it.
February 7, 2016
I liked this book but there were inconsistencies that could have been remedied by an editor that were disappointing. Examples: a dog is introduced as a character towards the beginning. The dog failed out of sniffer dog school and the detective adopts him. I expected the dog to be a consistent presence and to contribute to the plot but he isn't mentioned again until 100 pages later and then doesn't do much. There
July 30, 2015
Aurora was found as a little girl on the steps of mini mart after her mother's murder. Everyone has always said her father did it. When she returns to Florida to settle her grandfather's estate she finds out that it wasn't true. She gets together with a policeman on adminstrative leave who is looking for his sister. Together they go throught the evidence room to try to find out the truth.
October 7, 2015
Great debut! Reads real quick. Hope this is a start of a series,
Josh and Aurora make a great team!
Josh and Aurora make a great team!
July 18, 2015
Per FTC guidelines I received this book from the goodreads First read program in exchange for a review. Great read!
January 8, 2016
Eh...could have been better
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews