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The Comfort of Monsters: NYT Best Crime Novel of the Year
Set in Milwaukee during the “Dahmer summer” of 1991, A remarkable debut novel for fans of Mary Gaitskill and Gillian Flynn about two sisters—one who disappears, and one who is left to pick up the pieces in the aftermath.
In the summer of 1991, a teenage girl named Dee McBride vanished in the city of Milwaukee. Nearly thirty years later, her sister, Peg, is still haunted by her sister's disappearance. Their mother, on her deathbed, is desperate to find out what happened to Dee so the family hires a psychic to help find Dee’s body and bring them some semblance of peace.
The appearance of the psychic plunges Peg back to the past, to those final carefree months when she last saw Dee—the summer the Journal Sentinel called “the deadliest . . . in the history of Milwaukee.” Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s heinous crimes dominated the headlines and overwhelmed local law enforcement. The disappearance of one girl was easily overlooked.
Peg’s hazy recollections are far from easy for her to interpret, assess, or even keep clear in her mind. And now digging deep into her memory raises doubts and difficult—even terrifying—questions. Was there anything Peg could have done to prevent Dee’s disappearance? Who was really to blame for the family's loss? How often are our memories altered by the very act of voicing them? And what does it mean to bear witness in a world where even our own stories are inherently suspect?
A heartbreaking page-turner, Willa C. Richards’ debut novel is the story of a broken family looking for answers in the face of the unknown, and asks us to reconsider the power and truth of memory.
In the summer of 1991, a teenage girl named Dee McBride vanished in the city of Milwaukee. Nearly thirty years later, her sister, Peg, is still haunted by her sister's disappearance. Their mother, on her deathbed, is desperate to find out what happened to Dee so the family hires a psychic to help find Dee’s body and bring them some semblance of peace.
The appearance of the psychic plunges Peg back to the past, to those final carefree months when she last saw Dee—the summer the Journal Sentinel called “the deadliest . . . in the history of Milwaukee.” Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s heinous crimes dominated the headlines and overwhelmed local law enforcement. The disappearance of one girl was easily overlooked.
Peg’s hazy recollections are far from easy for her to interpret, assess, or even keep clear in her mind. And now digging deep into her memory raises doubts and difficult—even terrifying—questions. Was there anything Peg could have done to prevent Dee’s disappearance? Who was really to blame for the family's loss? How often are our memories altered by the very act of voicing them? And what does it mean to bear witness in a world where even our own stories are inherently suspect?
A heartbreaking page-turner, Willa C. Richards’ debut novel is the story of a broken family looking for answers in the face of the unknown, and asks us to reconsider the power and truth of memory.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2021
103 people are currently reading
5915 people want to read
About the author
Willa C. Richards
2 books62 followersWilla C. Richards is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review and she is a recipient of a PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize for Emerging Writers. THE COMFORT OF MONSTERS is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
August 4, 2021
It's taken a while, but I'm going to rate this four stars. I'm also going to be honest and admit how much I struggled with this book. I don't think it was marketed incorrectly, but this is definitely not for readers who struggle with character based stories. I like them, but they are something I'm acquiring a taste for still so I found this challenging. Let me explain:
Peg's sister, Dee, disappeared in the summer of 1991 in Milwaukee. Her disappearance failed to receive the publicity it needed in part due to 1) failure for those closest to Dee to realize she was missing 2) the now infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer's victims were just discovered and 3) the police not taking it seriously. All this was a perfect mix for Dee's case to grow cold. The entire book goes back and forth between the summer of 1991 and present time where we see how much Dee's disappearance destroyed her family. Peg is stuck and becomes obsessed with her sister's case and works dead end jobs, has failed relationship after failed relationship because she is constantly working on ways to further the investigation. The family decides to hire a TV psychic to try and locate Dee's body.
I thought this was going to be more of a literary mystery. I don't necessarily want to dissuade anyone
from reading this book, but not much "happens". The focus isn't necessarily on the case (however it is certainly discussed and a secondary plot point), the book is more about how all the factors I mentioned above interfere with the case, as well as what a family member's disappearance can do to a family. More simply put, it's depressing, yet well written and researched and brings up very valid points. I just don't know what I took from it. It just kind of underscores everything we all know from listening to true crime podcasts or other books about subjects like this. Police investigations can fail miserably, family members can turn on each other and forget things and sometimes there is no resolution. This book is reality - so if you're looking for a wrapped up ending, you won't find it here.
With all this being said, I will read the author's next book as I think her writing is excellent and I'm a little more prepared mentally for what is to come.
Review Date: 08/04/2021
Publication Date: 07/13/2021
Peg's sister, Dee, disappeared in the summer of 1991 in Milwaukee. Her disappearance failed to receive the publicity it needed in part due to 1) failure for those closest to Dee to realize she was missing 2) the now infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer's victims were just discovered and 3) the police not taking it seriously. All this was a perfect mix for Dee's case to grow cold. The entire book goes back and forth between the summer of 1991 and present time where we see how much Dee's disappearance destroyed her family. Peg is stuck and becomes obsessed with her sister's case and works dead end jobs, has failed relationship after failed relationship because she is constantly working on ways to further the investigation. The family decides to hire a TV psychic to try and locate Dee's body.
I thought this was going to be more of a literary mystery. I don't necessarily want to dissuade anyone
from reading this book, but not much "happens". The focus isn't necessarily on the case (however it is certainly discussed and a secondary plot point), the book is more about how all the factors I mentioned above interfere with the case, as well as what a family member's disappearance can do to a family. More simply put, it's depressing, yet well written and researched and brings up very valid points. I just don't know what I took from it. It just kind of underscores everything we all know from listening to true crime podcasts or other books about subjects like this. Police investigations can fail miserably, family members can turn on each other and forget things and sometimes there is no resolution. This book is reality - so if you're looking for a wrapped up ending, you won't find it here.
With all this being said, I will read the author's next book as I think her writing is excellent and I'm a little more prepared mentally for what is to come.
Review Date: 08/04/2021
Publication Date: 07/13/2021
July 23, 2021
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I don't really know what is the purpose of this book. Technically it's a story about disappearance of a young girl, Cadence, and how it influenced the life of her older sister, Peg. Everything is told from Peg's perspective and we are following two timelines - one starting couple weeks before Dee's disappearance and the second timeline happening almost thirty years later when Peg's family makes another attempt at finding out what happened with Cadence. I must admit that the prospect of hiring a famous psychic to find the body sparked my interested and made me enter the giveaway of this book but in reality this is such a minor plot line that it is barely there. That was my first disappointment.
My second disappointment was the fact that we are stuck in Peg's head for the entire time and I disliked her tremendously. Her descriptions of her younger sister were so sensual they were almost sexual and I cringed every time she started dwelling on Cadence looks. Peg is also extremely misandric and because of that all men that are showing up in her narration are such despicable caricatures that they seem unreal. Every guy that have any interaction with Peg is either trying to rape her or to beat her and even guys that are supposedly in love with her are no exception to that rule. Ha! Even her 14-year old niece's boyfriend is an animal. This information obviously has no impact on the main story line but you will learn that anyway. That brings us to the fact that Peg likes to digress. A LOT. Which in turn lengthens the story and slows down the plot, turning thriller into a snooze fest.
Third disappointment is the descriptions of Jefferey Dahmer case and how Milwaukee has reacted to it. Feels like it was written for the people that remember this murders, watched any documentary about them or at least visited the city because the tone of "you know what I'm talking about" made me, a person that was surprised that Dahmer was an actual murderer, pretty baffled. Needed to read some Wikipedia articles to fill the gaps.
In the end I was bored most of the time.
I don't really know what is the purpose of this book. Technically it's a story about disappearance of a young girl, Cadence, and how it influenced the life of her older sister, Peg. Everything is told from Peg's perspective and we are following two timelines - one starting couple weeks before Dee's disappearance and the second timeline happening almost thirty years later when Peg's family makes another attempt at finding out what happened with Cadence. I must admit that the prospect of hiring a famous psychic to find the body sparked my interested and made me enter the giveaway of this book but in reality this is such a minor plot line that it is barely there. That was my first disappointment.
My second disappointment was the fact that we are stuck in Peg's head for the entire time and I disliked her tremendously. Her descriptions of her younger sister were so sensual they were almost sexual and I cringed every time she started dwelling on Cadence looks. Peg is also extremely misandric and because of that all men that are showing up in her narration are such despicable caricatures that they seem unreal. Every guy that have any interaction with Peg is either trying to rape her or to beat her and even guys that are supposedly in love with her are no exception to that rule. Ha! Even her 14-year old niece's boyfriend is an animal. This information obviously has no impact on the main story line but you will learn that anyway. That brings us to the fact that Peg likes to digress. A LOT. Which in turn lengthens the story and slows down the plot, turning thriller into a snooze fest.
Third disappointment is the descriptions of Jefferey Dahmer case and how Milwaukee has reacted to it. Feels like it was written for the people that remember this murders, watched any documentary about them or at least visited the city because the tone of "you know what I'm talking about" made me, a person that was surprised that Dahmer was an actual murderer, pretty baffled. Needed to read some Wikipedia articles to fill the gaps.
In the end I was bored most of the time.
June 28, 2021
I really loved the slow simmer of this book. It was beautifully written and wasn’t flashy or twisty, but kept a steady level of dread and confusion and sadness throughout. Peg's struggle to reconcile her memories while trying to figure out what happened to her sister Dee thirty years ago was heartbreaking.
I was also super into it being set in Milwaukee during "the Dahmer summer" and the smart social commentary Richards included about my messed up, highly segregated, hometown and the racism and homophobia rampant in policing (especially then, but obviously still happening today).
I was 16 and lived in Milwaukee in 1991 and have vague recollections of reading about how his victims were men and that they were dismembered and that the police sent a badly injured 14-year-old boy back into the killer’s apartment to be murdered, but I didn’t really understand the full extent to which the police screwed up and how much the bias against the types of victims he targeted allowed him to operate for years before being caught. It’s all so upsetting and gross.
---- “It turns out you often have to be a lot of things to make the news care about you and to make you worthy of search and rescue. This is why you’ve heard about that woman who got kidnapped in Utah, but you can’t name a single man the serial killer murdered.” ----
I also LOVE that Richards refers to him as "the serial killer" throughout the book, rather than repeating his name over and over. We shouldn't focus on the killers. We should remember the victims and the survivors.
Highly recommended!
* thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the review arc. AVAILABLE July 13, 2021 *
I was also super into it being set in Milwaukee during "the Dahmer summer" and the smart social commentary Richards included about my messed up, highly segregated, hometown and the racism and homophobia rampant in policing (especially then, but obviously still happening today).
I was 16 and lived in Milwaukee in 1991 and have vague recollections of reading about how his victims were men and that they were dismembered and that the police sent a badly injured 14-year-old boy back into the killer’s apartment to be murdered, but I didn’t really understand the full extent to which the police screwed up and how much the bias against the types of victims he targeted allowed him to operate for years before being caught. It’s all so upsetting and gross.
---- “It turns out you often have to be a lot of things to make the news care about you and to make you worthy of search and rescue. This is why you’ve heard about that woman who got kidnapped in Utah, but you can’t name a single man the serial killer murdered.” ----
I also LOVE that Richards refers to him as "the serial killer" throughout the book, rather than repeating his name over and over. We shouldn't focus on the killers. We should remember the victims and the survivors.
Highly recommended!
* thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the review arc. AVAILABLE July 13, 2021 *
July 26, 2021
This book it is not a thriller, it is not even a mystery.
This is the story of a a girl that disappears without a trace and the effects of this act on her family, especially her sister. It is a very dark, dramatic ("we're all going to die and what's the point for it all" type of a book).
The family does everything, eventually goes bankrupt trying to find out what really happened.
**Spoilers ahead**
And they still don't. And i think that's the biggest drawback of this book. After reading all the negative, suicidal, pessimistic, dark thoughts (as the book is related from Peg's perspective, the sister), it all adds up to nothing because they still don't find out anything and you are at the end back to square one.
So this book is not a thriller, because nothing thrilling is happening. It's the anatomy of a painful life of the surviving family of a disappeared child. And the life they live is somewhere around 2 inches above death hence the somber, gloomy atmosphere.
This is the story of a a girl that disappears without a trace and the effects of this act on her family, especially her sister. It is a very dark, dramatic ("we're all going to die and what's the point for it all" type of a book).
The family does everything, eventually goes bankrupt trying to find out what really happened.
**Spoilers ahead**
And they still don't. And i think that's the biggest drawback of this book. After reading all the negative, suicidal, pessimistic, dark thoughts (as the book is related from Peg's perspective, the sister), it all adds up to nothing because they still don't find out anything and you are at the end back to square one.
So this book is not a thriller, because nothing thrilling is happening. It's the anatomy of a painful life of the surviving family of a disappeared child. And the life they live is somewhere around 2 inches above death hence the somber, gloomy atmosphere.
July 14, 2025
Cannot overstate it: This is the Book of Summer 2021 – an absolute page turner perfect for beach reading or a long weekend. The Comfort of Monsters is engagingly told in two, alternating timelines just before and years after the disappearance of a young woman in Milwaukee, WI during Jeffrey Dahmer’s summer of 1991. While it is an engrossing psychological thriller, the novel is really rooted in the relationships between its impressive cast of characters and at its core the relationship between two sisters, exploring intimacy, truth and memory. The Comfort of Monsters is a definite conversation starter that feels truly of this moment – a great book club choice! You will definitely NOT regret picking this one up!
October 23, 2021
The Comfort Of Monsters engaged me immediately, it is just the kind of atmospheric, beautifully written story I love.
The story of a missing girl, her story lost in the surrounding furore of the Dahmer case and the sister who can't leave it all behind her is emotionally resonant from the start and digs deep into the psyche of those left behind.
As a true crime addict this book really hit home with me- I have often felt so sorry for the families of the missing. This fictional tale that could be true is intriguing and made even more realistic by the fact that the main protagonist is far from perfect, is, in fact, often very unlikeable. Her missing sister also has very human flaws, the author going behind the standard pitch perfect nature of the lost after they are gone.
The relationship between the sisters forms the heart of this novel, this is far more family drama than it is mystery and I would caution that if you like your stories wrapped up with a pretty bowed resolution this may not be for you. It is a character study, a human story and I loved it even though it left me melancholy.
The story of a missing girl, her story lost in the surrounding furore of the Dahmer case and the sister who can't leave it all behind her is emotionally resonant from the start and digs deep into the psyche of those left behind.
As a true crime addict this book really hit home with me- I have often felt so sorry for the families of the missing. This fictional tale that could be true is intriguing and made even more realistic by the fact that the main protagonist is far from perfect, is, in fact, often very unlikeable. Her missing sister also has very human flaws, the author going behind the standard pitch perfect nature of the lost after they are gone.
The relationship between the sisters forms the heart of this novel, this is far more family drama than it is mystery and I would caution that if you like your stories wrapped up with a pretty bowed resolution this may not be for you. It is a character study, a human story and I loved it even though it left me melancholy.
August 3, 2021
Yikes
Confounding, self-indulgent, and ultimately a waste of time. The narrator is a misandric sociopath who occasionally sexualizes her own missing sister. 1 star for the Kopps references.
Confounding, self-indulgent, and ultimately a waste of time. The narrator is a misandric sociopath who occasionally sexualizes her own missing sister. 1 star for the Kopps references.
April 7, 2021
Richards lures the reader into the muddled memory of the protagonist, creating a window into the coping mechanisms and delusions of victims. The timeliness of the author's commentary on predatory media and apathetic law enforcement should not go unnoticed. From domestic abuse to dealing with the loss of a loved one, The Comfort of Monsters provides an empathetic perspective of how cruel life can be. I highly recommend this read, especially if you have an appetite for self reflection.
March 9, 2021
This story is a brilliant and gripping commentary on gender, sexuality, and intimate relationships that intersects with the ineffectiveness, ignorance and subsequent violence that local government and media can perpetuate. The author has seamlessly woven together the timelines of a seemingly fun-loving 90s summer turned nightmare that still haunts a family nearly thirty years later. When a famous ghost talker comes to town, the sister of a woman who disappeared that fateful summer in Milwaukee tries to grapple with the harsh realities of her sister’s and her own abusive relationships and an ever-fleeting search for answers about her sister's disappearance. The story sheds light on a cultural obsession with murder and depravity that consumes and isolates those both near and far from tragedy.
May 20, 2021
Review TK
May 24, 2021
Couldn’t put this down once I started it.
July 20, 2021
This book is extremely my shit. And one of the most poetic endings I’ve ever read.
December 3, 2021
DNF. My first DNF of the year. Got about 50% through and had to give up. Too many books to read to stick with it unfortunately.
Totally miscast with the burb. This is not a thriller or a mystery. Sure it’s the story of two sisters, one who goes missing and the other dealing with the aftermath. Told from the viewpoint of the “surviving” sister in both the present(decades after her sister has gone missing) and in flashback to weeks before she does so, it’s a collection of inane recollections that are of little interest or any sort of fun to read.
Our main protagonist Peg is not a likeable character but neither is she in any way interesting. Plus her regular sexualisation of her sister is just damn weird.
Throw in some anti gay and anti black footnotes that pay lip service to the issues rather than have anything to say about them and they feel utterly forced. It says little or nothing about the issues.
When a book has no interesting characters, doesn’t have an interesting storyline and is made up of a very uninteresting characters recollections of very uninteresting events then what’s the point in reading it? Words for the sake of it do more damage than good.
I don’t take any pleasure in slating what I read of this book but I have to be totally honest as well. I have read some poor books this year(as well as many great ones) but this is the first that I just couldn’t bring myself to finish.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
Totally miscast with the burb. This is not a thriller or a mystery. Sure it’s the story of two sisters, one who goes missing and the other dealing with the aftermath. Told from the viewpoint of the “surviving” sister in both the present(decades after her sister has gone missing) and in flashback to weeks before she does so, it’s a collection of inane recollections that are of little interest or any sort of fun to read.
Our main protagonist Peg is not a likeable character but neither is she in any way interesting. Plus her regular sexualisation of her sister is just damn weird.
Throw in some anti gay and anti black footnotes that pay lip service to the issues rather than have anything to say about them and they feel utterly forced. It says little or nothing about the issues.
When a book has no interesting characters, doesn’t have an interesting storyline and is made up of a very uninteresting characters recollections of very uninteresting events then what’s the point in reading it? Words for the sake of it do more damage than good.
I don’t take any pleasure in slating what I read of this book but I have to be totally honest as well. I have read some poor books this year(as well as many great ones) but this is the first that I just couldn’t bring myself to finish.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
May 26, 2021
This novel is an absolute masterpiece. I have now re-read it several times, each time getting drawn more and more into this beautiful and heartbreaking world Richards has created. Set in Milwaukee this novel follows the story of a family reliving the summer they lost Dee McBride. It masterfully flashes between the summer Dee disappears and 2019 as they push for one last attempt at finding her, going to lengths they never imagined. The relationships are vivid and tangible with the true love story of what it means to be and have a sister as the golden thread throughout the novel. Cannot recommend this debut novel enough!
January 15, 2022
Dark, gritty and extremely thrilling. Reminded me of The Devil in the White City.
July 29, 2021
So. Much. Awful.
First of all, how is the synopsis going to drag attention to the psychic when in all actuality there is no real substance to that plot line at all. It’s only there to have a reason to talk about Dahmer and that serial killers are glamorized while the victims are thrown to the side.
Honestly, had the author wrote a book about that—about the victims being forgotten and done it without trying to (and failing to) make some artsy metaphor for the idea—I would have likely been interested. However, this isn’t what happened. What ended up happening is that neither story was told an its entirety. The author was so stuck on slamming in long winded passages about “the infamous serial killer” and the forgotten victims that they were never able to actually tell Dee and Peg’s story.
And oh dear god, Peg/Pegasus/Margaret. The. Absolute. Worst. I had to keep reminding myself that this was supposed to be a nearly 50 year old woman when it read like she was a whiny, surly teenager.
AND. What was up with the super almost-sexual descriptions/thoughts about her sister, Dee? I highlighted at least one of them while reading…I just don’t get it? Especially when we get to the “twist” that felt like a stumble, and there’s this big talk about how Dee was cast aside because of her “promiscuity” AND BLAH BLAH BLAH I’m bored just trying to review this.
Anyway, there is no ending except for some ridiculous water washing sand “clean”/life and a clean slate and whatever comparison that made me want to throw my phone across the room.
Straight up 1 ⭐️ from me.
First of all, how is the synopsis going to drag attention to the psychic when in all actuality there is no real substance to that plot line at all. It’s only there to have a reason to talk about Dahmer and that serial killers are glamorized while the victims are thrown to the side.
Honestly, had the author wrote a book about that—about the victims being forgotten and done it without trying to (and failing to) make some artsy metaphor for the idea—I would have likely been interested. However, this isn’t what happened. What ended up happening is that neither story was told an its entirety. The author was so stuck on slamming in long winded passages about “the infamous serial killer” and the forgotten victims that they were never able to actually tell Dee and Peg’s story.
And oh dear god, Peg/Pegasus/Margaret. The. Absolute. Worst. I had to keep reminding myself that this was supposed to be a nearly 50 year old woman when it read like she was a whiny, surly teenager.
AND. What was up with the super almost-sexual descriptions/thoughts about her sister, Dee? I highlighted at least one of them while reading…I just don’t get it? Especially when we get to the “twist” that felt like a stumble, and there’s this big talk about how Dee was cast aside because of her “promiscuity” AND BLAH BLAH BLAH I’m bored just trying to review this.
Anyway, there is no ending except for some ridiculous water washing sand “clean”/life and a clean slate and whatever comparison that made me want to throw my phone across the room.
Straight up 1 ⭐️ from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2021
Almost a DNF but was hoping the ending would be worth it. Spoiler alert: nothing is resolved after 383 pages of drudgery with unlikable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2021
I’m really not sure what the point of this book was. Nothing solved in the end just full of misery and bleakness. Should have skipped it.
August 12, 2021
I went into The Comfort of Monsters thinking it was a thriller but this is very much not a thriller, more an adult literary fiction with slight mystery and intrigue though these are not the focus.
It’s a heavy but well written character study. Richards focuses on relationships, with family, with partners and with oneself, with the backdrop of the case. So, if books focused on characters isn’t your thing, then this might not be for you. I however, really enjoyed it. It was devastating and beautiful.
I have to also note the level of detail in the historical facts of Milwaukee in the early 1990s, and say that it is also very well handled. I especially loved that Richards notes the victims names but chooses to dub Dahmer as the ‘serial killer’.
There’s nothing glorified in here and it all feels very real. I left the novel wondering if I had actually picked up a memoir rather than a fiction piece. The ending wasn’t what I hoped for but as with life you don’t always get what you want.
It’s a heavy but well written character study. Richards focuses on relationships, with family, with partners and with oneself, with the backdrop of the case. So, if books focused on characters isn’t your thing, then this might not be for you. I however, really enjoyed it. It was devastating and beautiful.
I have to also note the level of detail in the historical facts of Milwaukee in the early 1990s, and say that it is also very well handled. I especially loved that Richards notes the victims names but chooses to dub Dahmer as the ‘serial killer’.
There’s nothing glorified in here and it all feels very real. I left the novel wondering if I had actually picked up a memoir rather than a fiction piece. The ending wasn’t what I hoped for but as with life you don’t always get what you want.
September 11, 2021
Absolute GARBAGE. every single page was insufferable. i thought this was going to be a poetic, heartwrenching book based off the cover and title, but this was a sh*t sandwich packed full of anti-men rhetoric and inflammatory political nonsense that has nothing to do with the story. the protagonist is constantly sexualizing her younger, missing sister, to the point where i was extremely uncomfortable continuing the story. this book was marketed as a drama/mystery, and it was just page after page of a whiny protagonist trashing men and not understanding how the world works. DNF
trigger warnings: rape
trigger warnings: rape
September 9, 2023
Ok so this one started off so well. But then it lost me…almost 400 pages of of this character driven thriller was way too long and unnecessary. It’s really unfortunate because I really thought this was going to be an underrated gem.
August 10, 2021
DNF - The political ranting started before I could even get a feel for what the story was about. For crying out loud, it didn't even take a whole crapter (that was a Freudian slip, but you know what? It's a befitting one). Judging by the rest of the reviews, I thankfully didn't miss much by immediately putting this back down. Maybe more effort should have been put in the story itself rather than using it as an excuse to throw around buzzwords and rant about men.
Thanks for showing your toxicity early so I didn't waste time reading your terrible book that didn't even have a conclusion.
-----
Since this is your first, allow me to impart some advice; If you're going to write, write the story. Save the politicking for twitter.
Thanks for showing your toxicity early so I didn't waste time reading your terrible book that didn't even have a conclusion.
-----
Since this is your first, allow me to impart some advice; If you're going to write, write the story. Save the politicking for twitter.
March 16, 2022
Slow but worth reading. I loved the writing!!
April 11, 2021
The human ear is a very delicate thing.
“You’re going to have to tell the truth eventually.”
“I am telling the truth.”
“Tell it better.”
When an unreliable narrator tells you she’s unreliable, does the story then … become reliable?
Buffeted by rules of evidence, author Willa C. Richards takes the reader by the hand through the garbage strewn streets of Milwaukee, an odd, yet fitting paradox; a coaxing backdrop to a tale of a sister gone missing. It becomes as lurid as it is raw.
It’s That summer in Milwaukee, the summer of the serial killer, whose story so informs the novel, that by the sheer weight of its parallel nature, forces you to remain in the same space, draining not only critical resources from law enforcement but the collective psychosis of the community, as well as the mental fortitude of the aggrieved family.
There’s not only the fear Candace (Dee) may have been one of the serial killer’s victims, there’s also the fear that her older sister, Margaret (Peg), may be in danger as well. This perceived danger is not only from the neighborhood in which Peg lives, but men.
Men.
Richards relishes the opportunity to not only inform, at one point naming all of the serial killer’s victims, but also to expose the Milwaukee Police Department’s (MPD) peculiar obliviousness as well as the adjoining culpability of the media (specifically The Milwaukee Journal, now Journal Sentinel), to what is actually going on in the community they ‘serve.’
I read the account of Glenda Cleveland (look her up), and was once again, appalled. A boy might have been saved.
Dee’s disappearance however, is not the only element that propels the novel, which makes The Comfort of Monsters an amalgamation; an undeniably unique tale steeped in three dimensional loss and family dysfunction, rather than a superficial crime novel solely motivated by a missing girl.
Told in flashbacks to provide context and a depth so subversive, it stings when I thought it would breathe, Richards voices the novel through the older sister. Peg is so wracked by guilt, that you feel the guilt metastasize, mainly through the men upon whom she is forced to rely; but in her current state of mind, has little choice. There’s her brother, Peter; boyfriend Leif, Dee’s boyfriend, Frank, and the detective, Wolski (no relation *wink*).
The Comfort of Monsters defies categorization. It’s wrenching and well written, raw and riveting, and like the Milwaukee described therein, pulls you to the dregs, willingly. I found not one redeemable character in the story.
The only redemption is in the telling.
“You’re going to have to tell the truth eventually.”
“I am telling the truth.”
“Tell it better.”
When an unreliable narrator tells you she’s unreliable, does the story then … become reliable?
Buffeted by rules of evidence, author Willa C. Richards takes the reader by the hand through the garbage strewn streets of Milwaukee, an odd, yet fitting paradox; a coaxing backdrop to a tale of a sister gone missing. It becomes as lurid as it is raw.
It’s That summer in Milwaukee, the summer of the serial killer, whose story so informs the novel, that by the sheer weight of its parallel nature, forces you to remain in the same space, draining not only critical resources from law enforcement but the collective psychosis of the community, as well as the mental fortitude of the aggrieved family.
There’s not only the fear Candace (Dee) may have been one of the serial killer’s victims, there’s also the fear that her older sister, Margaret (Peg), may be in danger as well. This perceived danger is not only from the neighborhood in which Peg lives, but men.
Men.
Richards relishes the opportunity to not only inform, at one point naming all of the serial killer’s victims, but also to expose the Milwaukee Police Department’s (MPD) peculiar obliviousness as well as the adjoining culpability of the media (specifically The Milwaukee Journal, now Journal Sentinel), to what is actually going on in the community they ‘serve.’
I read the account of Glenda Cleveland (look her up), and was once again, appalled. A boy might have been saved.
Dee’s disappearance however, is not the only element that propels the novel, which makes The Comfort of Monsters an amalgamation; an undeniably unique tale steeped in three dimensional loss and family dysfunction, rather than a superficial crime novel solely motivated by a missing girl.
Told in flashbacks to provide context and a depth so subversive, it stings when I thought it would breathe, Richards voices the novel through the older sister. Peg is so wracked by guilt, that you feel the guilt metastasize, mainly through the men upon whom she is forced to rely; but in her current state of mind, has little choice. There’s her brother, Peter; boyfriend Leif, Dee’s boyfriend, Frank, and the detective, Wolski (no relation *wink*).
The Comfort of Monsters defies categorization. It’s wrenching and well written, raw and riveting, and like the Milwaukee described therein, pulls you to the dregs, willingly. I found not one redeemable character in the story.
The only redemption is in the telling.
July 17, 2021
Ugh!!! This is the second book I’ve read in a row with a shitty ending 🙄 This could’ve been a 4-5 star review, as this book hits close to home. I was nearly the same age as these sisters during the “Dahmer summer” of 1991. I live 30 minutes away from Milwaukee and the author did an extremely good job of recreating this particular time in history. However, the book is centered around the disappearance of Dee and there is no resolution to the mystery… I fucking hate that she didn’t give me the answers I waited 11.5 hrs for. So unfortunate ☹️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2022
This is one of the most startlingly extraordinary debut novels that I've read for a long long time. It's the type of book that draws the reader in and totally consumes their waking hours. It's dark, sometimes complicated but beautifully structured. Filled with characters who appear so totally life like and set amongst a background of a Milwaukee that is struggling to come to terms with some heinous crimes.
A dual-time narrative, narrated in the main by Peg McBride. Peg's sister Dee disappeared almost thirty years ago and the opening paragraphs find her and her family engaging the help of a celebrity physic to try to find out just what happened to her. Peg has dedicated her life to trying to bring the man that she believes murdered Dee to justice. However, the police have always said that there's no body, so no case, and despite her meticulous research, that man remains at large.
Dee's disappearance coincided with one of the worst serial killer cases of US history. Jeffrey Dahmer had killed so many young men. The majority of his victims were black and/or homosexual, and whilst the country was horrified by the discovery of these crimes, there was a lot of victim shaming. The victim's name have not been remembered, only the facts that they were desperate, led a different lifestyle, and maybe were not really that important.
The story is quite dense at times, and it took me longer than usual to read this novel. This is not a criticism though, it is purely because the writing is so well crafted and the narrative so wonderfully done that I felt as though I needed to slow down, and savour the whole thing.
This is not just a story of murder and social justice though, it is a precise and sharp look at family behaviour and how one event can shape a life. Both Peg and Dee were damaged women, seeming to attract men who were violent toward them, yet accepting and almost defending those choices. They both had an element of self-harming behaviour; taking drugs, eating badly and generally having little self esteem. It would be really fascinating to know if Peg's life would have taken a different course if Dee had not disappeared all of those years ago. Would she be a success in her job? Would she have a happy relationship? The questions are endless.
The author shows just how the authorities can and do treat victims of crime. How if you are not the 'norm'; white, middle/upper class, straight, law abiding and employed, you seem to be worth far less. Despite the fact that the victims in this case all being human, all having people who loved and cared for them; the serial killer has become the famous name, whilst they have been forgotten.
Dee's disappearance amongst the hysteria of the Dahmer case just made her disappear a little bit more.
This author is such a talent. This is a stark, tense and often disturbing story but it is fabulous and I highly recommend it.
A dual-time narrative, narrated in the main by Peg McBride. Peg's sister Dee disappeared almost thirty years ago and the opening paragraphs find her and her family engaging the help of a celebrity physic to try to find out just what happened to her. Peg has dedicated her life to trying to bring the man that she believes murdered Dee to justice. However, the police have always said that there's no body, so no case, and despite her meticulous research, that man remains at large.
Dee's disappearance coincided with one of the worst serial killer cases of US history. Jeffrey Dahmer had killed so many young men. The majority of his victims were black and/or homosexual, and whilst the country was horrified by the discovery of these crimes, there was a lot of victim shaming. The victim's name have not been remembered, only the facts that they were desperate, led a different lifestyle, and maybe were not really that important.
The story is quite dense at times, and it took me longer than usual to read this novel. This is not a criticism though, it is purely because the writing is so well crafted and the narrative so wonderfully done that I felt as though I needed to slow down, and savour the whole thing.
This is not just a story of murder and social justice though, it is a precise and sharp look at family behaviour and how one event can shape a life. Both Peg and Dee were damaged women, seeming to attract men who were violent toward them, yet accepting and almost defending those choices. They both had an element of self-harming behaviour; taking drugs, eating badly and generally having little self esteem. It would be really fascinating to know if Peg's life would have taken a different course if Dee had not disappeared all of those years ago. Would she be a success in her job? Would she have a happy relationship? The questions are endless.
The author shows just how the authorities can and do treat victims of crime. How if you are not the 'norm'; white, middle/upper class, straight, law abiding and employed, you seem to be worth far less. Despite the fact that the victims in this case all being human, all having people who loved and cared for them; the serial killer has become the famous name, whilst they have been forgotten.
Dee's disappearance amongst the hysteria of the Dahmer case just made her disappear a little bit more.
This author is such a talent. This is a stark, tense and often disturbing story but it is fabulous and I highly recommend it.
January 21, 2022
This is an intense read. The author crafts a tale that joins fact and fiction which produced a gripping page-turner. I was consumed by this book. The way it is written you almost feel as of you are reading a non-fiction account of a family’s struggle with an unexplained loss. This book is unlike anything I have read before. When you reach for this title, you can expect a gripping, edge of your seat tale that is intense and sad. It is filled with issues faced by an entire community during the early 1990s. This book will keep you awake at night.
This debut novel is a unique blend of fact and fiction. As you read this, you feel all the author’s passions. She managed to not only include factual information about serial killer Jefferey Dahmer but also highlighted various social issues faced by the community of Milwaukee during the early 90s. She also explores the unreliability of memory, and how we cannot always trust our memories. This book is an amazing piece of work, the author did a fantastic job. She covered a wide range of issues while keeping them all relative to the story. I cannot wait to see what Will C. Richards has in sort for us next.
In the summer of 1991, Dee McBride disappeared. The family knew something happened to her because Dee would never have just run away without a word to anyone. While the McBride family is struggling to find Dee, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested, and the press is focused on the gory details of his vile acts. Leaving no time or space for anything about one missing young woman.
Thirty years later, Dee’s mom is running out of time. All she wants is to find her daughter’s body before she dies. In a desperate, last attempt to find Dee the family enlist the help of a famous psychic. This plunges them back into the past and Dee’s sister Peg is forced to look at the summer of 1991 all over again. Reliving a dreadful time for the city, and herself.
This book crawls in under your skin and forces you to look at the world a little differently. The effect change has had on our lives, how we look at and treat people and more importantly how we allow ourselves to be caught up in a media hype. How easily we lose sight of victims while only focusing on the criminal, allowing the monster all the attention.
The characters in this book are broken. Even before Dee’s disappearance, Peg is a mess. This young woman was searching for herself while trying very hard to be there for her little sister. Making huge mistakes and very bad decisions. Peg loved Dee, they had a wonderful bond, yet I felt Peg spent too much time focusing on Dee when she should have looked at her own choices. These two young women show how easily a family can miss dangerous behaviour and how quickly lives can become derailed.
This book is a unique read. I loved it!
If you are fascinated by true crime and serial killers, are passionate about social issues, or simply enjoy an edge of your seat, gripping thriller, then this is the book for you. This is a work of fiction that includes the real-life crimes of a serial killer, which easily makes you forget that you are reading fiction. It’s an intense read that will keep you up at night and leave you with some food for thought as you reach the last page. I highly recommend this book!
This debut novel is a unique blend of fact and fiction. As you read this, you feel all the author’s passions. She managed to not only include factual information about serial killer Jefferey Dahmer but also highlighted various social issues faced by the community of Milwaukee during the early 90s. She also explores the unreliability of memory, and how we cannot always trust our memories. This book is an amazing piece of work, the author did a fantastic job. She covered a wide range of issues while keeping them all relative to the story. I cannot wait to see what Will C. Richards has in sort for us next.
In the summer of 1991, Dee McBride disappeared. The family knew something happened to her because Dee would never have just run away without a word to anyone. While the McBride family is struggling to find Dee, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested, and the press is focused on the gory details of his vile acts. Leaving no time or space for anything about one missing young woman.
Thirty years later, Dee’s mom is running out of time. All she wants is to find her daughter’s body before she dies. In a desperate, last attempt to find Dee the family enlist the help of a famous psychic. This plunges them back into the past and Dee’s sister Peg is forced to look at the summer of 1991 all over again. Reliving a dreadful time for the city, and herself.
This book crawls in under your skin and forces you to look at the world a little differently. The effect change has had on our lives, how we look at and treat people and more importantly how we allow ourselves to be caught up in a media hype. How easily we lose sight of victims while only focusing on the criminal, allowing the monster all the attention.
The characters in this book are broken. Even before Dee’s disappearance, Peg is a mess. This young woman was searching for herself while trying very hard to be there for her little sister. Making huge mistakes and very bad decisions. Peg loved Dee, they had a wonderful bond, yet I felt Peg spent too much time focusing on Dee when she should have looked at her own choices. These two young women show how easily a family can miss dangerous behaviour and how quickly lives can become derailed.
This book is a unique read. I loved it!
If you are fascinated by true crime and serial killers, are passionate about social issues, or simply enjoy an edge of your seat, gripping thriller, then this is the book for you. This is a work of fiction that includes the real-life crimes of a serial killer, which easily makes you forget that you are reading fiction. It’s an intense read that will keep you up at night and leave you with some food for thought as you reach the last page. I highly recommend this book!
July 30, 2021
This book is an example of what extreme care, research, and an incredible depth of curiosity and empathy can yield. In a world where so often the "True Crime" and whodunits we're left with lack any sense of breadth or fullness... or lets be honest, reality (especially in the realm of TV and Movies) Richards' novel delivers such an intensely lived in experience you could mistake the acute pain of loss for your own.
That's not to say that some contemporary crime narratives aren't great (fan or the first season of True Detective, for the record, and love 95% of Walter Moseley and Chester Himes detective fiction) but by and large I come across readers that pick up books in this genre space to see good triumph over evil, a caring investigator solve the case, and to reaffirm their world views that normally include some version of: the scary, ugly, devastating things happen OUT THERE, away from me and mine.
No motivation to engage with art is better or worse than others, but to criticize a book for not striking the emotional tone you set out to find seems extremely subjective and limiting. Why not just say "this wasn't the tone I was looking for?" Because sadly, any suggestion that tragedy was amplified unrealistically is just NOT the reality (statistically speaking, NOT stating an opinion here: nationally in the U.S. we're down to just 69% of all murders being solved in a given year, adjusting for race it can be as disparate as -- 1 in 3 murders of Black people are solved vs 9 out of 10 for white people, obviously there are a lot of variables within those statistics, but it gives you a sense. Not to mention, out of the 600,000 people that go missing each year, if you're not found within the first year, the chances you'll EVER be found plummet)
I list these statistics only to talk about one of the central themes/ideas explored in Richards' novel and, I'm assuming, the reason for the title itself -- we as a society are TERRIBLE at identifying monsters and our biases are directly responsible for what we can and cannot SEE when it comes to wickedness, viciousness, and the horrible things we often do to one another. Therefore, if these people were deplorable or monstrous to you and you can't envision a world in which they exist, SPOILER, you're living in it already, and the systems you're a part of RIGHT THIS MOMENT are potentially perpetuating hardship or creating more monstrous individuals. This too, sadly, has been borne out time and again throughout history (I won't list any examples here because this review would never end).
I for one, was thoroughly engrossed in this debut, but I also don't approach books for confirmation bias (c'mon people, we have the internet for that and Google makes it SO DAMN EASY, haha). Did I like reading example after example depicting heinous actions perpetrated by men... no, of course not. Does my taking offense to some of this descriptions or musings invalidate these characters and their plot lines? No, of course not (I would've hoped that the publicity of #MeToo would've taught straight men to examine our actions more thoroughly regardless of whether or not we feel our actions and intentions are morally upstanding and not to underestimate the prevalence of our transgressions).
Richards debut is truly an accomplishment, managing to balance multi-faceted and nuanced storylines that delve into the tenuousness of memory, the enduring pain of loss, and the tender idiosyncratic and often fraught bonds of family set against the more macro-machinations that come with systemic iniquities and the negligent practices of some institutions all wrapped in prose both poetic and accessible -- a true love letter to the city of Milwaukee in its own honest and open way....
"When I look back now, I see how it was over almost before it began, but at the time I felt the whole, hot promise of a life with him. I still remember our belongings on the sidewalk outside that apartment building. There was trash everywhere. Springtime turns the city of Milwaukee briefly into a landfill. The snowmelt from the most stubborn snow banks reveals heaps of trash; cigarette butts, dog shit, shredded newspapers and magazines, vomit, crushed cans, and plastic bags whipped into stringy ropes. Each year, after resident weatherman John Malan has determined the city won’t be visited by any more snowstorms, they send inmates out to collect all the winter trash in white plastic bags. Afterwards they cart the trash away to the landfills west of the city, and they bring out pressurized hoses and spray the sidewalks and the streets down with water pumped fresh out of Lake Michigan. I love the smell of cold water on concrete. That’s spring to me, not tulips or daffodils or rain, but Lake Michigan’s cold bathwater washed over the whole city. " --Willa C. Richards
That's not to say that some contemporary crime narratives aren't great (fan or the first season of True Detective, for the record, and love 95% of Walter Moseley and Chester Himes detective fiction) but by and large I come across readers that pick up books in this genre space to see good triumph over evil, a caring investigator solve the case, and to reaffirm their world views that normally include some version of: the scary, ugly, devastating things happen OUT THERE, away from me and mine.
No motivation to engage with art is better or worse than others, but to criticize a book for not striking the emotional tone you set out to find seems extremely subjective and limiting. Why not just say "this wasn't the tone I was looking for?" Because sadly, any suggestion that tragedy was amplified unrealistically is just NOT the reality (statistically speaking, NOT stating an opinion here: nationally in the U.S. we're down to just 69% of all murders being solved in a given year, adjusting for race it can be as disparate as -- 1 in 3 murders of Black people are solved vs 9 out of 10 for white people, obviously there are a lot of variables within those statistics, but it gives you a sense. Not to mention, out of the 600,000 people that go missing each year, if you're not found within the first year, the chances you'll EVER be found plummet)
I list these statistics only to talk about one of the central themes/ideas explored in Richards' novel and, I'm assuming, the reason for the title itself -- we as a society are TERRIBLE at identifying monsters and our biases are directly responsible for what we can and cannot SEE when it comes to wickedness, viciousness, and the horrible things we often do to one another. Therefore, if these people were deplorable or monstrous to you and you can't envision a world in which they exist, SPOILER, you're living in it already, and the systems you're a part of RIGHT THIS MOMENT are potentially perpetuating hardship or creating more monstrous individuals. This too, sadly, has been borne out time and again throughout history (I won't list any examples here because this review would never end).
I for one, was thoroughly engrossed in this debut, but I also don't approach books for confirmation bias (c'mon people, we have the internet for that and Google makes it SO DAMN EASY, haha). Did I like reading example after example depicting heinous actions perpetrated by men... no, of course not. Does my taking offense to some of this descriptions or musings invalidate these characters and their plot lines? No, of course not (I would've hoped that the publicity of #MeToo would've taught straight men to examine our actions more thoroughly regardless of whether or not we feel our actions and intentions are morally upstanding and not to underestimate the prevalence of our transgressions).
Richards debut is truly an accomplishment, managing to balance multi-faceted and nuanced storylines that delve into the tenuousness of memory, the enduring pain of loss, and the tender idiosyncratic and often fraught bonds of family set against the more macro-machinations that come with systemic iniquities and the negligent practices of some institutions all wrapped in prose both poetic and accessible -- a true love letter to the city of Milwaukee in its own honest and open way....
"When I look back now, I see how it was over almost before it began, but at the time I felt the whole, hot promise of a life with him. I still remember our belongings on the sidewalk outside that apartment building. There was trash everywhere. Springtime turns the city of Milwaukee briefly into a landfill. The snowmelt from the most stubborn snow banks reveals heaps of trash; cigarette butts, dog shit, shredded newspapers and magazines, vomit, crushed cans, and plastic bags whipped into stringy ropes. Each year, after resident weatherman John Malan has determined the city won’t be visited by any more snowstorms, they send inmates out to collect all the winter trash in white plastic bags. Afterwards they cart the trash away to the landfills west of the city, and they bring out pressurized hoses and spray the sidewalks and the streets down with water pumped fresh out of Lake Michigan. I love the smell of cold water on concrete. That’s spring to me, not tulips or daffodils or rain, but Lake Michigan’s cold bathwater washed over the whole city. " --Willa C. Richards
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July 19, 2021So this is weird, because Willa and I had a class together (same PhD program at UWM, but different cohorts), have mutual friends, and are connected on social media. I've been really excited about this book for awhile, and I still am. This is such a Milwaukee novel--if you live here, you'll get it! Commentaries on neighborhoods, highways, references to Milwaukee institutions like Ma Fischer's and Kopps--pretty cool. There's a fleeting reference to my hometown, too--it's always weird to see stuff like that in print.
But, there's just too much happening. Too many tangents and commentaries and ideas that distract and detract from the central story, which is the story of Peg and her missing sister, Dee. Second, and this is small in the scheme of things, Willa uses Riverwest constantly, even when it's awkward. No one talks like that! They don't say, "Drive me to Riverwest." They say, "Drive me home" or "Drive me to [specific location]." Maybe this was for the benefit of non-Milwaukee readers? I mean, Riverwest isn't a borough like the Bronx. Third, love the critiques of MPD (then and now) which are more than deserved.
Loved, loved all the Milwaukee stuff, though I promise the city is more beautiful than it's often described in the novel (especially these days)! Also, I went down a deep hole reading about Ambrosia chocolates, which is where one character works and was a real place downtown. Everything just felt icky, dirty, grimy, worn down--the cars, people, homes, city, offices--and it felt appropriate for the story. The atmosphere and mood was so clear and well done. If you didn't know how much Willa loves the city, though, you may not realize it from this book.
Loved the backdrop of the Dahmer case--I mean, how many people's murders and disappearances and other crimes were unsolved because of it? This story is fictional, but I'm guessing there are plenty of people here in Milwaukee in 1991 who had similar experiences with the police. The ever-growing fears and ominous hints of danger at every turn (men harassing Dee and/or Peg, missing gay men and boys, police violence, toxic masculinity, drug induced violence, sexual violence) foreshadow something terrible. We know it's Jeffrey Dahmer, who was caught in 1991 and Willa does an incredible job of showing the frenzy that ensued. She also does a great job of showing what got lost. In an effort to center the victims, she doesn't use his name and gives space to the victims' names. But--here's a weird thing--she also elaborates on his crimes, his background, his previous trial and conviction as a sex offender, the body parts found in his home, his address, and more. Why give that much ink to him, then?
This book is also tough because there's no one to really root for, except maybe Dana. It's a story of a family's grief and inability to move past trauma and loss--on one hand, it's understandable. The loss of their daughter/sister/niece at such a young age and without any answers must be devastating. How does anyone recover from that? But after 30 years--THIRTY!--Peg still is still closed-off, drunk, unemployed, and broke. You'd think she would get her life somewhat together at some point. It's not clear what any of them want, other than Ma, who just wants to be buried by her daughter. Peg doesn't even want justice necessarily--more like revenge on Frank, but it's not even clear what that would look like or entail. This family is broken, financially and emotionally, and there's so much unsaid that it's just eating them alive. They blame themselves, each other, and just acquiesce to keep some semblance of peace. It isn't living. It's barely even surviving.
Peg is a difficult protagonist, because even in the 1991 sections, she doesn't seem to know what she wants, other than to hang out with Dee. A lot of Peg's problems stem from her unresolved and possibly romantic feelings for her sister? (That last part is subtext.) The sheer number of times she refers to her sister as "baby," spoons her, thinks about kissing her, refers to her beauty and body, and more was creeping me out. I have two sisters and would never, ever behave this way towards them. I can't imagine anyone I know who'd behave that way towards their sister(s).
My theories aside, I would recommend it and did like it. I'm not giving in any stars just because I don't know what it would be. I've been thinking about the book often since I finished it--it's stuck with me. I love the noir/thriller/mystery aspect of it and was really hoping it would end with Peg becoming alive again the way Milwaukee has had a lot of renewal and growth and change--that the city and the protagonist would mirror one another--but that was maybe too predictable.
But, there's just too much happening. Too many tangents and commentaries and ideas that distract and detract from the central story, which is the story of Peg and her missing sister, Dee. Second, and this is small in the scheme of things, Willa uses Riverwest constantly, even when it's awkward. No one talks like that! They don't say, "Drive me to Riverwest." They say, "Drive me home" or "Drive me to [specific location]." Maybe this was for the benefit of non-Milwaukee readers? I mean, Riverwest isn't a borough like the Bronx. Third, love the critiques of MPD (then and now) which are more than deserved.
Loved, loved all the Milwaukee stuff, though I promise the city is more beautiful than it's often described in the novel (especially these days)! Also, I went down a deep hole reading about Ambrosia chocolates, which is where one character works and was a real place downtown. Everything just felt icky, dirty, grimy, worn down--the cars, people, homes, city, offices--and it felt appropriate for the story. The atmosphere and mood was so clear and well done. If you didn't know how much Willa loves the city, though, you may not realize it from this book.
Loved the backdrop of the Dahmer case--I mean, how many people's murders and disappearances and other crimes were unsolved because of it? This story is fictional, but I'm guessing there are plenty of people here in Milwaukee in 1991 who had similar experiences with the police. The ever-growing fears and ominous hints of danger at every turn (men harassing Dee and/or Peg, missing gay men and boys, police violence, toxic masculinity, drug induced violence, sexual violence) foreshadow something terrible. We know it's Jeffrey Dahmer, who was caught in 1991 and Willa does an incredible job of showing the frenzy that ensued. She also does a great job of showing what got lost. In an effort to center the victims, she doesn't use his name and gives space to the victims' names. But--here's a weird thing--she also elaborates on his crimes, his background, his previous trial and conviction as a sex offender, the body parts found in his home, his address, and more. Why give that much ink to him, then?
This book is also tough because there's no one to really root for, except maybe Dana. It's a story of a family's grief and inability to move past trauma and loss--on one hand, it's understandable. The loss of their daughter/sister/niece at such a young age and without any answers must be devastating. How does anyone recover from that? But after 30 years--THIRTY!--Peg still is still closed-off, drunk, unemployed, and broke. You'd think she would get her life somewhat together at some point. It's not clear what any of them want, other than Ma, who just wants to be buried by her daughter. Peg doesn't even want justice necessarily--more like revenge on Frank, but it's not even clear what that would look like or entail. This family is broken, financially and emotionally, and there's so much unsaid that it's just eating them alive. They blame themselves, each other, and just acquiesce to keep some semblance of peace. It isn't living. It's barely even surviving.
Peg is a difficult protagonist, because even in the 1991 sections, she doesn't seem to know what she wants, other than to hang out with Dee. A lot of Peg's problems stem from her unresolved and possibly romantic feelings for her sister? (That last part is subtext.) The sheer number of times she refers to her sister as "baby," spoons her, thinks about kissing her, refers to her beauty and body, and more was creeping me out. I have two sisters and would never, ever behave this way towards them. I can't imagine anyone I know who'd behave that way towards their sister(s).
My theories aside, I would recommend it and did like it. I'm not giving in any stars just because I don't know what it would be. I've been thinking about the book often since I finished it--it's stuck with me. I love the noir/thriller/mystery aspect of it and was really hoping it would end with Peg becoming alive again the way Milwaukee has had a lot of renewal and growth and change--that the city and the protagonist would mirror one another--but that was maybe too predictable.
August 19, 2021
Was this a debut novel? If so, I’m very impressed. This writer can certainly pack a punch and ignite your anxiety and worst fears in less than 400 pages. This novel was bleak but in a very satiating way. Don’t get me wrong - the resolution is pretty much non existent, so don’t go into it thinking you’re going to get a happy ending. Things are certainly left unresolved in a broad sense, but you kind of understand that as the book draws to a close because the resignation of these characters was written so well that you can’t help but be infected by it, too. By the end, I was left feeling crushed but I accepted it, because in reality, fumbled missing women’s cases like Dee’s are far more common than not (especially for minorities) and this author had a poignant way of presenting this harsh, ugly real world ending rather than let you drift off into a cozy fictional alternative. It was refreshing, but gritty. Am I making sense? Lol. Definitely recommend it and advise those of you curious to read it to do so with an open mind.
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