The Book Whisperer enjoys mysteries. That’s no secret. Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce will keep readers on their toes as they breathlessly discover the rest of the story when a severed hand washes up on the beach in Palm Beach, FL. Kirkus Reviews calls Royce “a wicked good writer.” I am only sorry that I just discovered this wickedly good writer and will be seeking her previous books: Ruby Falls and Finding Mrs. Ford.
While Reef Road is fiction, Royce tells readers that she found inspiration in the murder of her mother’s best friend from childhood. Combine the discovery of the severed hand in the wealthy Palm Beach area with the impending COVID pandemic, and readers will find a story that is both compelling and horrifying. Then add two women who enter the restricted area blocked off by police where the severed hand washed up. That clandestine move to go beyond the police tape pushes the two women together.
Book club members will find a startling mystery in Reef Road, but they will also add family drama to their discussions along with what happens during a pandemic, a memory all too recent and unforgettable. Often, mysteries do not lend themselves to book club discussions. That is not true of Reef Road, however.
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