WE BEGIN AT THE END

We don’t often recommend crime thrillers in the Den, but ‘We Begin At The End’ by Chris Whitaker came highly recommended by a Den reader, and it proved to be a beautifully written story of heart-break, redemption and sibling loyalty. If as us, you enjoyed ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’, then we’re sure you’re in for a treat with this story.

Set in the small town of Cape Haven, California, news quickly spreads that Vincent King, the local killer of a young woman called Sis Radley, is being released from prison after 30 years. The people most affected by this news are his long-term best friend Walk - now Chief Walker and Sis’s sister Star, now a single mum with two children, Duchess 13 and Robin 5. Life has been hard for Star who has spiralled into drink and drugs so Duchess, mature beyond her years and a self-declared ‘outlaw’, has become the main parent to Robin and part carer to Star who descends into periods of darkness.

The start of the story is slightly clunky and confusing with all the different characters who sometimes speak without you being aware who they are. But once you grasp this, you will be hooked. As the past and present collide, further tragedy implodes when Vincent is accused of another killing which results in Duchess and Robin being sent to live with their estranged grandfather Hal, in Montana. Meanwhile Walk is struggling with an illness which is becoming more debilitating on a daily basis. Convinced of Vincent’s innocence, he contacts his ex-girlfriend and first love, Martha, now a family lawyer and persuades her to defend Vincent before his illness affects his ability to do his job.

Whitaker develops his characters beautifully and as with any thriller, there are several interesting oddities who could be involved, the weird and secretive Dickie Darke, the local butcher and of course is Vincent actually innocent? However, it is the touching relationships which lie at the heart of this novel. The fighting, independent spirit of Duchess to protect her younger, bewildered brother Robin as they deal with life’s setbacks shines through, together with the touching awakening of Walk and Martha trying to come to terms with all they lost 30 years ago, making this read much more than a whodunit and an altogether deeper and richer read.

The title of the book is summed up at the end when the resilient Duchess finally breaks down “She cried for everything she had lost, and everything she had found” for the future is surely both an ending and a beginning. The rights have been picked up by Disney so look out for the future adaptation.