The Night the River Wept - by Lo Patrick (Paperback)

About the Book

"Arlene has lived in a small town on the edge of nowhere Georgia her whole life. Now married to her long-time high school sweetheart, Tommy, Arlene is itching to start a family and become the mother she always dreamed of being. But that's proving more difficult than she thought, and Arlene is desperate to find something to do to keep her mind off things-and get some distance from her husband, who is increasingly getting on her nerves. As the summer gives way to a chilly, lonesome fall up in the mountains of northern Georgia, she takes a part-time job bagging evidence at the local police department, which involves about twenty minutes of actual work, and the rest of her shift she reads over old cold cases. One in particular fascinates her: the mysterious deaths of three young brothers murdered on Deck River, followed by the death of Mitchell Wright, the prime suspect in the case. Arlene becomes obsessed with the case, and with the help of the police department's receptionist and a family friend of the Wrights, she sets out on discovering the truth. She can't help but feel that if she solves the case of the Broderick boys' deaths, she'll find her footing in her young marriage and maybe find what she's been looking for all along. From the author of The Floating Girls-a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction and a Reader's Digest Editor's Pick-Lo Patrick has once again crafted a story bursting with charm, heartbreak, and memorable characters that leap off the page, a true delight for fans of Southern fiction"--

Book Synopsis

"An increasingly gripping southern-crime tale" for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. (-Booklist STARRED review)

One of Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Hot New Summer Books"!

Everybody's got good and bad in them. In the end, it just depends which side wins out.

Arlene has lived in a small town on the edge of nowhere Georgia her whole life. Now married to her long-time high school sweetheart, Tommy, Arlene is itching to start a family and become the mother she always dreamed of being. But that's proving more difficult than she thought, and Arlene is desperate to find something to do to keep her mind off things. And get some distance from her husband, who is increasingly getting on her nerves.

As the summer gives way to a chilly, lonesome fall up in the mountains of northern Georgia, she takes a part-time job bagging evidence at the local police department, which involves about twenty minutes of actual work, and the rest of her shift she reads over old cold cases. One in particular fascinates her: the mysterious deaths of three young brothers murdered on Deck River, followed by the suicide of Mitchell Wright, the prime suspect in the murders.

Arlene becomes obsessed with the case, and with the help of the police department's receptionist and a family friend of the Wrights, she sets out on discovering the truth. She can't help but feel that if she solves the case of the Broderick boys' deaths, she'll find her footing in her young marriage and maybe find what she's been looking for all along.

From the author of The Floating Girls, a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction and a Reader's Digest Editor's Pick, Lo Patrick has once again crafted a story bursting with charm, heartbreak, and memorable characters that leap off the page, a true delight for fans of Southern fiction.

Review Quotes

"An increasingly gripping southern-crime tale. Patrick (The Floating Girls, 2022) interweaves themes of addiction, loss, and poverty alongside those of resilience and community bonds, especially those bonds held sacred between women. Readers who enjoyed the mysterious, character-driven plot of Where the Crawdads Sing or the atmospheric Georgia setting of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will find an enjoyable page-turner here. In Arlene, Patrick has created a determined, likable, and charismatic heroine fit for a series of southern-crime novels." -- Booklist, STARRED review

"In The Night the River Wept, Arlene is a frustrated, lonely housewife until she finds a job at the local police station bagging evidence. There she immerses herself in a decades old murder, determined to solve the crime. Lo Patrick writes an original and moving tale brimming with mystery, heartache, and wit. Sure to be a Southern fiction favorite, Arlene's journey pulls the reader in and doesn't let go." -- Rochelle Weinstein, USA Today bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends and What You Do To Me

"Lo Patrick's sophomore novel, set in a small Southern town, explores what drives us to murder and how solving the mysteries of the past can captivate and even unite strangers. The tragic killing of three boys has repercussions that resonate through the town of Faber and in the heart of Arlene. On a journey of personal growth and redemption that pulls the reader along, Arlene becomes obsessed with solving the long cold case, and with her neighbors and coworkers who still live with the trauma of it. This is a gripping portrayal of a small town where everyone has their secrets and the lines between guilty and innocent blur." -- Quinn Connor, author of Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves

"Smart, sassy, and utterly heartbreaking, this seductive Southern novel has to be my favorite mystery of the year. I rooted for Arlene as, struggling with her own loss, she becomes obsessed with the Broderick boys and their story. The Night the River Wept is a brave book that explores how difficult it can be to escape the past." -- Emily Critchley, author of One Puzzling Afternoon

"The Night the River Wept is a page-turning exploration of small-town secrets and the far-reaching effects of tragedy. With wit and wisdom, Lo Patrick weaves an unforgettable story of heartbreak, love, and second chances--and proves herself as a compelling new voice in southern fiction." -- Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds

"Lo Patrick introduces us to vivid characters populating an authentic small Georgia town, their lives tangled like kudzu vines. The Night the River Wept is an intriguing mystery that will have you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning." -- Beth Duke, bestselling author of It All Comes Back to You, Tapestry, and Dark Enough to See the Stars

"Haunting and unputdownable, The Night The River Wept is a gritty rendering of small-town tragedy and the far-reaching shadows it casts. Lo Patrick writes a stubbornly resilient heroine determined to untangle the secrets of a forgotten past and skillfully leads the reader along a twisty path to an unexpected yet satisfying ending!" -- Laura Barrow, author of Call the Canaries Home