Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a slow burn mystery by Rachel Cochran called The Gulf. I can’t say that this was the best book I ever read and at times it felt painfully slow. However, the story line and characters held my interest and it was still pretty good. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Gulf for child abuse and general violence. Now, lets get to it:

It is the 1970s in Parson, Texas and Louisa lives with her girlfriend, Heather, in the town that is currently failing after being ravaged by a hurricane. Despite a lack of resources and money, Louisa loves her hometown although it hasn’t necessarily been kind to her. Lou and her brother, Robby, were dropped off on their Aunt Cece’s doorstep by their neglectful mother over two decades ago. The past has never felt so present to Lou, especially now as she mourns the death of her beloved friend, Miss Kate, and her estranged daughter, Joanna, returns to town to put her mother’s affairs in order.

Lou and Joanna were the best of childhood friends and spent every day in the forest dreaming up stories and acting them out. They were each other’s first kiss and it was completely Joanna’s world – Lou was just living in it and she was happy to. She loved spending time with Miss Kate and Joanna’s other siblings and it was like being a part of the family she always wanted. Then, a drastic turn of events occurred that essentially ruined Lou’s life…

Their all white school found out that Lou and Robby were being raised by a Mexican woman after their mom abandoned them. The kids were forced into attending an integrated school and all of the offers for football scholarships for Robby were off the table. He was then drafted to Vietnam and died there. The only person who knew about Lou and her brother’s living arrangements was Joanna and a flip was switched. Lou hated the girl who she used to love so deeply with an all consuming rage.

Seeing Joanna after all of these years has brought all of Lou’s trauma back to the surface. But, she is in no position to turn down a lucrative job offer which Joanna has for her: Fix up the dilapidated mansion, Parson House, that Miss Kate bought so it can be sold and Lou will get a cut from the profits. The money is enticing, of course, but Lou has other reasons for accepting the job. She believes that Miss Kate’s death wasn’t an accident and that someone with a grudge murdered her. Lou knows that Parson House is the best place to find answers and accepts the job.

As Lou spends her days working and snooping around Parson House, secrets are uncovered that make her second guess everything. Miss Kate was not the mother Lou knew and her troubled son, Seth, had access to a gun. The better part of Parson also despised Miss Kate and her former husband. At this point, anyone and everyone is a suspect in Miss Kate’s murder and it is up to Lou to solve the case. Only then, can she put her past and Parson behind her for good. Whodoneit? Read The Gulf to find out!

There was a lot that I liked about The Gulf and there was a lot that I didn’t. The story line certainly kept me on my toes and it was a delicious twist between the past and present. As you all know, I love a mystery and what originally seemed clear cut was not in the slightest. The stakes felt so much higher when anyone could have been the culprit in Miss Kate’s death. I enjoyed the writing style of Rachel Cochran as well. BUT, The Gulf was a slow moving book and it almost felt like pulling teeth to get to the next twist. At times, it felt like a chore to read it rather than something pleasant.

Despite the plot moving at a snail’s pace, the characters really helped keep the ball rolling. I adored tenacious Lou and it was easy to root for her. Lou’s life was filled with pain and tragedy and I felt for her. You could tell that all she wanted was love and acceptance and that just wasn’t the way things worked out. The supporting cast was also very interesting because all of them had their own memories and versions of traumatic events that happened to Lou. The only catch was that you didn’t know who was lying and it kept me turning the page!

Is The Gulf worth the read? Who’s to say? I liked it, but it wasn’t great. If you like a whodoneit, then I would definitely recommend it. If you like something more fast paced, then you’re not missing out on anything. I am going to rate The Gulf with a six out of ten stars for its creative plot and excellent character development.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah