Review: The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur

Title: The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Mystery
Length: 321 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A sisters’ secret.
A mysterious phenomenon.
A murder that ties it all together.

An emotional, suspenseful novel about the bond between sisters and the secrets we hold to keep our family safe, The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur is a thrilling mystery that hurtles towards an unexpected ending that will leave readers speechless.

The small town of Mountain Springs, Pennsylvania thrives on the snow geese migration. Each year, the birds flock to the dam, and the tourists follow, filling up Linnet’s Bed and Breakfast.

But one morning Linnet wakes up to discover hundreds of dead geese by the B&B and her life is thrown into the media frenzy when her father—a former ornithology professor—is asked to study the case. As the tourists cancel their plans and Linnet’s father’s health grows increasingly worse, the last thing she expects is to see her estranged sister, Myna, on her doorstep.

Myna has never stayed in one place for long after running from Mountain Springs. Although she and Linnet were close growing up, a family secret broke their bond, and Myna’s return has brought back memories both sisters have tried to keep buried.

When a reporter arrives in town who may have a connection to the sisters’ past, Linnet and Myna are forced to confront the event that tore them apart. But when a young professor who was assisting their father on the case turns up dead—and their father becomes the primary suspect—Linnet and Myna realize that their secret won’t stay hidden for long…

Review:

The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur is a compelling novel with intriguing mysteries to solve and fractured family relationships to heal.

One of the most cherished memories both current B & B owner Linnet and her estranged sister Myna have in common is the annual migration of the snow geese.  However, this year’s migration starts off with the mysterious deaths of the geese and the murder of Professor Coyle, who is investigating the inexplicable deaths of the geese.  Linnet also must contend with the unexpected arrival of younger sister Myna which coincides with a swarm of reporters descending on their small town.  Linnet is also deeply troubled when it appears her father, whose dementia is worsening, is the local police’s main suspect in the murder of Professor Coyle.  She is also less than pleased by journalist Jake Mann’s increasingly pushy attempts to interview her family. Unbeknownst to Linnet and Myna, Jake has a shocking link to a closely-guarded secret that is responsible for the rift in the sisters’ once close relationship.  Will revealing the truth finally bridge the gap between Myna and Linnet? Will the police find Professor Coyle’s killer? Will the reason for the deaths of the snow geese be discovered?

Although her heart is in the right place and she is well-intentioned, Linnet is rather prickly, controlling and stubborn.  She loves running the family-owned B & B but she does not handle stressful situations very well.  With room cancellations occurring an alarming rate, Linnet is already worried when Professor Coyle is murdered.  Deeply concerned about her father, she is quite protective of him as the police try to question him. Already under considerable strain, Myna’s arrival pushes her to the breaking point and the sisters cannot seem to find common ground.

Myna could not wait to leave her small town and although it took her a while to find a place to call home, she is firmly settled into her life in Florida. Although she no longer returns to visit her family, she uses the snow geese deaths as an excuse to avoid dealing with a tense situation with her longtime boyfriend.  Things between her and Linnet are strained and their disagreement over how to handle Jake threatens to destroy their tenuous bond.

The Sisters of Blue Mountain is an interesting novel with a busy but easy to follow storyline.  Events from Linnet and Myna’s childhood and teenage years are revealed through several flashbacks that provide readers with much needed insight into what lead to their eventual estrangement. The investigation into the death of Professor Coyle takes a bit of a backseat to the unfolding family drama and the identity of the killer is rather easy to guess.  The story arc dealing with the sisters’ father is quite poignant and the depiction of his dementia is realistic and sensitively portrayed. With mysteries to solve and strained family relationships to repair, this newest release from Karen Katchur is sure to appeal to a broad range of readers.