by Ron Hansen
First published 1996
Atticus Cody receives devastating news at his Colorado ranch. His artist son has killed himself in Mexico. The father travels south to bring the body home, but nothing adds up when he arrives. The circumstances surrounding his son's death don't match what he was told. Evidence points in different directions. Local officials offer conflicting stories. Atticus begins to question whether his son really took his own life. The more he investigates, the more convinced he becomes that someone murdered his boy. The rancher must navigate unfamiliar territory, both geographical and emotional, as he searches for answers. His quest becomes a test of his determination to uncover the truth about what happened to his son, no matter how painful that truth might be.
Genres: drama, suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Colorado, Mexico
Period: Contemporary
247 pages · Hardcover · Harpercollins
Content warnings: suicide