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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
slow-paced
This suspense novel follows Del when she returns to her small hometown to attend her ex boyfriend’s funeral. Although local police are calling it an accident, Del is certain that there is something nefarious at play. Combine this mystery with some overarching small town, extremism religion themes, and you have the recipe for the perfect cult tale. 3/5 because many character actions are unrealistic, the resolution is very predictable, and the character development is only okay. Make sure you check the TW - lots of extremist religious beliefs represented in this book.
Could be a difficult read if you have experienced trauma/pain from the church.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one captivated me with its gripping narrative set against the backdrop of a small town's radical evangelical church. The story's exploration of mob mentality and the corruption within religious institutions was both intriguing and unsettling. The main character Delilah navigates this complex environment following her ex-boyfriend's mysterious death. While I appreciated the portrayal of faith and indoctrination, I found myself wishing for a more thorough unraveling of religion. Despite this, the novel's fairly non-offensive religious undertones and the striking ending made it a memorable read. It's a solid four-star book for me, blending suspense with a thoughtful examination of personal belief versus institutional influence.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Del fled her hometown and cult-like church when she went to college. When she hears that her childhood love, Lars, is found dead in a hunting accident and the authorities are ruling it an accident, she rushes home. When she gets home, she learns that the church has only grown larger, and more controlling.
Del uncovers many secrets when she gets home. For starters, Lars’s wife was having difficulties in their marriage and seems to be the prime suspect in his death but now Del needs to convince the authorities to listen to her…will she succeed?
This was an interesting book on a religious community bordering on a cult. While I enjoyed Del’s character, I found her a bit naïve at times. She tried so hard to be a good detective, but she was not. The book was also quite jumbled – there was just a lot going on. However, bringing down the overbearing old way church was quite fun to read. It wasn’t done in a negative way against religion, it was more of what happens if people take religion and weaponize it for the good of only a few people. I viewed it more as Del grew up in a cult and that was easier for me to understand.
Del uncovers many secrets when she gets home. For starters, Lars’s wife was having difficulties in their marriage and seems to be the prime suspect in his death but now Del needs to convince the authorities to listen to her…will she succeed?
This was an interesting book on a religious community bordering on a cult. While I enjoyed Del’s character, I found her a bit naïve at times. She tried so hard to be a good detective, but she was not. The book was also quite jumbled – there was just a lot going on. However, bringing down the overbearing old way church was quite fun to read. It wasn’t done in a negative way against religion, it was more of what happens if people take religion and weaponize it for the good of only a few people. I viewed it more as Del grew up in a cult and that was easier for me to understand.
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” Ephesians 5:11-14
Structurally, Lay Your Body Down leaves a lot to be desired. The twists and turns are very predictable, the main character is incredibly annoying and impulsive, and some dialogue is stiff as a board.
However.
If you see yourself in Del, if you were raised in an institution like the church, if you were taken advantage of and left with no safety net except the pages of a family bible, you’ll see this book as more than just a thriller.
I was blown away by Suiter-Clarke’s voice from the first page. She was out to tell a story- unapologetically- with the fire and brimstone of the Old Testament God. As an outsider, it’s easy to say, “Well, why don’t you just leave?”. The dueling narratives of Del and Eve answer that question in a horrifyingly accurate way. Del did what every good natured advice giver would tell her to do, and left. She was traumatized by her white-cloaked demons for decades. Eve stayed on the one true path, and yet lost everything like Job with none of God’s redeeming grace. Both put trust in their familial institution to protect them, and both are crushed by it in different ways.
Woven between the lines of this murder-mystery is a tapestry of trauma, grief, submission, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
Structurally, Lay Your Body Down leaves a lot to be desired. The twists and turns are very predictable, the main character is incredibly annoying and impulsive, and some dialogue is stiff as a board.
However.
If you see yourself in Del, if you were raised in an institution like the church, if you were taken advantage of and left with no safety net except the pages of a family bible, you’ll see this book as more than just a thriller.
I was blown away by Suiter-Clarke’s voice from the first page. She was out to tell a story- unapologetically- with the fire and brimstone of the Old Testament God. As an outsider, it’s easy to say, “Well, why don’t you just leave?”. The dueling narratives of Del and Eve answer that question in a horrifyingly accurate way. Del did what every good natured advice giver would tell her to do, and left. She was traumatized by her white-cloaked demons for decades. Eve stayed on the one true path, and yet lost everything like Job with none of God’s redeeming grace. Both put trust in their familial institution to protect them, and both are crushed by it in different ways.
Woven between the lines of this murder-mystery is a tapestry of trauma, grief, submission, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
This book was so much more than your average Who Did It? novel. I thought Clarke painted a pretty accurate picture of what religious trauma looks like and how it can affect the way you think, interact in relationships with friends/family/love interests, live your life, etc… even after leaving said religion.
Some parts are hard to read - it really taps into your emotions.
There are some twists I didn’t see coming. I thought I had it figured it out halfway through but I was pleasantly surprised at the ending!
(I’m giving 4 stars only because it was hard for me to get through Eve’s earlier blog posts.)
I would definitely recommend this book!
Some parts are hard to read - it really taps into your emotions.
There are some twists I didn’t see coming. I thought I had it figured it out halfway through but I was pleasantly surprised at the ending!
(I’m giving 4 stars only because it was hard for me to get through Eve’s earlier blog posts.)
I would definitely recommend this book!