A review by kathleenww
Serena by Ron Rash

3.0

Great writing, with a murderous plot. Like a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy, things go from bad to worse when Mrs Pemberton comes to town, the Serena of the tile. This novel takes place in the Highlands of North Carolina during the Great Depression. And the Pembertons are a greedy couple anxious to snatch up all the timber for their own betterment. Serena has secrets that she keeps from everyone, including her own husband. Is she embittered because of her own tragic past, or does she just have the murder gene?

I was initially turned off by this novel (it is brutal), but the writing sucked me in, great storytelling. Not a re-read for me though. This is a novel for you if you enjoy books like Gone Girl.