mbladams 's review for:

The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz
5.0

Lisa Lutz's books never disappoint! The Accomplice is a murder mystery, but more than that, it is a story about a friendship that has endured through misunderstandings, betrayals and life changes.

Luna and Owen are unlikely friends. Luna is prickly. She doesn't let people into her world, and thinks she has a good reason for doing so. There's a huge secret she's keeping about her past, and she's made a huge mistake before in trusting others. Owen is open, friendly, and uncomplicated. If anything, he shares his "love" a little too freely - he's not the most faithful romantic partner.

Luna and Owen meet in college and become close friends. Their sophomore year, a tragedy occurs - a young woman dies, and everyone thinks Owen had something to do with it. Even after the police rule it an accident, Owen can't stay at Markham College because of the intense hatred some students have of him.

Years later, Luna and Owen's wife, Irene, are having coffee together when Irene tells Luna that Owen is cheating on her. Luna and Irene are close, but both of them know her loyalty still lies with Owen. Luna confronts Owen, who doesn't deny it. But when Irene is found murdered, Luna starts to think that one dead woman could be bad luck but two might indicate some sort of responsibility...

This is a dark (very dark at times) story, but it also has humor, love and tenderness that make it a truly enjoyable book to read. There are a lot of twists in this story that keep you turning the pages. I loved inhabiting Luna and Owen's world and deciding what I would have done in certain situations.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.