tuesdayritual 's review for:

Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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When Ava Antipova’s mother summons her home after her twin sister’s tragic death, Ava discovers a series of abecedarian missives that will uncover where her sister really is hiding. Cait Dolan-Leach, a literary translator by trade, crafts this twisting thriller in her first novel as a love letter to language and communication. Can we ever know the people that we speak to every day, the people that we love?
 

Ava Antipova has managed to fly the coop after finding her twin sister in bed with her boyfriend. Ever the dutiful daughter on her family’s vineyard, she follows her dreams to Paris to study literature. Her wild, irresponsible twin sister, Zelda, is left behind to care for their failing mother and the family vineyard. When her mother emails Ava to inform her of Zelda’s tragic death, Ava has questions. Is this Zelda’s way of punishing her for leaving her to take care of the family burdens? What happened during that fire? And could Zelda actually be alive?

Readers watch this tale unfold through Dolan-Leach’s mastery of English that is tightly controlled — a fascinating juxtaposition with the main characters, who are spinning more out of control as details from Zelda’s night in the barn are revealed. Ava’s tight-knit, good girl facade comes into question as she hunts for the truth about her sister. We are lead down many paths — some true, some sideshows — to determine the truth of that night. The twist at the end actually surprised me (hard to do) and left me wanting to spend more time with Ava as she came to terms with what it all meant.

4/5 stars: If you like thrillers or well-written contemporary fiction — or are looking to stretch your repertoire — Dead Letters is a perfect fit.