Review: This Book Will Bury Me

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you're drawn to suspense that probes the darker aspects of the human condition, then Ashley Winstead's This Book Will Bury Me is certainly deserving of your consideration.

This riveting thriller follows Jane Sharp, an undergraduate reeling from the sudden loss of her father. Seeking comfort, Jane turns to online crime forums, where she finds kinship with a community of amateur sleuths. When the country is stunned by a vicious triple murder in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her fellow sleuths online take it upon themselves to solve the crime, only to find that a conspiracy of lies has led them perilously close to home.

Presented as a confessional "tell-all" memoir, the novel interweaves mystery with an unflinching analysis of grief and obsession, and is infused with a haunting mood. Winstead skilfully conjures a creepy, almost suffocating setting that tracks Jane's despair and the manic pace of online sleuthing. As tension gradually increases, it is much like the reveal of a confession, echoing the undercurrent menace in Stacy Willingham's novel, A Flicker in the Dark.

Perhaps the strongest part about the novel is the employment of online forums and posts, the verisimilitude of which is astounding. Such snatches, much like leaping into the middle of a Reddit discussion, immerse you in the story completely, leaving you as an integral member in the sleuthing effort.

The novel explores heavy themes like bereavement, the morality of our true crime fixation, and the fine line between justice and voyeurism. Winstead bravely questions our fascination with gruesome stories, while Jane’s quest is a heart-wrenching personification of this question; her bereavement drives her to search for answers as a way of coming to terms with her father’s murder. This fertile emotional terrain lends the book a certain gravity, though it sometimes fails to achieve the layered characterizations of novels like Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, where the moral complexities of the protagonist resonate with more subtlety.

Jane's character comes vividly to life, if unevenly, as she evolves from bereaved daughter into tenacious sleuth. Her path from sorrow into action rings with sincerity, fuelled by real emotion. Her online friends, however (an offbeat retired librarian and high-tech computer hacker) feel more like deus ex machina than real, fleshed-out beings. Compared to the rich ensemble in John Marrs's The Family Experiment, Jane's crew feels somewhat sketched in. Still, Jane's own voice, alive with both humour and vulnerability, is the solid foundation the story rests on.

Winstead’s sentences hum with emotional resonance, particularly in scenes of Jane’s grief, without losing an accessibility that eschews the melodrama of the average thriller. Yet, at over 400 pages, the novel’s length does, at times, feel cumbersome, as some parts drag, with the implication that tighter editing would have ratcheted up the tension.

This Book Will Bury Me makes for a riveting read, particularly for anyone who is drawn to mysteries with emotional resonance. True-crime enthusiasts and those who enjoy introspective leads will find much to love, even with some slight pacing issues. Grab this chance if you’re willing to enter the messy nexus of grief and justice.

BLOG | FOLLOW ME on Goodreads | HIRE ME as your Beta Reader | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM