4.5 stars
If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you know that I’m a fan of Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series. I started that series not long after The Siren came out back in 2012. I grabbed each book as soon as possible. I just loved the characters that Ms. Reisz created. I was saddened to see that series end. This is the first book that I’ve picked up that wasn’t part of The Original Sinners series. While this standalone book (i don’t think there is another book coming, but I’m not 100% sure) is completely different from The Original Sinners, it still has Ms. Reisz’s style and flare.
So this story is told both in the present and in the past. This is not the first time that Ms. Reisz has told a story in this format. It is something that she’s amazing at. She has the story of Cooper McQueen, a very rich bourbon connoisseur, and Paris, a woman who had seeked him out in his bar. Paris tries to steal a very expensive bottle of bourbon from him. It is the only existing bottle of Red Thread bourbon. Which was once one of the best bourbons in the world. Red Thread is no longer in business. In trying to convince Cooper to hand over the bottle, she tells the history of Red Thread and the family of the owners.
So the story of this history is about the Maddox family. Tamara Maddox is the main family member. She is the only living heir to the Maddox fortune. It starts on her sixteenth birthday. There is also her grandfather, who is still the owner of Red Thread. Her mother, who married into the Maddox family. Tamara’s father killed himself. There is also Levi, who is the groom in the barn.
Once again, Reisz is a master storyteller. She takes on topics that are so taboo and makes them very interesting. In this story, we have slavery (as in historical slaves, not any kind of BDSM slavery that she tackled in The Original Sinners series), family deception, racism, marriages of convenience. Throughout the story, you start second guessing what you know, as we learn about the Maddox family at the same time as Cooper.
If you asked me how to classify this book, it would be a sensual romantic mystery with a hint of historical thrown in. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I so wanted to learn more about the Maddox family, but at the same time, didn’t. There is so much despair (that is the best word I could come up with) in the Maddox family. As I learned more and more, I felt that it was only going to get worse. I really loved watching Tamara go from a spoiled brat at 16 to the adult that she became, even if she was barely an adult in age, she was in spirit.
If you know me, you know that I don’t step out of the speculative fiction genre very often. Tiffany Reisz is one of the authors that I am more than willing to break my normal mold for. She is such an amazing storyteller with characters that are well developed, you can’t help but love them, even if the should really be unloveable. If you haven’t tried Tiffany Reisz yet, this is a great book to get you started.
“How are you going to get revenge against dead people? Dig ’em up and stake ’em through the heart?”
“I asked myself that same question, and I think I know the answer. You destroy what they loved, and you love what they destroyed.”
“Being happy is the best revenge.”
Narration
This is my first book with Kim Staunton as the narrator. As a person who prefers to listening, I quickly asked my library to grabbed this on audio so that I could get a listen. I will say that I thought Kim Staunton did an amazing job. I loved both her male and female voices. I loved how she changed the voice of Tamara as she went from spoiled brat to more of a grown up. If you haven’t tried her, I highly recommend giving her a shot. I know that I will be looking for more books by her.