Such a Quiet Place Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Megan Miranda's Such A Quiet Place is a locked-room-style mystery set in a seemingly idyllic lakefront community with residents trapped by plummeting property values after a double murder. When their former neighbor, Ruby Fletcher, the convicted murderer, is freed early from a twenty-year sentence, the shocked community keeps watch. Distrusting eyes peer from darkened windows and furtive conversations build tension as Ruby returns to her former friend's home, Harper Nash, who, overwhelmed by her sudden appearance and proclaimed innocence, lets her stay. Harper was the only person to stand for Ruby during her trial, though Harper's testimony also helped convict her. Harper doesn't know where she stands with Ruby, and neither does her neighbors, and Harper gets caught between the two.

The author deftly drops multiple themes like crumbs into critical parts of the story. She then tears apart the superficiality and tribal fears of a community in a tense, quick read. I liked how the author revealed Ruby by the neighbor's reactions. It's an interesting, efficient writing technique — revealing as much about a character who criticizes as about the one criticized. It also allows the author to subtly change a reader's opinion of a character(s) by the gossip told. Gossip's toxic nature is a crucial element here, helping to drag the community down a violent and uncertain path (all in the guise of harmony and togetherness).

After reading it, I wanted more Ruby. She was a delicious character who relished her electric effect on others. She is not the lead, though. It is Harper — a touch too conflicted, confused and passive for my tastes. Knowing how difficult this balance is, I don't begrudge it, but in the end, this book's commentary is less about a suspected murderer and more about the toxic nature of an "idyllic" community, and more.

Check it out