The Current by Tim Johnston begins after two girls have been found in the river. One dead, the other severely hospitalized. Audrey, the surviving girl, starts asking questions as she desperately tries to figure out what happened to her and her friend Caroline that night. As the search for clues progresses, the small town is reminded of a similar incident occurring ten years prior. Another girl. Holly. Another body found dead in the river.
The timelines weave back and forth between the current investigation and the past incident. Secrets are uncovered and it appears that these two tragedies may be connected after all. Determined to uncover the truth, Audrey soon realizes she may be on the cusp of solving a decade old murder. Ending up in the river might not have been an accident at all...
I really enjoyed this one. The writing is just spectacularly haunting. Don’t let the cover fool you. This isn’t your fast-paced thriller. This is a literary novel that beautifully examines how tragedy has shaped the inhabitants of this town. The mystery unravels through exploration of each of the character's experiences in both past and present. This isn’t one to fly through. Sit down, take your time, and enjoy the journey that Johnston’s prose takes you on.
Thank you so much to Algonquin books for gifting me a copy to read!
