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BookLife Reviews

The fast-paced third installment of Kyriazi's thoughtful Father's Day series (after Father's Day, Part II: The Secret of La Sangre) reveals the discovery of yet another body at the bottom of the La Sangre cliffs in California's Bodega Bay…The revelation of the newest corpse's identity again shakes the lives of La Sangre residents-lives that Kyriazi again explores with sympathy and a sense of suspense-and the fate of the seemingly doomed town itself… Kyriazi capably tracks the La Sangre inhabitants' movements, motivations, and secrets, transitioning back to 1985 and earlier, uncovering the intriguing backstories of his quirky, unique cast.

Kyriazi deftly incorporates news broadcasts and talk-show transcripts into the narrative, creating context and verisimilitude as he reveals striking secrets and surprising connections between the residents of La Sangre. Readers new to the series may find it challenging to keep up with the deeper meanings behind their interactions, and are advised to start with the first book. While Kyriazi's focus remains on the bizarre, possibly coincidental deaths, beneath the action and suspense the series continues its incisive examination of how tragedy-and public notoriety-can shape a community. La Sangre's population seems to expand with each year of succeeding deaths, hinting at Kyriazi's deeper quest to uncover the long-reaching impacts of trauma and its perceived allure. Great for fans of: Cordelia Rook's Mystery Repeats Itself, and Allen Eskens.

Kirkus Reviews

The novel presents an engrossing account of the aftereffects of the first two Father's Day tragedies on the dramatic, intertwining lives of each of the surviving cast members during the year between the 1985 deaths and the current unfortunate event. Secrets are revealed, slight cracks in relationships become major fissures, and new beginnings emerge. As each of the individual stories unfolds and the characters develop—sometimes poignantly and other times stereotypically—the author plays with the age-old, weighty issues of good versus evil, religious conviction versus pathological obsession, and the sin/redemption continuum. Kyriazi deftly delivers a morality play acted out by ordinary people confronting their personal demons…an entertaining, satisfying series finale.