Review: Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita

Author: Iris Yamashita
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 2024

 On a frigid February day, Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy stands by the graves of her husband and son, watching as their caskets are raised from the earth. It feels sacrilegious, but she has no choice. Aaron and Dylan disappeared on a hike a year ago, their bones eventually found and buried. But shocking clues have emerged that foul play was involved, potentially connecting them to a string of other deaths and disappearances. 
 
Somehow tied to the mystery is Mia Upash, who grew up in an isolated village called Unity, a community of women and children in hiding from abusive men. Mia never imagined the trouble she would find herself in when she left home to live in Man’s World. Although she remains haunted by the tragedy of what happened to the man and the boy in the woods, she has her own reasons for keeping quiet.
 
Aided by police officer Joe Barkowski and other residents of Point Mettier, Cara’s investigation will lead them on a dangerous path that puts their lives and the lives of everyone around them in mortal jeopardy.

Village in the Dark is the sequel to City Under One Roof.  This one picks up right after the events of the first book.  Cara has clues and evidence that suggest her husband and son were murdered, not killed in a hiking accident.  With the help of Joe from Point Mettier, she sets out to figure out what really happened.  DO not read this one first.  It definitely ruins the experience of the first book.

I thought this was a solid follow up.  There is an over-arching mystery that does involve Cara's husband and son.  The twist was a surprise, yet very satisfying.  Cara is a great detective.  I'm not sure if this is a duology or if it's a series, but I would love more of her.  The story is told through a few different perspectives  and for a while it is unclear how the all fit together.  The author seamlessly blended the different threads in the end.  I highly recommend this one a well as the first.

Review: City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita

Author: Iris Yamashita
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 2023

A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.

When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.

After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.

Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?"

Finally, I have read an enjoyable thriller in 2024. In City Under One Roof, Detective Cara Kennedy  travels to a small town in Alaska to investigate a potential murder.  There is only one way into the town and when a blizzard blocks the tunnel, Cara finds herself stranded.  People begin to disappear.  Cara must figure out what happened before it's too late.

As I said, I really enjoyed this one.  The mystery was a page turner and kept me guessing.  I didn't guess the ending.  I was also really satisfied with how it ended.  It does leave the door open for a sequel, but it had it's own satisfying ending.    I really like Cara as a character.  She is smart and tough.  She also has a vulnerability about her because of the loss of her family and she has an ulterior motive for being in the town.  The characters of the town are quirky and also full of secrets.  I highly recommend this debut novel.  I look forward to reading the next book.