Bent Road by Lori Roy – a Review

Bent Road by Lori Roy is her first novel.  This story is a suspense thriller set in rural Kansas in the sixties.  It is about a family leaving the city life in Detroit, to escape the civil unrest, and move to the Kansas countryside.  Arthur Scott left Kansas when he was young boy, and built a life in Detroit; twenty years later, he takes his wife and children and returns to Kansas.  Almost from the start, as Celia, Arthur’s wife follows him in a second car through the creepy darkness with her children in the car, that this was going to be a tense and haunting story.

Though the story is told in different eyes at times, the majority is in the eyes of Celia.  She has to watch over her children to make the transition easier, and get to know Arthur’s family, as well as trying to get used to a totally different life in the heartland. Celia finds herself in the middle of a tragedy that happened twenty years ago, that sets the stage of this story and effects them all.  Arthur’s sister Ruth plays a big part in this mystery, and over time she becomes closer to Celia.  But it is Ray, Ruth’s husband who puts the fear into their hearts.  Twenty years ago, another sister of Arthur..Eve,  was found dead.  The townsfolk openly felt that it was Ray who killed Eve, though they could never prove it.  Celia is very uncomfortable around Ray, as he looks at her suggestively. 

Shortly after the Scott’s return to Kansas, another child is missing.  Rumors begin again, and the family tensions worsen.  Ray, who is a drunkard, is an abusive husband toward Ruth.  The townsfolk always ignored that, but now that Arthur is back, he finds Ruth all beaten up and takes her to his house to protect her, and keeps her away from Ray.  Arthur and Celia must face the backlash from the local priest, and old fashioned townsfolk, who do not believe a wife, should stay away from her husband, even if he is abusing her. 

Despite these issues, both Arthur and Celia have to worry about their children trying to adapt to their new life.  Evie, the youngest child, cannot make friends, and becomes obsessed with the old clothes and toys of the dead sister Eve.  Daniel has trouble making friends too, though he does meet some boys, who have him practicing shooting guns, which is expected of even young boys.  Life in Kansas is not like in Detroit.  However, Elaine seems to be happy in Kansas, as she plans to wed Jonathan, who has been a good friend to the family. 

Things do get worse.  Ruth is now pregnant, living with Celia and Arthur, as they try to keep Ray away.  Ray of course tries to get her back, and many a night comes banging on the door for her, not to mention when he can, he leers at Celia.  The story gets pretty exciting, as we head for a climax, where secrets will be told, truths will be discovered, and lives will be in danger. 

Lori Roy does a very good job in creating this thriller through the eyes of a family that must find a way to stay together to survive.  Roy also does a good job in creating nice characters, even the bad ones.  It is a story of family, love, violence, blended with suspense and mystery throughout.  The tension during the story does have a creepy feel to it.  Lori Roy is a very good writer and since this is her first novel, we will expect more of the same from her.
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Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by publisher