The Gulf : a novel / Rachel Cochran.

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Title:

The Gulf : a novel / Rachel Cochran.

Author:

Cochran, Rachel, author.

ISBN:

9780063284128

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

292 pages ; 24 cm

Abstract:

In 1970s Texas, on the Gulf Coast, twenty-nine-year-old Lou, mourning her brother's death in Vietnam, attempts to solve the murder of her elderly neighbor and unearths disturbing secrets involving the history of her tight-knit, religious small town and its residents that may be the key to catching a killer.

1970s. Parson, Texas is a small town ravaged by a devastating hurricane and the Vietnam War. Lou is diligently renovating a decaying old mansion for Miss Kate, the elderly neighbor who has always been like a mother to her. Mourning her brother's death in Vietnam, Lou dreams of enjoying a more peaceful future in Parson. When Miss Kate is murdered, no one but Lou seems to care about finding the killer. Joanna-- Miss Kate's long-estranged daughter and Lou's first love-- arrives in Parson not to learn more about her mother's death but for Parson House. Her arrival unearths sinister secrets involving the history of the town and its residents ... revelations that may be the key to helping Lou discover the truth about Miss Kate's death and her killer. -- adapted from jacket

Subject Term:

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

City and town life -- Fiction.

Secrecy -- Fiction.

City and town life. (OCoLC)fst00862081

Murder -- Investigation. (OCoLC)fst01029788

Secrecy. (OCoLC)fst01110644

Lesbian characters.

Houses -- Remodeling -- Fiction.

Inheritance and succession -- Fiction.

Nineteen seventies -- Fiction.

Homicide -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Texas -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Texas. (OCoLC)fst01210336

Texas -- Fiction.

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Mystery fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction. (OCoLC)fst01726581

Fiction. (OCoLC)fst01423787

Historical fiction. (OCoLC)fst01726640

History. (OCoLC)fst01411628

Lesbian fiction. (OCoLC)fst02000476

Novels. (OCoLC)fst01921742

Lesbian mystery and detective fiction.

LGBTQ+ fiction.

Detective and mystery fiction.

Novels.

Lesbian fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Fiction Book Hardback	120791003067646	F COC	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"Exquisite and gripping. . . . The Gulf is a page turner to be savored; Cochran is a master of both prose and plot."--Ilana Masad, author of All My Mother's Lovers

In this electrifying debut literary thriller, set on the gulf coast of Texas in the 1970s at the height of the women's liberation movement, a closeted young woman attempts to solve her surrogate mother's murder in a tight-knit, religious small town.

In Parson, Texas, a small town ravaged by a devastating hurricane and the Vietnam War, twenty-nine-year-old Lou is diligently renovating a decaying old mansion for Miss Kate, the elderly neighbor who has always been like a mother to her. Mourning her brother's death in Vietnam, Lou dreams of enjoying a more peaceful future in Parson. But those hopes are crushed when Miss Kate is murdered, and no one but Lou seems to care about finding the killer.

The situation becomes complicated when Joanna, Miss Kate's long-estranged daughter and Lou's first love, arrives in Parson--not to learn more about her mother's death but for the house. Her arrival unearths sinister secrets involving the history of the town and its residents . . . revelations that may be the key to helping Lou discover the truth about Miss Kate's death and her killer.

A gorgeously written, gripping story of forbidden love and devastating secrets that is a surprising twist on the traditional small-town story, The Gulf is a riveting and unsettling mystery that holds up a mirror to the values--and failures--of America.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In Cochran's triumphant debut, closeted 29-year-old bartender Louisa Ward gets tangled up in a murder investigation in 1970s Texas. After a devastating hurricane, Louisa considers leaving her tiny, religious hometown of Parson, Tex.--a move encouraged by her lover, Heather, who also lives in Parson. Before Louisa can make a final decision, however, her old schoolmate (and first love), Joanna Kerrigan, returns to Parson and dredges up a mystery from the recent past. Joanna hires Louisa to help repair the decrepit mansion owned by her recently deceased mother, Kate, with whom Louisa had formed a close bond in the years since the girls graduated from high school. Eight months earlier, Louisa found Kate's body in the mansion's garden, her head bashed in from what the police deemed an accidental fall during a rainstorm. Louisa doubted that conclusion at the time, and now decides to throw herself into investigating Kate's death wholesale. Slowly, a thicket of small-town secrets come to light and make it crystal clear that the woman's demise was no accident. Cochran perfectly paces her reveals, keeping readers guessing about who's hiding secrets and why. Bolstered by true-to-life characterizations and superior prose, this character-driven Southern gothic will enthrall fans of Lou Berney's The Long and Faraway Gone. (June)

Kirkus Review

When a hurricane hits Parson, Texas, in 1970, bartender Louisa Ward's past and present collide as she seeks to build a future. Lou doesn't want to leave the town where she grew up, but her aunt and niece have already relocated to San Antonio, and her partner, Heather--who's also her brother's widow--is getting ready to pull up stakes and join them. Lou's also still reeling from the sudden, violent death of Miss Kate, the owner of an old plantation just outside of town. When Miss Kate's daughter, Joanna, returns, planning to sell the plantation, Lou agrees to help clean up the house. They had been childhood friends but had a falling-out in high school and haven't been in touch since. Joanna's presence draws Lou back into memories of the past--of their complicated friendship; of her brother, Robby, who died in Vietnam; of Joanna's sister, Cass, who died in a mysterious accident. But slowly she begins to realize that the memories she's held as "true" are actually missing vital pieces, most notably Miss Kate's involvement with the Jehovah's Witnesses. There's also a mysterious group of women, led by the charismatic Peg, who live outside of town and have their money bound up in Miss Kate's house. Despite the inherent drama, this novel is a slow burn. The pacing works wonderfully, though, because just when we think we know something--about Lou's past, about Peg's group, about Joanna's motives--Cochran spins in a new perspective or memory or piece of information that completely alters our understanding of plot, characters, even genre. The constant reversal of certainty is masterfully executed and adds tension in unexpected ways. Cochran also uses the time period to draw a deeper reflection on belonging--and to emphasize the danger for those who will always be "outsiders." A thoughtful novel with a hint of mystery. Its still waters run deep. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.