The Other Side of Everything

Starred review from October 23, 2017
Owens’s tense, rich debut follows the wide-ranging consequences of a brutal murder for the lives of three unconnected neighbors in sleepy Seven Springs, Fla.: widower Bernard, teenage waitress Maddie, and painter Amy. Bernard, a reclusive widower, convinces his cohort of fellow single retirees to pair up in a buddy system for safety, and the time he spends with his next-door neighbor prompts him to reevaluate his lifestyle and reopens the old wounds of his marriage. Fifteen-year-old Maddie, waiting tables and coping with her mother’s abandonment through expertly hidden self-harm, worries about the vagrant accused of the murder. Lastly, the victim’s next door neighbor Amy, whose creativity and marriage have been strained by her hysterectomy and double mastectomy, is inspired to paint again by the murder. Her creepy works make her a target of both the media and the murderer after she’s interviewed for a blog. Owens impressively captures the emotional landscape of three generations and the varying compromises required of women in each. Fans of crime fiction wanting literary flair and emotional depth will gladly follow this trio of complicated characters. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

November 15, 2017
In the sleepy community of Seven Springs, Florida, a serial killer is targeting elderly women.Investigating the killings takes a back seat to the drama of the community itself in this debut novel. Owens populates her tale with characters who all find themselves caught in a web spun long ago, deftly threading together lives fraught with personal crises and the emotional price of recovery, using unexpected violations to link her characters. Much of the action centers on Bernard White, a widower who still hears the voices of his long-dead wife, Irene, and of his long-dead mistress, Vera, reminding him to take his medications. Amy, the first victim's neighbor, has survived a hysterectomy and double mastectomy but cannot save her marriage. Even in her despair, Amy is driven by the first murder to reopen her garage art studio, and what she paints surprises her: she sees not only the woman's death, but also the murderer, which is impossible, of course, because Amy has no idea who the murderer is. Yet her obsession with discovering his identity awakens not only the suspicions of the local police department, but also the wrath of the true killer. Meanwhile, Maddie, just 15, struggles to make financial and emotional ends meet now that her mother has abandoned the family. Maddie works most days after school at a local diner, where the men of the town try to catch her attention. Eventually she gives in, accepting a date with Nate, a young man whose intentions become increasingly dubious. As Bernard's, Amy's, and Maddie's lives converge, the serial killer's connection to Seven Springs forces open the closet doors to skeletons long hidden.A slow-burning thriller that explores the cost of love turned askew.

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Starred review from November 15, 2017
Seven Springs, a sleepy Fort Lauderdale suburb, plunges into hysteria when a killer, fueled by long-buried secrets, murders Adel, one of the originals who migrated to the neighborhood in the sixties. Amy, Adel's next-door neighbor, who has struggled to reclaim her life after a grueling cancer battle, is drawn back to painting by a compulsion to portray Adel's final moments. Like Adel, Bernard is one of the originals, but he has been living an isolated, routine-driven existence since his wife died. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Maddie, lost since her mother left without warning a few months ago, spins out of balance with a reckless new relationship and a penchant for wandering the neighborhood alone at night. After two more elderly women are murdered, Bernard mobilizes the originals to pair up until the killer is found, unwittingly sparking his own reawakening when he's paired with Maryanne, another of the group's singles. At the same time, police are looking everywhere for the killer, even at Amy, whose paintings of Adel's death have raised suspicion. Owens balances themes of alienation and loneliness as Amy, Bernard, and Maddie reform their faltering connections, and the murders awaken Seven Springs, slyly advancing the subplots toward a thrilling confrontation. A literary thriller with everything book groups are looking for: fine writing, a flawlessly constructed story, and relatable characters providing plenty of questionable decisions rife for discussion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)