The Sisters of Blue Mountain

February 27, 2017
In Katchur’s uneven sophomore effort (after 2015’s The Secrets of Lake Road), the mass death of snow geese threatens the livelihood of Linnet, who operates a bed and breakfast, the Snow Goose, in scenic Mountain Springs, Pa. Linnet’s father, a retired ornithologist, wants to investigate, but because of his worsening dementia, a young university professor is tasked with the job instead. When the professor is found dead near the B and B, Linnet’s father is arrested for his murder. The arrivals of Linnet’s estranged sister, Myna, and reporter Jake Mann—who has his own connection to Mountain Springs and a dark secret that the sisters share—complicate the situation. Clichés sometimes replace genuine emotional depth, especially in scenes between Linnet and Myna, and their characters aren’t developed enough to carry the story. Readers who appreciate tales of family tensions with hopeful resolutions will be most rewarded. Agent: Carly Watters, P.S. Literary Agency.

March 1, 2017

Linnet is looking forward to the upcoming beautiful weekend at her family-owned bed and breakfast, the Snow Goose. The cherry blossoms are blooming, the tourist-attracting snow geese will be landing soon and the B&B is ready and awaiting its guests. But when Linnet sees one of the snow geese lying on the ground she immediately senses something awful has happened. Hundreds of dead birds are found floating in the dam, bringing a slew of news teams, the end-of-the-world crowd, and Linnet's estranged younger sister, Myna. Among the media is journalist Jake Mann, who has been assigned to cover the snow geese tragedy but has taken the job with ulterior motives. When the ornithology professor inspecting the birds turns up dead one morning, Linnet and Myna's father, who has been showing early-onset dementia symptoms, is the first suspect. VERDICT Katchur (The Secrets of Lake Road) weaves a suspenseful tale of family secrets and what it means to keep quiet. For readers who relish complex family mysteries.--Melissa Keegan, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2017
Sisters Linnet and Myna grew up close, drawn together by the uncertainty of their home life with their depressed mother and often-absent father, a professor of ornithology. After the events of one defining night unravel that bond, Myna leaves their small town of Mountain Springs, Pennsylvania, and the bed-and-breakfast her sister has taken over from their mother. Then the snow geese, the town's main draw for tourists, suddenly start dying, and the university their father was fired from sends someone out to investigate. When the researcher turns up dead in the yard of the bed-and-breakfast, Linnet's father is a person of interest. Caught between the effects of the dead birds on her business and family and the investigation into her own father, Linnet must accept help from Myna and hope that the issues between them can be put to rest at last. Katchur (The Secrets of Lake Road, 2015) has crafted a compelling story of family secrets and the way they reverberate throughout the passage of time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)