Your House Will Pay

Starred review from August 5, 2019
Based on a true case, Cha’s ambitious tale of race, identity, and murder delivers on the promise of her Juniper Song mysteries (Dead Soon Enough, etc.). Racial tensions in Los Angeles are at a boiling point following the police shooting of a black teenager, and 27-year-old Grace Park, who lives with her Korean immigrant parents, shares the sense of outrage felt by many. Her sheltered world is suddenly shattered when her mother, Yvonne, is shot in front of the family pharmacy in a drive-by shooting. Dark family secrets begin to emerge about Yvonne’s involvement in the notorious 1991 shooting of Ava Matthews, an unarmed young black woman, by a Korean shopkeeper. Grace is torn by conflicting emotions of concern for her mother and shame at the implications of her mother’s crime. Meanwhile, Ava’s brother, Shawn Matthews, has tried to put the past behind him. When news of Yvonne’s attempted murder reaches him, it brings up emotions Shawn has long fought to keep down. The tension rises as the authorities circle in on his family as possible suspects in Yvonne’s shooting. This timely, morally complex story could well be Cha’s breakout novel. Agent: Ethan Bassoff, Lippincott Massie McQuilkin.

The story may be fiction, but listeners will feel like they're hearing true crime--so captivating are the performances of narrators Greta Jung and Glenn Davis. The mystery involves Grace Park, a sheltered Korean pharmacist, and Shawn Matthews, who find themselves intertwined following a horrendous crime that rocks Los Angeles, where they both live. The result is a gripping story with two compelling characters whose lives and challenges are brought to life by Jung and Davis. Their narrations complement each other in tone, delivery, and style. No matter the scene, listeners will feel as though they are experiencing each character's emotions, especially during the powerful ending. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 1, 2020

The story might sound familiar--the 1991 L.A. riots--but Cha ("Juniper Song" series) alchemizes headlines into a riveting thriller about two families colliding over injustice, while narrators Glenn Davis and Greta Jung transform the written word into mesmerizing performances. Shawn Matthews was just 13 when his sister Ava was fatally shot by a Korean storeowner. Almost three decades later, Grace Park holds her mother Yvonne's bleeding body after a drive-by shooting outside their family's pharmacy. The two tragedies, 28 years apart, will connect the Matthews and Park families again. While Yvonne lies comatose, Grace learns her mother was Ava Matthews's killer. The police are already questioning Shawn who, after a youthful jail stint, lives a contented, family-driven life. Reconnection, of course, will engender irreversible consequences. Comparative newbie Davis's portrayal of Shawn and his extended family is near flawless, effortlessly adapting from childhood innocence to jaded adulthood, toxic posturing to desperate loyalty. Sharing the Parks' Korean heritage, Jung moves easily among immigrant and second-generation characters, adjusting fluency and cadence, embodying contrasting personalities, most notably "good girl" Grace and savvy older sister Miriam. VERDICT An already astounding book gets an addicting audio adaptation, sure to inspire urgent reflection and crucial conversation.--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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