This was a great murder mystery read that takes place somewhere in Canada. Trinity, who is a true crime reporter, has a weekly podcast. She begins a series about Clay Pelley, a former school guidance counselor who was convicted of a brutal murder and rape 23 years previously. I listened to this on audio, but I didn't really like the narrator, who I felt sounded like she always had a cold. 11 hours 42 minutes (347 pages) ( )

For those who are a fan of true crime, you will love this book!

Trinity is a true crime podcaster, when she meets with Kelley the man who admitted to raping and brutally murdering a teenage girl 20 years ago in a small town under Devil’s Bridge. He has now claimed he is innocent of these crimes. Why would a man admit to these horrendous crimes if he is now claiming he is innocent? Can Trinity’s podcast uncover new light to the many loose ends the police had, even though Kelley admitted his guilt? You don’t want to miss this explosive book and realize just how much the whole town had to play in the teenager’s murder!

This book had me hooked from the get go and I was shocked to realize just how far someone will go to end their darkness that looms them on the inside! ( )

As a fan of true crime podcasts, “Beneath Devil’s Bridge’s” blurb quickly caught my attention. Podcasters have become popular in novels lately, and this is one of the more effective examples of how a mystery unfolds organically through the episodic format.

Told in the alternative points of view of the retired detective and the podcaster, the story is of a teenage girl’s rape and murder and the convicted man who, after years of silence, claims innocence.

Did he do it? I really did question right up until the explanation if he was guilty or not, and then I wondered if such a thing was really possible; the explanation, I mean. This says it’s based on a true story early on, so I’m guessing it has, but it seems crazy.

Overall, this was a great page-turner. A couple of complaints would be that, at times, the dialogue felt awkwardly formal, there were a few repeated turns of identical phrase, and the ending, from the time the reader knows what really happened, becomes an ABC After School Special. I didn’t like how much the author digested the implications of things and thought it would’ve been a more effective ending if it was left to the reader to contemplate the impact of what happened. Otherwise, this is a good read. Truly. Recommended.
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Bullied girl, murdered, guidance counselor went to jail for it. Not the real killer ( )

Loreth Anne White is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! Last year I read and loved In the Dark by her (if you haven't picked this one up yet you simply must!). I jumped at the chance to read this book and wasn't disappointed in the slightest. It just goes to show me how much I NEED to work on catching up on her backlist because wow! She is an author that definitely deserves more hype than I see her getting. This book had podcast elements to it which I really enjoyed. I liked the fact that the book was focused on a crime that was supposedly solved from years ago. I really enjoyed that the story was told from two different timelines - back when Detective Rachel Walczak was investigating the case and then in the present as podcaster Trinity Scott investigates what really happened all those years ago. I found this book to be a really compelling read. I wanted to know what really happened to Leena Rai and the why's behind it all. I had my guesses on who might have been behind it, but even then I definitely didn't see that ending coming. There's this one twist that just hits so perfectly. I felt like I should have seen it coming but yet it smacked me straight in the gut in the best way. Wow, she is such a talented author.

Overall, this is a book that definitely deserves more hype in my opinion. Readers who enjoy mysteries, true crime podcasts, and suspenseful reads need to pick this book up. And then talk about it with others so more mystery readers can find this author because I need her to write ALL of the books! Kidding....but kind of not because she's just so good! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A tense and suspenseful read that I just couldn't stop reading!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Honest thoughts are my own. ( )