On an early spring morning in Richmond, Virginia, in the year 1885, a young pregnant woman is found floating in the city reservoir. It appears that she has committed suicide, but there are curious clues at the scene that suggest foul play. The case attracts local attention, and an eccentric group of men collaborate to solve the crime. Detective Jack Wren lurks in the shadows, weaseling his way into the investigation and intimidating witnesses. Policeman Daniel Cincinnatus Richardson, on the brink of retirement, catches the case and relentlessly pursues it to its sorrowful conclusion. As the identity of the girl, Lillie, is revealed, her dark family history comes to light, and the investigation focuses on her tumultuous affair with Tommie Cluverius. Tommie, an ambitious young lawyer, is the pride and joy of his family and the polar opposite of his brother Willie, a quiet, humble farmer. Though both men loved Lillie, it' s Tommie' s reckless affair that thrusts his family into the spotlight. With Lillie dead, Willie must decide how far to trust Tommie, and whether he ever understood him at all. Told through accumulating revelations, Tommie' s story finally ends in a riveting courtroom climax. Based on a true story, The Reservoir centers on a guilty and passionate love triangle composed of two very different brothers and one young, naive girl hiding an unspeakable secret. A novel of lust, betrayal, justice, and revenge, The Reservoir ultimately probes the question of whether we can really know the hearts and minds of others, even of those closest to us.
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"Oh. My. Gosh. I was given this advanced copy book at a workshop John Milliken Thompson gave in Vermont this past weekend, and once I began the book, I couldn't put it down. John began the book as non-fiction, as it's based on a true story of a young 8 month pregnant woman found floating in Richmond, Virginia's reservoir in March of 1885. Mr. Thompson switched to fiction, and it is a page-turner! It makes me want to find the newpaper and court records of the actual events. John's delightful young editor was with him at the Books on the Nightstand event, and the 2 of them were engaging and soooo interesting. I just watched a U-Tube video by John Thompson about The Reservoir which I'd recommend AFTER you read the book...or at least after you've visualized the 2 main characters, Richmond, the reservoir, etc. Google it..and read this book...it's marvelous! Looking forward to visiting with the author at Nightbird Books when he tours this summer here in Fayetteville."
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Jo (4 out of 5 stars)