Nicholas Giovanni's life revolves around his five-year old daughter Kate. When he isn't driving his taxi, he is taking care of her and her mother Kathleen, whose last involuntary admission to hospital was before Kate was born. When his childhood best friend, Ina, returns next door, tensions rise in the house. Already unstable, Kathleen suspicions of Ina and Nicholas grow until a day of violence ensues and Kathleen disappears.
Kate's life is shattered by her mother's disappearance. No-one will tell her where Kathleen is. Although Ina helps to take care of Kate, Nicholas keeps her at arm's length. He cannot bring himself to tell the truth about Kathleen's last day, until Kate runs away, and he realizes his silence has torn everyone apart. To find Kate and to keep Ina in his life, there are truths he must face, if it's not too late.
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APART FROM FUNERALS, Nicholas hadn't been inside a church in years, yet he made the sign of the cross whenever he passed St Joseph's and thought of his daughter. CHAPTER ONE
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(@FomitePress, 13 October 2020, 324 pages, e-book, #ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed)
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I've read other books by the author and really enjoyed them so I had high hopes for this, her first novel. I liked the title because it's the same as my favourite crime show. I loved the cover, it begs to be read. This is an incredibly sad but beautifully written book. Kathleen and Nicholas's life is complicated. Kathleen is mentally ill and this puts a strain on their relationship. They fight a lot, Nicholas is not always patient with Kathleen or tolerant of her illness and Kathleen's constant accusations don't help the situation. My parter is exactly like Kathleen, she's schizophrenic and I really connected with both characters. I understood Kathleen's behaviour and could see myself in Nicholas. Kathleen does something terrible, unthinkable even for a mother. I couldn't stop crying. Kathleen is no longer in their life and Nicholas tries to raise Kate alone with some help from Ina. Nicholas keeps a lot of the truth from Kate. His actions are understandable. He is afraid his daughter will be scarred if she knows the truth. His intentions are good but this has serious repercussions years later. This is beautifully written and the characters were so real.
