My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
After a trip to Ireland to spread her late mother's ashes with her best friend, Kate O'Brien returns home to the news of her ex-husband Harry’s demise. Harry Johnson, an affluent businessman with a successful dry-cleaning chain, was all about pomp and show but strangely enough, there is no public notice of his demise, no funeral announcements and not much detail to be gleaned about what happened to Harry. When multiple people inform her that they have seen “Harry” – she begins to doubt the truth behind the rumors of Harry's death. Is Harry truly dead? If yes, then why all the hush-hush? If not, where is he? Complicating Kate’s life further is her new friend Ettie who seems to know quite a bit about her, despite her being a recent acquaintance and starts showing up wherever Kate seems to be ..Coincidence or not?
Last Kate knew Harry was hospitalized after a stroke. Kate’s adult children have always sided with their father after the divorce, blaming their mother for the divorce even though Harry’s infidelity was to blame for Kate’s leaving him after twenty –five years of marriage. But when the police question Kate about her relationship with Harry, it becomes evident that there is something strange about the circumstances surrounding Harry's death and Kate seems to be at the top of the list of suspects. Her estranged children have not been in touch and do not respond to their mother’s messages, Harry’s best friend is hostile and Kate’s sister does not share Kate’s concerns in this regard. Strange things are happening around her, secrets that need to be unraveled, people who need to come clean with what they know about Harry and where does Ettie figure in the present scenario, if at all? As the narrative progresses, Kate struggles to find out the truth about Harry’s death and prove her innocence.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead by Eleanor Kelley has an intriguing premise and a cast of interesting characters but falls short in execution. While I did enjoy the mystery surrounding Harry’s demise, and found the narrative engaging up to a point, I thought the angle of Kate’s relationship with her children was a tad unconvincing and a few of the characters crucial to the narrative were left unexplored. The ending felt rushed and abrupt leaving me with more questions than answers. Overall, the story had potential but left too much unexplained.
Many thanks to author Eleanor Kelly, Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on April 11, 2023.
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