Minerva Day

KIRKUS BOOK REVIEW

A suspenseful thriller about mental illness, the nature of the truth and what it means to be family.

Minerva Day is at odds with her children, thirty-two year old twins Piper and John. Their father, Henry, has just died,

and they think she had something to do with it. Keele's novel follows the strained familial relations and chaos that ensue.

In the years following Henry's death, Piper and John also start to suspect that Minerva suffers from severe mental illness

that she hasn't revealed; their beliefs are spurred on by her frequent strange, irrational comments, her hoarding

tendencies and a seemingly constant lack of empathy. The twins' suspicions are confirmed when Piper and her husband,

George, leave their adopted son, Fellow, in Minerva's care—and he disappears. The community searches for Fellow, but

terrible tragedy awaits: His dead body is discovered in a ravine near the carnival where he was last seen; the heartbreak

takes a toll on everyone. When Minerva is charged with the crime, it becomes clear that no one—not even her—is sure

who killed Fellow or why they would want to. Keele's well-written novel can be a page-turner at times, though it goes

beyond being a simple mystery by taking a fascinating look at mental illness and how it is perceived and dealt with, both

by its sufferers and those affected. While the plausibility is somewhat questionable that a person suffering from such

severe mental illness would not yet be receiving care, Keele adeptly maps out realistic familial relationships, ones

muddled by emotional strife but also founded on unconditional love.

A well-crafted mystery that explores the challenges of mental illness.

—Kirkus Indie Reviews

READERS' FAVORITE BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Minerva's turbulent relationship with her daughter, Piper, becomes more intense when her adopted grandson, Fellow, is abducted and murdered. Piper accuses her mother of the heinous crime but is Minerva really to blame? The tragic event leads to questions regarding her husband's death four years earlier due to a mysterious illness. Minerva Day is an intriguing and enigmatic tale by Christie Keele that takes readers to explore an aging woman's intricate and at times dangerous mind.

Keele's writing style is truly superb. It is the type that really takes you into the story; the vivid details of the characters' emotions and the surroundings are captured perfectly as if you are watching a film instead of reading a book. This makes the pacing of the story smooth supported by a sharp, realistic dialogue. Minerva's mind is just a fascinating, multifaceted place to unravel page by page. I was caught between sympathy and anger towards her and her daughter Piper. I found their relationship quite toxic and I was on edge until the end, where everything was finally revealed.

Keele deftly portrays the darker side of human's psyche through the family's tumultuous tragedies. That being said, the disturbing concept of the story is a double-edged sword. Personally, there are no lovable characters for me, although they are all believable as well as interestingly complex. Some readers would not mind the gloomy story line at all but others might find it as a challenging read. All things considered, Minerva Day is a page turner through and through.

"Christie Keele writes with an impressive honesty and clarity about the complexities of motherhood and marriage. Her debut novel combines unsolved murder, family drama and occasional bouts of insanity to produce a disturbing page turner. Minerva Day is a character who will stay with you long after the book's compelling conclusion." Laura Brodie, author of The Widow's Season and All the Truth

"Minerva Day puts a new twist on the complexity of family relationships—especially during a crisis. Yet the community seems oblivious to the undercurrents. A good read." Lonna Enox, author of The Last Dance