Dahlia's Gone
by Katie Estill
Published by St. Martin's Press
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Reviewed by Peg Brantley
In this highly recommended book, a young, beautiful girl is brutally murdered--and the lives of three women are forever changed.
Sand Williams discovers Dahlia's body. She sees her childhood Ozark home through eyes that have seen the world and has come to understand both its beauty and its shortcomings. Sand has a foundation of a wonderful marriage, even as she struggles to find her place in the home she left so many years before.
Norah Everston, Dahlia's grief-stricken stepmother, finds her entire belief system challenged, and indeed, her entire world altered after the murder. Her fundamentalist faith and son hold center stage, coming ahead of her marriage, and even the pursuit of truth.
Patti Callahan, the lone female deputy in the county, becomes responsible for the investigation. And for Patti, there's conviction and dreams--all wrapped up in one package.
The author's involvement in helping to stop violence against women lends credence to much of the story, and indeed, it's that personal involvement that eventually inspired the creation of Dahlia's Gone. The remarkable intersection of three disparate lives tells a separate story--of women, of respect, and of hope for a future.
More than an intriguing mystery, Katie Estill pulls us into the lives of these women who each must find her own way of coping with tragedy. Readers who've never experienced the Ozarks are exposed to their simplicity and intricacy through Estill's words.
Armchair Interviews says: This is a story you won't soon forget.