Review of A Kitchen Painted in Blood
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Gabriel Elenbalulu
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Review of A Kitchen Painted in Blood
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Kitchen Painted in Blood" by Stephen Ahern.]
This book deals with the story of Joan Risch, a small-town up-and-comer missing in A Kitchen Painted in Blood. The author, Stephen Ahern, having put Joan's life story together from shards, serves up a narrative that turns out to be like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces scattered all over Joan's life. We learn of her early years spent fighting potential abuse and loss and later on, a life that seemed happy but for the day she wasn't there at all. On the day that Joan disappeared, she left the kitchen with blood smeared all over, only she wasn't in the house. Her children were left behind, and her husband was out of town.
The police and the community searched high and low, but it was as if she dropped off the face of the earth. The book follows the investigation, the theories accepted, and the dead ends. The way Ahern writes, you feel like a detective, piecing together the clues. Did Joan run away? Was she taken? Did the past finally catch up with her? This book tests the notion that life sometimes does not give easy answers. It is a book that touches on themes of loss, the aftermath of trauma and the mystery that is sometimes left behind even when we are no more.
What I found really nice about the book was the in-depth scrutiny of the disappearance of Joan that was conducted. Evidence gathering and interviewing people to present the facts by Stephen H. Ahern were done in such a way that, as a reader, one kind of becomes involved in the process of inquiry. It is really interesting to see how a community joins together when such unpleasant situations cross their paths in a quest to find the truth. More than anything, what the book is trying to do is unfold a real-life mystery filled with lots of twists and turns. It is a real lesson that sometimes life is more mysterious and twisted than fiction. Really, I like that the theme of the unending search for truth, no matter how elusive, is strong within this book. The book was exceptionally well-edited and error-free.
After reading, I would have to say that there is absolutely nothing I dislike about it. What I value most is the great characterization, especially of Joan Risch. The author has found a way to make Joan more than a victim or a case file: she is brought to life as a real, multifaceted human being. Her resilience through tragedies in early life and the drive to create a stable life for her family are both inspirationally intriguing and heart-wrenching. This book moves from merely narrating the incidents to paying tribute to Joan's memory through a celebration of her life prior to her enigmatic disappearance. What is more meaningful is the theme of resilience in the face of opposition. I also commend the meticulous attention to detail that Stephen H. Ahern put into this investigation. Kudos for his attention to detail.
I gave this book a high 5 out of 5 stars. I found the book strong because it somehow managed to involve me in the investigation process, making me feel almost like a partner in finding the truth. The author has a commitment to portraying both sides of Joan: Joan as a missing person but also Joan as a strong, complicated individual with a past, which really deepens the work. I'd recommend this book for readers attracted to true crime, where the story transcends the surface and navigates the human condition of the case. It will also serve those interested in cold cases and the step-by-step effort that goes into investigating them. If you're someone who really holds onto those narratives of human tenacity and the complications of life's unsolved mysteries, then this is your book.
******
A Kitchen Painted in Blood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This book deals with the story of Joan Risch, a small-town up-and-comer missing in A Kitchen Painted in Blood. The author, Stephen Ahern, having put Joan's life story together from shards, serves up a narrative that turns out to be like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces scattered all over Joan's life. We learn of her early years spent fighting potential abuse and loss and later on, a life that seemed happy but for the day she wasn't there at all. On the day that Joan disappeared, she left the kitchen with blood smeared all over, only she wasn't in the house. Her children were left behind, and her husband was out of town.
The police and the community searched high and low, but it was as if she dropped off the face of the earth. The book follows the investigation, the theories accepted, and the dead ends. The way Ahern writes, you feel like a detective, piecing together the clues. Did Joan run away? Was she taken? Did the past finally catch up with her? This book tests the notion that life sometimes does not give easy answers. It is a book that touches on themes of loss, the aftermath of trauma and the mystery that is sometimes left behind even when we are no more.
What I found really nice about the book was the in-depth scrutiny of the disappearance of Joan that was conducted. Evidence gathering and interviewing people to present the facts by Stephen H. Ahern were done in such a way that, as a reader, one kind of becomes involved in the process of inquiry. It is really interesting to see how a community joins together when such unpleasant situations cross their paths in a quest to find the truth. More than anything, what the book is trying to do is unfold a real-life mystery filled with lots of twists and turns. It is a real lesson that sometimes life is more mysterious and twisted than fiction. Really, I like that the theme of the unending search for truth, no matter how elusive, is strong within this book. The book was exceptionally well-edited and error-free.
After reading, I would have to say that there is absolutely nothing I dislike about it. What I value most is the great characterization, especially of Joan Risch. The author has found a way to make Joan more than a victim or a case file: she is brought to life as a real, multifaceted human being. Her resilience through tragedies in early life and the drive to create a stable life for her family are both inspirationally intriguing and heart-wrenching. This book moves from merely narrating the incidents to paying tribute to Joan's memory through a celebration of her life prior to her enigmatic disappearance. What is more meaningful is the theme of resilience in the face of opposition. I also commend the meticulous attention to detail that Stephen H. Ahern put into this investigation. Kudos for his attention to detail.
I gave this book a high 5 out of 5 stars. I found the book strong because it somehow managed to involve me in the investigation process, making me feel almost like a partner in finding the truth. The author has a commitment to portraying both sides of Joan: Joan as a missing person but also Joan as a strong, complicated individual with a past, which really deepens the work. I'd recommend this book for readers attracted to true crime, where the story transcends the surface and navigates the human condition of the case. It will also serve those interested in cold cases and the step-by-step effort that goes into investigating them. If you're someone who really holds onto those narratives of human tenacity and the complications of life's unsolved mysteries, then this is your book.
******
A Kitchen Painted in Blood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Shanghai'd by Curtis Stephen Burdick
