This is a great crime story with a lot of queer representation. Young Evan Wiley is found dead at the bottom of a raging waterfall. He was from a wealthy family, had just graduated from high school, and was wrestling with his sexuality. There were a lot of reasons people might want Evan dead. Following the string of leads definitely held my interest.

I felt sorry for Evan. He had no friends and few people with whom he felt comfortable discussing his sexuality. It was sad to watch Evan’s life spiral down by making bad choices to find friendship and perhaps love. I liked the queer story line. I wish it had gone a little further, but it was still good.

The backdrop was great and a first for me. It was set in winter in south New Zealand. The author painted a very dark, uncomfortable picture for much of the book: misty, rainy, foggy, very cold. I didn’t understand why the locals hated the wealthy families so much. Considering that another of the wealthy sons had been murdered years ago, it seemed like they would have had a little sympathy. I wish the cause of the hatred had been explained a little more.

I found myself wondering a couple times how people jumped to their conclusions based on some pretty subtle clues. It seemed like a stretch just to make the plot work. Also, I didn’t like the way it ended. I found myself asking “what triggered that?” For me, it came out of left field and felt like gratuitous drama.

Despite my criticisms, I very much enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.