Long Bright River: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel) (Audiobook)

Quick Look: At a Glance

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.3 / 5 (22,000+ ratings) See Breakdown

Author: Liz Moore
Narrator: Allyson Ryan
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Literary Fiction
Setting: Philadelphia
Themes: Addiction, Family, Crime

Price (New): $0.99 (Subject to change)

⚖️ The Recoguru Verdict

Long Bright River is a compelling audiobook that offers a poignant and suspenseful exploration of family, addiction, and the challenges of modern urban life. Liz Moore's writing and Allyson Ryan's narration create a vivid and immersive experience.

However, the slow pacing and focus on character development may not appeal to all listeners. Be prepared for a story that prioritizes emotional depth over rapid plot progression.

Recommended for listeners who enjoy character-driven stories with a strong sense of place and social commentary.

Pros & Cons Summary

➕Pros

Compelling story of two sisters and their divergent lives.
Explores relevant social issues such as addiction and poverty.
Strong female protagonist in a challenging environment.
Well-developed characters with complex histories.
Suspenseful mystery that keeps readers engaged.

➖Cons

Slow pacing may not appeal to all readers.
Focus on character history can overshadow the mystery.
Unhappy themes related to addiction and family issues.

Deep Dive: Features & Specifications

Long Bright River is a compelling novel that delves into the lives of two sisters amidst Philadelphia's opioid crisis.

A gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.
A tale of two sisters traveling the same streets, though their lives couldn't be more different.
Explores the opioid crisis in a Philadelphia neighborhood.
Features a strong female protagonist, Mickey, a policewoman.
Alternates between present-day mystery and the sisters' childhood.

One of Barack Obama's favorite books of the year Named a Best Book of 2020 By NPR, Parade , Real Simple , and BuzzFeed An instant New York Times best seller A Good Morning America Book Club Pick "[Moore ’s] careful balance of the hard-bitten with the heartfelt is what elevates Long Bright River from entertaining page-turner to a book that makes you want to call someone you love." ( The New York Times Book Review ) "This is police procedural and a thriller par excellence, one in which the city of Philadelphia itself is a character (think Boston and Mystic River ). But it ’s also a literary tale narrated by a strong woman with a richly drawn personal life - powerful and genre-defying." ( People ) "A thoughtful, powerful novel by a writer who displays enormous compassion for her characters. Long Bright River is an outstanding crime novel.... I absolutely loved it." (Paula Hawkins, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Girl on the Train ) Two sisters travel the same streets, though their lives couldn't be more different. Then one of them goes missing. In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don't speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling. Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey's district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit - and her sister - before it's too late. Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters' childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: A gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.