Parents.
We all have them, one way or the other. Biological, step, foster, surrogate. Estranged. Long-distance. And now—through the magic of online DNA testing—parents you never even knew about.
No matter what, we can all agree that our parents shape our lives. Through what we inherit or the environment they create. Through their presence or their absence. Parents may give us a lot to live up to—or a lot to live down. We may strive to be just like them. Or do everything in our power to be different.
Most of my books have dealt with families—in one way or another. And a lot of great crime and mystery fiction have families at the center. Why are families such rich subject matter for these stories? Because families are full of conflict. Even the best families have conflict. There is no way to live in such close proximity to people—physically or emotionally—and not be in conflict with them.
If you’re lucky the conflict is small. (“Why do I have to ride in the back seat?” “Why does she get the larger bedroom?”) But in crime fiction, family conflict covers a lot of things. Money. Secrets. Murder.
In my newest novel, Try Not to Breathe, two half-sisters try to reckon with the legacy of their father, a police officer who has been wounded in the line of duty and forced to retire. I won’t say more about what the two sisters learn about their dad—and their family. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything. But it’s possible that after you read my book, you might feel better about your own family. Let’s hope so…
Here’s a list of other books about domineering parents. Enjoy!
WINTER KILLS by Richard Condon
I’ve always thought Condon was the master of the paranoid-satirical thriller about the underside of American political life. But is his real subject the domineering parent? We all know about the mother in The Manchurian Candidate, chillingly played by Angela Lansbury in the movie version. But what about the unrelenting control exerted on the lives of the characters by the Prizzi family in that series of novels? Or, worst of all, the Joseph Kennedy-esque father in Condon’s assassination thriller, Winter Kills.
RAZORBLADE TEARS by SA Cosby
There isn’t much I can add to the phenomenon that is SA Cosby, one of the most (justifiably) acclaimed crime writers of our time. And his star is still very much on the rise. But I mention Razorblade Tears here because this is a story about the redemption of two deeply flawed fathers. Not only is this book beautifully written and loaded with action and suspense, it also shows the lengths a parent can go to demonstrate their love for their child. Love lasts forever and its reach extends beyond the grave. Don’t miss it.
DOLORES CLAIBORNE by Stephen King
It hardly seems possible for a book written by the world’s bestselling writer to be overlooked, but among all the great works the King has written, this one—Dolores Claiborne—is one I came to late. King has also addressed the issue of domineering and awful parents. Heck, he did it in his very first book, Carrie. But in Dolores Claiborne he takes on the issues of domestic abuse in the most intense way. This book is violent and disturbing—you did see who wrote it, right?—but it’s also an exploration of familial love and how far a parent is willing to go to protect their children. (And the movie version is great as well.)
A THOUSAND ACRES by Jane Smiley
It’s possible you tried your darnedest to avoid reading King Lear in high school or college. Or you opted for the Cliff’s Notes or the Wikipedia summary. But don’t fall asleep on Smiley’s Pulitzer-prize winning retelling, which features everything from the original play and then some. Abuse, poisoning, murder, blinding—and all of it set on a farm in Iowa instead of a crumbling kingdom in England. It’s a literary novel, yes, but with action and pages that fly by like a thriller. And it features a father who really, really shouldn’t get any gifts on Father’s Day.
SAVING RUBY KING by Catherine Adel West
On the surface, this book has the trappings of a typical thriller. There’s a murder, and the clues relating to the crime stretch across the years. But this book contains so much more. This is a novel about family and friendship. It’s an exploration of the power of a community that endures against all odds. It’s also a rarity in that the book places a church—Cavalry Hope Christian Church—at the center of the story and shows all the complexities of a religious institution that stands at the middle of the lives of the characters. Given all the book’s accomplishments, I’ll also point out that this is a debut, which means West has many more great books to come.
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