Bitter Fruit is aptly-named for an unsettling and dark story that burrows into your memory as if you experienced it all first-hand. Such is the powerful and evocative writing of Tempest Black.
A brutally mutilated body shakes the Irish countryside in a ruined church. Without clear identification, Detective Lewan Kane and his team have their work cut out for them. The strange occult-like case is further made intriguing by Ella, a woman who has seen visions of multiple such victims. The police must figure out the clues before the trail goes cold, sussing out wild and horrifying twists and reveals through smart detective work, with Lewan leading the investigation and creating an unorthodox but necessary synergy with a woman who may have more insights than she consciously realizes before the killer can take more lives.
Bitter Fruit is an homage to the sophisticated blend of gritty, phantasmagorical and darkly entertaining vibe that one most commonly associates with the first season of the tv show, True Detective. I was hooked from the first chapter unveiling the haunting crime and was then immediately swept by the tenacious Lewan Kane on his manhunt as well as by Ella’s strength to move past her own demons to save lives. In between the simmering investigation, Tempest Black creates a wonderful balance of characters in Lewan and Ella specially as they complement each other in subtle and mature tones of lived experiences. The vivid imagery and descriptions made me feel like I was reading a real-life account of the characters. It scratched every itch I had to read something fresh, palpable and realistic.
Bitter Fruit is going to be one of the most beloved mystery-thrillers of 2027 and I will happily read whatever Tempest Black writes next. The fact that I progressed from 20% to 100% in a single sitting without wanting to put it down says as much.
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