By Robyn Rossit
Content warning: domestic abuse, gun violence, substance abuse, rape, suicidal ideation
When I read the description of Joy Fielding’s Cul-de-Sac I was instantly intrigued. On a normally quiet and unassuming cul-de-sac in Florida, someone is shot dead during the night. With a vast cast of characters occupying the street, the reader is left guessing as the story goes back before the shooting: who was shot and who was the shooter? There’s Maggie, a perfectionist who has recently moved to Florida with her children and now ex-husband, Craig. There is the power couple, Nick the oncologist and his wife, Dani, a dentist. There is Julia, who is an elderly widow whose troubled grandson has recently come to stay with her. There are Olivia and her husband Sean, who has recently lost his job and struggles with alcohol abuse and intrusive violent thoughts. Finally, there are Aiden and Heidi, a newlywed couple whose relationship has always been rocky because of Aiden’s controlling mother. Each family has their own secrets and struggles, and all seem to have access to guns.
What I loved the most about Cul-de-Sac is how Joy Fielding truly kept the reader guessing. There were so many times I thought I could figure out who was killed and who did the shooting. I kind of felt like I was playing my own mental game of Clue. There were so many ways it could have plausibly panned out which made this a very exciting read. The reader gets a lot of time with each family leading up to the night of the shooting which was a fantastic way to lay out the story.
I also really enjoyed how well-developed the characters were. Each family was dysfunctional in its own unique way but felt realistic at the same time. I felt such a range of emotions while reading as a result. Some of them were truly awful and rage-inducing on the page, while some made me feel so sympathetic to the horrors they were facing. It was truly impressive how distinct and developed such a large cast of characters was. With multiple points of view, I can’t even really say that I had a favourite; they all had me invested and kept the pages turning.
This was my first book by Joy Fielding and I can say it will not be my last. I really enjoyed Cul-de-Sac—it was the domestic thriller I didn’t even realize I was looking for. You never truly know what is going on behind the closed doors of your neighbourhood, and Cul-de-Sac is truly a testament to that! Engaging from page one, this might be the domestic thriller you’ve been looking for!
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.