I think this book is great.

If you traditional mysteries where a body shows up in the first 10 pages, and the rest of the book is spent rooting for a sleuth to figure out what happened, then Bright and Tender Dark may not be for you. Yes, the deceased makes an appearance in a first page obituary, but we don’t get to follow a single protagonist searching for clues. Instead, characters come, and characters go, they do on any college campus, and each contributes a piece towards helping the reader untangle what happened to the poor departed girl. Along the way, the backgrounds and connections for each character increase your understanding of strengths that might make them the one to solve the puzzle, and weaknesses that might make them the one who did the deed.

I believe this approach is called ‘literary mystery’ – which I’ve seen defined as literary fiction that has mystery at its heart but is more about the characters and the plot, and less about the gory murder details. Joanna Pearson has a writing style perfectly suited for this sub-genre, and if you are open to that sort of thing, you’ll enjoy this book. But keep a dictionary handy to help understand the unique words sprinkled throughout that add something extra to the reading experience: historicity, supercilious, jeggings, trompe l’oeil, a monk’s tonsure, limerence, prelapsarian, demyelination, judder, helpmeet, puerperal, etc. This is not Agatha Christie – you need to slow down and enjoy the ride!

I completed my advance reading copy in three days and felt rewarded at the end when the mystery was deliciously solved. Then I did something I’ve never done with a mystery book before: I went back to the beginning and reread each of the highlighted social media posts and the text of the victim’s letter to see what clues I missed. Others have questioned these parts – by the end of the book, I realized that Joanna’s use of this technique was actually very clever.

Oh, and after finishing this I’ll never feel safe when I pass through Chapel Hill, NC.
5 s C467 19

If other people can review this book before the ARCs even come out, THEN I CAN TOO! This book is bound to be dark, riveting, and creeptastic and I cannot wait to read it.4 s Caroline Builta275 5

A beautiful literary mystery - one of the first books in ages to keep me up past midnight reading.

"Bright and Tender Dark" is a captivating debut novel by Joanna Pearson that intertwines mystery, drama, and an exploration of human nature in a compelling and nuanced narrative. The story centers around the unsolved murder of Karlie Richards, a charismatic college student found brutally murdered in her campus apartment just after Y2K. The novel jumps between the year 1999 and 2019, delving into the lives of those who knew Karlie - as well as those who were merely fascinated by her.

Joy, Karlie’s freshman year roommate, is now a middle-aged woman going through a divorce and still living in the same college town. When she discovers a 20-year-old letter from Karlie, Joy becomes convinced that the man imprisoned for the murder was wrongfully convicted. Her quest to uncover the truth leads her into the dark world of Internet conspiracy theorists and true crime subreddits, but it's impossible to know if she's on a wild goose chase, or actually getting close to the truth.

The novel’s strength lies in its rich character development and the intricate weaving of their backstories. Pearson skillfully navigates multiple points of view, including Joy’s obsessive investigation; KC, the transgender night manager of the building where Karlie was killed; Sheri, the mother of the man serving time for the murder; and more, including Joy's son, Joy and Karlie's predatory professor, and the boy who loved Karlie. Each character is deeply flawed and profoundly human, adding layers of complexity to the story. I felt I really connected to and understood these characters and their motivations.

Pearson’s writing is both lyrical and precise, capturing the essence of the late 90s and the modern age of Reddit threads and online obsession. The novel explores the enduring impact of unresolved trauma on a community. It also delves into the psychological urge to protect and exploit what we cannot have, making it a thought-provoking read.

One of the standout aspects of the novel is how it balances the suspense of a murder mystery with the depth of literary fiction. The story is not solely about solving the crime but about understanding the ripple effects of Karlie’s death on everyone involved. Pearson’s ability to blend these elements seamlessly makes "Bright and Tender Dark" a standout debut.

While the narrative may not follow the traditional structure of a thriller, it is engrossing and thought-provoking. Do not go into this book expecting a neat popcorn thriller, where a dead body shows up on page five and you're left racing through action-packed pages with twist after twist. The slow unraveling of secrets and the gradual piecing together of the truth is so rewarding. For fans of literary mysteries with rich character studies and intricate plots, "Bright and Tender Dark" is a must-read.

Overall, "Bright and Tender Dark" is a beautifully written and deeply moving novel that explores the complexities of human nature and the enduring impact of unresolved trauma. It’s a promising debut from Joanna Pearson that will leave readers reflecting on its themes long after they turn the last page.

Thank you to Joanna Pearson and Bloomsbury for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is out 6/4! 3 s Elaine1,764 1 follower

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Bright and Tender Dark.

If I had known what the narrative was really about, I wouldn't have requested this so my dissatisfaction with this is on me.

Bright and Tender Dark is one of those books that has a mystery concept but it's not a thriller or a mystery.

Also, it's not suspenseful.

** Non thrilling spoilers ahead **

The narrative consists of the various characters in the life of the deceased, Karlie, the golden girl, the sweet girl, the one everyone wants and want to be, the ever popular cliche in these genres riding high here.

There are various themes including evangelicalism, which I found tiresome, plus a random urban legend.

From the various characters perspectives, readers see there are a number of suspects who could have harmed Karlie.

In the end, the identity of the perp is anti-climatic but by then, I didn't care who did it.

I'm not a fan of novels exploring characters and their backstories; introducing a ton of minor and supporting characters from the past and present, blurring timelines, people I don't care or won't remember when I flip the page.

When I read a mystery and/or thriller, my expectations aren't complicated.

I expect the mystery to be resolved in some way following a standard procedure, a police procedural, perhaps; a civilian playing Nancy Drew, looking for clues, interviewing suspects or allies.

I read to be entertained; sadly, Bright and Tender Dark didn't even meet my basic expectation.am-i-thrilled fresh-meat kindle ...more3 s Tammy565 467

A well written but rather disjointed thriller that swerves into unnecessary subplots that don’t add much to the narrative. 2 s Kathy195

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since the publishers insisted Bright and Tender Dark is not a thriller or mystery (not genres I typically enjoy), I decided to stretch my reading muscles and try something different. I loved the first several chapters of Pearson's novel about a murdered college student. The book alternates between time periods - Karlie is murdered in early 2000 and her roommate re-examines this chapter of her life nearly two decades later. Besides alternating timelines, the story is also told through myriad characters.

At first, I enjoyed the varying points of view as there seemed to be an interesting through-line in the novel. Yet as I read further, I realized many of these viewpoints didn't add anything to the story and seem to distract from the most important plotlines. For example, one chapter follows Joy (Karlie's roommate)'s son who never met Karlie and adds nothing to Joy's reflections or investigations of the crime. Pearson has a penchant for fancy vocabulary and it didn't suit every character despite these uncommon words being sprinkled through nearly every chapter. The editors also seemed to miss Pearson's love for describing character's faces in varying forms of light - there are so many examples of faces being illuminated by everything from flashlights to car dashboards.

By the end of the book, I found myself losing patience. The characters don't tie together in a meaningful way at the end, and while we do find out what happened to Karlie on the fateful night of the murder, some of the key players aren't explored until near the end of the novel (they are, to be fair, introduced fairly early in the book, but just left as passing references). So, while this started a four star read, it felt a weak two star read by the close of the novel. I don't know that I would read another book by Pearson (but, on the bright side, I didn't find the book too gory or gratuitous so maybe I will continue to branch out in that sense!).fiction1 2 comments Karen Bullock1,037 16

A superbly written debut thriller that focuses on mannerisms, behaviors and personalities.
The story is about what happened to lovable 19 year old Karlie Richard’s, how she died, why she died and by whom?
The story is regaled to the reader by Joy, Karlie’s freshman year roommate from twenty years ago.
Joy-a name that radiates positivity and happiness; except in this case it does not. She is described as a plain Jane, unassuming, and not someone who stands out in a crowd. Rather, she is that person who hangs back, always on the outside and looking in, yearning to be included, be that vibrant person her name suggests.
Any scrap of attention she receives now is based her constant mentioning of being Karlie’s former roommate and friend and when that attention comes, she lavishes in it.
A lost letter found, springs Joy into action of thinking she can solve who murdered her former roommate and Joy latches on to all the attention she gets from it.
But is the story really about finding out how Karlie died? Or is it the breakdown of a person who uses the tragedy of another to boost themselves up? Jumpstart that stalled out life?
A stunning and engaging read and one that shouldn’t be missed.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for this arc! Loved it.1 Nancy McFarlane689 130

Bright and Tender Dark is not a thriller. It is a beautifully written literary mystery about the dark side of academia, religious cults, and the uncertainty of youth. It is an in-depth character study of a group of young people and the baggage they carry. It begins with the murder of a very popular girl on a NC college campus and ends 20 years later with long sought after answers. It is truly at times Bright and Tender and Dark.1 Nanette464

I love a good murder mystery, but this one didn't do it for me. It would seem to have all the required elements -- the murder of a promising college co-ed, an illicit affair, multiple suspects, her former roommate feverishly trying to solve the case 30 years on -- but it just never drew me in. So close but no cigar. 1 Tayler617 9

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!

I went into this wanting a cold case being solved and learning the aftermath of what happened but this just felt a mess.. yes I did enjoy the different perspectives but some of them added nothing to the story. It’s not bad by any means, just not for me.1 Katie K88 30 Currently reading

This was a tough read for me. I will start with some of the things I d about the book. The premise really got me excited. I was engaged and invested for the first 25% off the book. The language was poetic and I would've said that it leaned more toward lit fiction than an actual thriller. My problem was there was so much going on that I couldn't focus on the main plot. I didn't feel I knew or understood Joy as a character either. There was so much more going on it than simply diving the murder of Karlie in the 1990s. That was cool at first, I d the use of different formats and modalities such as Reddit posts, emails, news articles, etc. But it just moved so slowly and so convalutedly. There were characters that seemed to be just there for fluff. Overall, it just didn't work for me. I lost interest quickly and it became really hard to finish. It might be better in audio if they come with an audiobook. Thank you too #Netgalley and #BloomsburyUSA for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.1 Adrienne2

Book of the year! So well written. I felt emotionally connected to each of the characters in this book and the ending gave me absolute goosebumps. Go give it a read!!! 1 switterbug (Betsey)884 1,061

Although Joanna Pearson’s debut novel is a murder mystery, it isn’t a nailbiter or gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller. So, if you are looking for a wild ride off the edge of yesterday, look elsewhere. The story traces the various characters who have been touched by the beautiful, radiant, 19-year-old murder victim, Karlie Richards and the lives that Karlie has touched, too.

The narrative raises questions of religion—particularly evangelism---as well as issues of family, trauma, friendship, myth, and an urban legend. There’s a sense of the woebegone threaded throughout the story, as the timeline goes back and forth between January 2008 (when Karlie was killed) and 2019, when the Reddit boards heat up and of the case begin to think that the wrong person is in jail for the crime. What are we capable of doing? Who are we capable of loving? What are we capable of causing to the people we love, or the people that let us down?

As the story unfolds, Karlie’s interior life begins to take hold in the reader’s head. Her friends include some cult- Christians, a cringey professor, an insecure former roommate, and other well-defined characters that take us down multiple paths. But about that…the author did meander a bit with a legion of characters and a slew of subplots, perhaps too many for me to hold in my head. There were characters that also seemed superfluous; they petered out without adding much to the story. However, what stood out is Pearson’s ability to create detailed definition to all of her suspects (I say suspects because any of them could be the killer).

One of the most poignant characters is Joy, Karlie’s ex-roommate, who is plagued by melancholy moods and overriding shame. She used her murder-adjacent status (of once being close to Karlie) to impress other people and attract men who are rapt by Joy’s reflections of her dead friend. She admits, at least to herself, that she has finagled some free dinners out of this tragedy. Joy, most who populate the story, is a damaged individual.

Bright and Tender Dark is a study of trauma and its aftermath. Moreover, it examines the cultish attraction to religion as a coping mechanism, and the ripple effect of Karlie’s death on many others, including people that didn’t even know her. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me an advanced copy for review.6 s Elizabeth Reiser50

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

Two decades ago, charming undergrad Karlie Richards was found brutally murdered in her college apartment. At the time, it seemed a simple case to most, with the suspect quickly apprehended and convicted. However, when Karlie’s former roommate Joy finds a letter from her twenty years later, Joy finds herself questioning if the right person was punished.

Shifting back and forth between 1999 and 2019, the reader gains insight into Karlie’s complicated relationships, including her tumultuous friendship with Joy and her illicit affair with a professor. Throughout the book, it becomes clear several people had motives for killing Karlie.

While the premise of this book is solid, it falls victim to having both too many characters and too many plot points. In addition to the teacher/student affair, the storyline also includes evangelism culture in the 90s, as well as a random urban legend involving scaring realtors in 2019. With so much going on and no clear connection tying it all together, it becomes hard for the reader to gauge where the story is going. It is also frustrating to have so many characters introduced only to realize they are not at all essential to the plot. The author would have done well to kill some of her darlings.

Overall, this book will be able to find its audience, but true lovers of the genre will have a hard time with the superfluous subplots. readingfortheseasons34


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