Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens

Tell Me Something Good

This is a story of the rich and the very poor. This is a story of an illegal auction with dire consequences. This is a story of murders past and present. This is a story of intertwined relationships and the silent ripples they leave behind, where love becomes a guiding force, revealing the lengths one will go to protect those they cherish.

Over twenty years ago, a young hunting guide in rural Kentucky was driving his boat in the early morning mist when his peaceful cruise was cut short by a scene so disturbing, he packed up and moved away. Nine women died early that morning, but it was linked to a similar crime in Texas, so the locals quickly wrote it off as having nothing to do with them.
Now, all these years later, when everyone has nearly forgotten about that grisly part of their past, one man's accidental death will bring everything back up to the surface. The locals who knew better can no longer claim it had nothing to do with them, and one woman, desperate to do whatever it takes to save her mother's life, will learn that nearly everyone in her life has been lying to her.

In Court Stevens's adult debut, she delves deep into the heart of a community, where some will learn that we don't always live to see the ripples we make, but we must make them all the same.

Content Tags:

Perfect for readers who want:

• A story with ripples, where the past impacts the present, which will inevitably change the future
• Strong family bonds, with equal strong found family
• A cute romance subplot filled with healing and banter
• Strong women showing up for each other and being absolute bosses
• A story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time
• Plot twists galore that will keep you guessing until the very end
• A mystery that unfolds a little at a time

Overall

Having met Court Stevens before, I can confirm that she is an absolute delight, so I always make sure to keep an eye out for her upcoming books. Tell Me Something Good sounded very different from her YA work (and for good reason), but it sounded a lot more like the sort of books I usually pick up (even though the blurb really doesn’t give away much about the book’s plot . . . which makes it all the more mysterious!). So obviously, I couldn’t wait to dig in and find out more.

Tell Me Something Good is a heartbreaking story, chock full of plot twists, corruption, and people just trying to do their best to survive. It’s a reminder that the choices we make impact more than we can imagine.

I will acknowledge right off the bat that this book isn’t going to be for everyone (to be fair, what book is?!), but I absolutely loved it. I read it in two sittings, because I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The story is utterly heartbreaking in the best possible ways, and it kept me guessing, even when I was convinced I knew where the plot was going. Tell Me Something Good dropped an absolute bombshell at the end that I loved so much that it left me with the worst bookish hangover.

My Thoughts

From the very first page, this book will steal your breath and break your heart. So guard your emotions well!

One of the biggest things I can recommend with this book is to go in blissfully unaware, like I did. For that reason, I’ll do my best to keep this review intentionally vague, because there will be plot twists that steal your breath. And it should be that way. Nothing like a good reveal to leave you breathless.

That being said, the story opens with two premises. One, there is a future where a school shooting is about to occur, leaving twenty-seven dead . . . but is that this future? The actions taken by the characters in the present will decide that, and they don’t even know it. Then again, we rarely realize the ripples we make and the way it impacts those downstream. Two, Anna’s mother, Starr, has cancer, and not only do they not have money to pay for treatment (heck, they can’t even afford gas to make it to the appointments), but it’s extra terrifying because there is no one Anna cares about more in the world than her mother.

This is how Tell Me Something Good starts. If you think it’s all sunshine and rainbows from here, you would be sorely disappointed. This book isn’t for the feint of heart. It’s as dark as it is beautiful, a testament to those struggling through life but still absolutely slaying it anyway ( . . . pun not intended, I swear).

This story unfolds a little at a time, from multiple perspectives, in multiple timelines, as the character’s lives intersect and impact each other. Everyone has secrets . . . but only a few of them are so serious as murder.

If you’re one that needs to have a linear story, this book won’t be for you. The main premise is around Anna and her mother, Starr, but their story is only a microcosm in the overall story. Because whether they realize it or not, everyone around them has impacted their lives, and will continue to do so through the course of this book.

One of the most beautiful things Court Stevens does with this work is show how interconnected people’s lives are. This may not feel like the case in a large city, or it may be harder to nail down these ripples. But in a small town in nowhere Kentucky? Everyone knows each other. Everyone is related to each other. Everyone has secrets. This is so true of rural life.

So yes, this is Anna and Starr’s story. But it is also Jack’s story, who was once engaged to Anna and is still in love with her. It’s also Chester’s story, who left Bent Tree, Kentucky, years ago after discovering the grisly murder of nine women, but who has since moved back with his wife in retirement. And it’s the story of a hunting lodge with a criminal past, currently engaged in an illegal auction that pulls in many characters, some more innocent than others. The real trick, though, is that these are all really the same story—one that ends with a mass shooting. Or not. You’ll have to read to find out for sure.

This story is filled with strong characters doing their best to survive, and refusing to let life knock them down.

Because these characters have been dealt some supremely terrible hands. Bent Tree is not known for its luxury. It’s poverty stricken and rough. All of the characters suffered significant trauma when they were younger. The older ones are doing their best not to pass it on. The younger ones are doing their best to heal from it. In both cases, it’s nice seeing characters persevere and overcome, even though it isn’t easy (it’s never easy).

This book is filled with strong, badass women, in particular. It’s sometimes tougher to be a strong woman, especially in the South, especially when the older characters were younger. Especially considering they’re all determined to get along without a man in their lives, because if they’re not enough, the other women in their life are. I absolutely love seeing women supporting other women.

I will say that there are a lot of characters, and sometimes it’s challenging to keep them straight. There are plenty that readers only get to know on just a surface level. which is to be expected. However, the main cast here will likely have relatable elements. For the most part, they’re all very gray. They’re not perfect people (who among us is?), but they’re genuinely doing their best.

Obviously, if you don’t enjoy reading about characters going through rough times, this book is going to be difficult for you to read. Because sometimes life sucks, and Stevens pulls absolutely no punches in that regard.

Expect all the plot twists. In fact, if you think you’ve got something figured out . . . go ahead and just throw that theory out the window. You’ll save yourself so much time.

I’m usually pretty good at solving mysteries early, but this book? This stumped me. There are some things I spotted early, sure, but because literally everyone is keeping secrets, there were just too many of them for me to guess. By the end of the book, the plot twists come so quickly, and they weren’t what I had expected, that I was audibly distressed. My husband was concerned. Because I was so sure and also so very wrong.

If you enjoy a twisty story, this is definitely for you. The plot twists were believable and peppered in. I just didn’t see some of them until it was too late, because I was so mired in my convictions that I had already figured it out. In my defense, the characters behave the same way!

About Court Stevens

Courtney “Court” Stevens grew up in the knockabout town of Bandana, Kentucky. She is a former adjunct professor, youth minister, Olympic torchbearer, and bookseller at Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN. These days she writes coming-of-truth fiction and is the Executive Director of Warren County Public Library in Bowling Green, KY. She has a pet whale named Herman, a bandsaw named Rex, and a tiny fleet of novels with her name on the spine.

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