The Current: A Novel
"A first-rate thriller . . . Past and present merge in The Current, Tim Johnston's atmospheric, exquisitely suspenseful novel of two murders separated by ten years."
--The Washington Post "Gripping . . . Johnston's masterful novel is worth lingering over--it soars above the constraints of a traditional thriller and pulls you deep into the secrets of a grief-stricken town."
--People Tim Johnston, whose breakout debut Descent was called "astonishing," "dazzling," and "unforgettable" by critics, returns with The Current, a tour de force about the indelible impact of a crime on the lives of innocent people.
In the dead of winter, outside a small Minnesota town, state troopers pull two young women and their car from the icy Black Root River. One is found downriver, drowned, while the other is found at the scene--half frozen but alive. What happened was no accident, and news of the crime awakens the community's memories of another young woman who lost her life in the same river ten years earlier, and whose killer may still live among them. Determined to find answers, the surviving young woman soon realizes that she's connected to the earlier unsolved case by more than just a river, and the deeper she plunges into her own investigation, the closer she comes to dangerous truths, and to the violence that simmers just below the surface of her hometown. Grief, suspicion, the innocent and the guilty--all stir to life in this cold northern town where a young woman can come home, but still not be safe. Brilliantly plotted and unrelentingly propulsive, The Current is a beautifully realized story about the fragility of life, the power of the past, and the need, always, to fight back.
--The Washington Post "Gripping . . . Johnston's masterful novel is worth lingering over--it soars above the constraints of a traditional thriller and pulls you deep into the secrets of a grief-stricken town."
--People Tim Johnston, whose breakout debut Descent was called "astonishing," "dazzling," and "unforgettable" by critics, returns with The Current, a tour de force about the indelible impact of a crime on the lives of innocent people.
In the dead of winter, outside a small Minnesota town, state troopers pull two young women and their car from the icy Black Root River. One is found downriver, drowned, while the other is found at the scene--half frozen but alive. What happened was no accident, and news of the crime awakens the community's memories of another young woman who lost her life in the same river ten years earlier, and whose killer may still live among them. Determined to find answers, the surviving young woman soon realizes that she's connected to the earlier unsolved case by more than just a river, and the deeper she plunges into her own investigation, the closer she comes to dangerous truths, and to the violence that simmers just below the surface of her hometown. Grief, suspicion, the innocent and the guilty--all stir to life in this cold northern town where a young woman can come home, but still not be safe. Brilliantly plotted and unrelentingly propulsive, The Current is a beautifully realized story about the fragility of life, the power of the past, and the need, always, to fight back.
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Community Reviews
Tim Johnston's second novel, The Current, cements his status as a unique, unequaled voice in contemporary fiction. Simply put, The Current, is a beautifully written, achingly heartbreaking story with authentic characters and a storyline that grabs readers by the heart and never lets go. The Current is an exploration of the enduring impact of a crime on innocent people set in the most American setting -- a small town in the Midwest.
Two college students, Caroline Price and Audrey Sutter, set out on a trip to Minnesota. It is the dead of winter and Audrey needs to get home because her father is ill. She has no car or money, but Caroline has both. They don't reach their destination. Minnesota state troopers pull the car from the icy Black Root River. Caroline's body is found downriver, and Audrey is half frozen and traumatized, but alive. Their vehicle's descent into the river was no accident, and news travels quickly through the small town where Audrey's father is the former sheriff. Moreover, the incident is eerily reminiscent of an unsolved crime. Ten years ago, another young woman also lost her life in the river, and her killer has never been found and brought to justice.
Audrey is determined to find answers and soon discovers that she is connected to the prior case by more than the river. As her investigation leads her toward dangerous truths, she is disillusioned to learn that violence simmers just below the surface of her hometown about which her father's suspicions may have been well-founded.
Johnston's economy of language and keen understanding of life in America's heartland effectively pull readers into the lives of his characters. It's a place where winters are long and treacherous, right is right, and there are no strangers. Against that backdrop, Johnston weaves an intricate tale about getting on with life in the face of unspeakable tragedy, the underlying rage it fuels, and the myriad ways in which small town life is not always as simple as it seems to be on the surface.
The Current explores Audrey's coming of age and empowerment as she sees her hometown through adult eyes for the first time. And quietly examines the unconditional, unending love of a parent for his/her child through the perspectives of several of Johnston's characters. The story's pace is akin to the flow of the river -- constant and steady, surging at particular junctures.
Ultimately, The Current is a haunting and memorable study of the ties that bind us to our loved ones and communities, and the power of events to shape our future. Johnston confirms there is a current running through our lives that binds us together, even as it separates us in significant ways, and gives us strength when we need it most. The Current is sure to be deemed once of the best books of 2019 and become a contemporary classic.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Two college students, Caroline Price and Audrey Sutter, set out on a trip to Minnesota. It is the dead of winter and Audrey needs to get home because her father is ill. She has no car or money, but Caroline has both. They don't reach their destination. Minnesota state troopers pull the car from the icy Black Root River. Caroline's body is found downriver, and Audrey is half frozen and traumatized, but alive. Their vehicle's descent into the river was no accident, and news travels quickly through the small town where Audrey's father is the former sheriff. Moreover, the incident is eerily reminiscent of an unsolved crime. Ten years ago, another young woman also lost her life in the river, and her killer has never been found and brought to justice.
Audrey is determined to find answers and soon discovers that she is connected to the prior case by more than the river. As her investigation leads her toward dangerous truths, she is disillusioned to learn that violence simmers just below the surface of her hometown about which her father's suspicions may have been well-founded.
Johnston's economy of language and keen understanding of life in America's heartland effectively pull readers into the lives of his characters. It's a place where winters are long and treacherous, right is right, and there are no strangers. Against that backdrop, Johnston weaves an intricate tale about getting on with life in the face of unspeakable tragedy, the underlying rage it fuels, and the myriad ways in which small town life is not always as simple as it seems to be on the surface.
The Current explores Audrey's coming of age and empowerment as she sees her hometown through adult eyes for the first time. And quietly examines the unconditional, unending love of a parent for his/her child through the perspectives of several of Johnston's characters. The story's pace is akin to the flow of the river -- constant and steady, surging at particular junctures.
Ultimately, The Current is a haunting and memorable study of the ties that bind us to our loved ones and communities, and the power of events to shape our future. Johnston confirms there is a current running through our lives that binds us together, even as it separates us in significant ways, and gives us strength when we need it most. The Current is sure to be deemed once of the best books of 2019 and become a contemporary classic.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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