The Book Wheel

Books, Politics, & More

  • Genres
    • Sortable Archive
      • Reviews by Author
      • Reviews by Genre
      • Reviews by Title
    • #30Authors
      • #30Authors Reviews
      • Lineup
    • Fiction
      • Historical Fiction
      • Mystery/Thriller
    • Non-Fiction
      • Biography
      • Economic
      • Memoir
      • Science/Tech/Psychology
      • True Crime
    • Political
    • More Options
      • 1001 List
      • Classics
      • Diverse
  • Book Club Picks
  • Politics
    • Book Reviews
    • Political Discussions
  • Lists
  • Other
    • Blogging
    • Career
    • Discussions
    • Lifestyle
    • Productivity
  • About
    • Accolades
    • Advertising
    • Policies
    • Resources
      • Authors
      • Contributors
    • What is a ‘Book Wheel’?
  • City Council

Wrongful Conviction the Focus of ‘That Night’ (Book Review)

July 15, 2014 by Allison Hiltz 3 Comments

Wrongful Conviction the Focus of ‘That Night’ (Book Review)That Night by Chevy Stevens
Published by St. Martin's Press Genres/Lists: Fiction
Pages: 384
Read synopsis on Goodreads
I received this book for free from She Reads.
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links) four-stars


At 17, Toni Murphy was a surly and unruly teenager. She felt suffocated by her parents, had a boyfriend they didn’t like, was bullied at school, and fought with her sister. For many, this sounds like a typical teenager, but for Murphy they were all evidence of her guilt. You see, at 17, Toni was sent to prison for murdering her sister along with her boyfriend, Ryan. The thing is, she didn’t do it. Now 17 years later, Toni is out and trying to keep herself out of trouble, but the pull to find out the truth about her sister’s murder is too great.

Alternating between present day and 1996, when the murder was committed, That Night by Chevy Stevens chronicles Toni’s life story and is broken down into two halves. In the first, we learn about Toni’s teenage antics, her relationship with Ryan, and her difficult time in school. Bullied relentlessly by a group of girls and constantly fighting with her sister, she and her troublemaker boyfriend are obvious suspects when her sister is brutally murdered. In the second half, Toni is released from prison and returns to her hometown, where she does everything in her power to stay out of jail. The problem is that whoever killed her sister isn’t comfortable with her freedom and is doing everything in their power to ruin her life.

While I wouldn’t say that this book is YA, it does remind me of it (honestly, I don’t read enough YA to make an accurate assessment, but it’s the vibe I got). Despite the heaviness of the book, the writing style is short and simple (which I’m not accustomed to),glosses over many of the gritty parts of prison life, and leaves out Ryan’s experiences entirely. Although this doesn’t take away from Toni’s story, it does make it harder to connect with and relate to a hardened and determined post-prison Ryan.

That said, it was still a great book. It was quick, fast-paced, and hard to put down. Although you know early on who probably did it (and is a driving force behind the story), the revelation of what happened That Night was not something I was expecting. If you’re looking for a good whodunnit, then try it out.

What was the last great whodunnit that you read?

Related Posts

  • Same Genre
  • 4 Star Books
  • St. Martin's Press
A White Room by Stephanie Carroll
Madness Whispers in ‘A White Room’
the hate u give
‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas Worth Every Piece of Praise
Up Yours by Howard Rosenberg
Crime is Hilarious in ‘Up Yours!’
The President's Shadow
The President’s Shadow by Brad Meltzer
Duplicity by Newt Gingrich
Duplicity by Newt Gingrich (Book Review)
a mosaic of grace
A Mosaic of Grace by Nina Navisky
‘The Dinner’ is Delicious
The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
SheReads: The Perfume Collector
the hopefuls by jennifer close
Career, Marriage, and DC Politics Crash Together in ‘The Hopefuls’
The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix
Sibling Relationships Are At the Core of the ‘The Nest’
one good dog
One Big Pass For One Good Dog
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
HONY shows us the beauty in our differences, and similarities
The Summer that Melted Everything
‘The Summer that Melted Everything’ – What Would You Do if the Devil Came to Town?
A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
Languish In This Book!

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged With: Mystery/Thriller

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter

Upcoming Reviews

Upcoming Reviews

How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
by Massimo Pigliucci
The Order of Time
The Order of Time
by Carlo Rovelli

goodreads.com

Subscribe

Get posts straight to your inbox the day they go live!

Trending Now

Best Book of Summer: “Tigers in Red Weather” is a Roaring Good Time

‘The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry’ Is Stunning (Book Review)

Unbelievably Believable

‘People in the Trees’ by Hanya Yanagihara

Duplicity by Newt Gingrich (Book Review)

Content may not be reposted in full or without permission. This site includes affiliate links.

Copyright © 2019 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in