Trees

A Novel

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Percival Everett: Trees (2021, Graywolf Press)

288 pages

English language

Published May 10, 2021 by Graywolf Press.

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ISBN:
978-1-64445-156-4
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Reviews

Gruesome, and darkly amusing

A pair of MBI detectives are sent to Money, Mississippi, to investigate a series of brutal murders, where each crime scene also appears to have an unexpected second body.

I feel somewhat ambivalent about this novel. It’s well-written, and interesting, but ultimately felt a bit unresolved. I’m sure I missed certain things that had I been more steeped in US culture I’d understand differently or better. Everett has a lot of fun with the character names, and it was a treat every time someone new entered the chat.

It’s a gruesome novel, and unfolds differently than first expected. I went in cold, then quickly realised The Trees is much more layered than a straight crime novel. While I didn’t dislike it, and will read more Everett, I suspect I started on a high point by reading James first.