The Gin Girl

I loved this book and I'm picky! It has a soulful, visceral quality that is hard to describe. Great inter-weaving of Southern atmosphere and characters. I was given a copy of another of the author's books, Saints in Limbo. After reading that I ordered all of her books, including this one, and am anxiously awaiting the September new release. This was a surprise favorite, this author needs to be more famous...read all her books.

The Gin Girl is an all-too-rare find: a book that draws you into its world so completely that every person and location becomes real. Ostensibly a murder mystery set on an island with an odd cast of characters, the novel follows a flawed and emotionally broken (but still likeable) protagonist as she becomes part of a community and searches for answers that will never be good enough. The Gin Girl features lush, descriptive language and pacing that appears languid, but keeps a steady rhythm that perfectly matches the semi-tropical setting and the realistically slow rate of healing and discovery. A gem.

Having spent the better part of a year near the top of my "must read" stack, I finally got around to reading The Gin Girl and, I must say, I'm mightily impressed. Mary is so well-carved and believable--in fact, she is very much like someone I know in grit, self-sufficiency and street wisdom. I say that to iterate how real River has drawn the character. I love the turn at the end, but it leaves me wanting more story. The craft is, in my humble opinion, impeccable. River Jordan writes with great discipline and her well-placed humor is a nod to her well-honed senses. Well, done. I anxiously await the opportunity to read The Messenger of Magnolia Street: A Novel.

Excellent story. Complicated, mysterious, fantastic characters. This one deserves a sequel (hear that River Jordan?)!! Pay close attention to the twists, all of them, right to the end.

I could not put this book down. I simply loved it! What's more is I've met the author and I can actually tell her in person how.good this book is. It had so many unexpected things happen, a lot.of twists and turns. Some subtle and some like bam!! Either way I loved this book and can't wait to read more of her books. It has a really unique sender of humor to it as well which I also really loved

"Progress was like a pistol. One good shot and it could obliterate the past."With lines like this, River Jordan not only expresses wisdom through her characters, she sets up motifs and layers to her story. Last year, I had the pleasure of discovering "The Messenger of Magnolia Street"--a masterpiece of theme, mood, and character. With the memories of that novel still fresh, I picked up "The Gin Girl" in hopes of revisiting River Jordan's wonderful prose.The story starts off slowly, building atmosphere and emotion. But I disagree with the Booklist reviewer who implied that the entire plot moves slowly--no, once the mysteries begin to unfold, the story picks up pace and races through the last fifty pages. Mary Contrary has returned to her hometown after the untimely murder of her good friend. She finds herself dealing with memories of her parents' rough relationship and her own childhood struggles. Now, through events surrounding her friend's death, she must bridge the past and the present to uncover the truth.The characters are wonderfully quirky and vivid. The narrative is rich and evocative of the Floridian island and backwaters it depicts. River is a good enough author to leave us filling in some of the blanks for ourselves; and although I would've liked to see a bit more resolution on one or two items, I got the feeling a sequel would be fitting for the ongoing story of Mary Contrary.With hints of Rick Bragg and James Lee Burke, River Jordan takes Southern elements and makes them all her own. She is an author to discover and continue enjoying.

At first I thought it was going to be a nice Southern fiction, chick lit type book. With interesting characters and little slice of Southern life. But it soon became apparent that it was more than that. The writing was very good, one of those where you need a notebook nearby to jot down your favorite parts.The main character is Mary, who comes back to the town where she grew up, Toliquiloh. It is filled with quirky, but believable characters. One of those characters is Edna, the one armed diner owner.Mary's first encounter with Edna:"What'll it be?""Burger, fries, and a cold beer."She let out a breath that she never took in and said, "I don't like frying on Tuesdays," and placed her one hand on a round of hip. I was thinking of, maybe, tuna, but then reconsidered."But it's Friday." I said. Then both of us concentrated on the days of the week until Edna replied, "So it is," and moved off to the kitchen. When you only have one arm, it doesn't swing when you walk.If the book had been filled with nothing but that, it would have been good, but it went further and included a murder mystery. A very good murder mystery that kept me guessing the whole time.Excellent writing, excellent characters, humor, mystery. What more could you ask for.

This book had me hooked from the beginning with its' use of words to evoke a mood of mystery and characters that were larger than life. At times I was reminded of John Steinbeck's characters that were so unique and wonderful. At times shades of darkness were like King. But in the end it was the authors voice that painted a world you cared deeply for and wanted to go on forever. One of the best written books that I've read in a long time.