Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Crime for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Gin Phillips. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!
In 1928, a Chattanooga man disappears down a hole in the ground and discovers a 150-foot waterfall in the middle of a mountain that he names Ruby Falls, after his wife. Soon, visitors can buy tickets to see the falls for themselves. A friend of Rub, Ada Smith, has been sneaking into the caves at night, enthralled with the beauty and freedom. But it's the Depression and Ruby Falls is struggling. A famous mind reader and mystic agrees to go into the caverns and attempt to locate a hidden hatpin using only his psychic abilities. He'll be joined by his wife, his manager, a guide, a businessman and a reporter. But Ada and another guide, Quinton, will be following the party at a distance in case they run into trouble. .One of them will be dead before the end of the day.
What a unique locked-room mystery - set almost entirely underground in just one day. It's claustrophobic and full of tension as the group must get back to safety before they completely lose their light. It takes you back to a different time period in the country, with the Depression looming, and women's rights as a theme. It was a bit of a slow burn and for some reason I had trouble keeping the characters straight in my mind, but it was a good, atmospheric thriller based on real life (be sure to read the acknowledgements for more info!)..
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