Conviction (Rebekah Roberts #3)

Conviction by Julia Dahl is the conclusion to her trilogy featuring Rebekah Roberts, a crime reporter living in Brooklyn. She works at a tabloid but gained some esteem when publishing an article with the Center on Crime, Culture and Media detailing the killing of an Orthodox Jewish woman in Gowanus.

Between chasing stories assigned to her, Rebekah attends a lunch for the Center, where she meets other writers they have worked with, including a woman who runs a homicide blog. She lists all deaths in the city, many of which are ignored by the press. People claiming to have been wrongly convicted of a crime have been sending letters to the blog. An in one of those letters, Rebekah finds her next big story.

In July of 1992 there was a triple homicide for which a teen foster son was convicted. After looking through the files, Rebekah sees little evidence linked to DeShawn Perkins, the teen serving a life sentence for the murder of his foster parents and foster sister. Rebekah’s investigation will open a past that a few want to remain hidden, as she is more and more convinced of DeShawn’s innocence.

Dahl has created a great, real and flawed character, in Rebekah Roberts. Her mysteries are wonderfully peppered with clues and revealed, at times, with nail-biting prose. This series also highlights Brooklyn and the Orthodox Jewish communities here. Read them!

Dahl, Julia. (2017). Conviction. New York: Minotaur.

Rebecca

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a classic for a very good reason – you will keep thinking of this story far after you finish the book.

The main character, never named in print, is working as a lady’s companion. She is not from the noble class and has few options outside of a good marriage. She is in Monte Carlo as companion to an American woman she does not really care for when she meets Maximilian de Winter, the owner of he famous house on the cliffs – Manderley.

When her lady becomes ill and she finds herself with free time, she is surprise to find the she and Maxim get along quite well despite a large age difference. He is easy to talk to and they enjoy spending time exploring Monte Carlo.

Soon they are married. After some more travel in Europe, it is back to Manderley in England where the new Mrs. de Winters finds herself well out of her element. Maxim is busy with estate affairs and there is no one to guide her in the new role she is thrust into. She begins to wonder if Maxim is regretting their decision to marry.

The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, keeps comparing her to the late Mrs. de Winters, or Rebecca. Rebecca’s shadow seems to hang over the house and the new, young wife feels that she is not living up to the standard Rebecca set.

In Rebecca, Du Maurier has created a thrilling novel of suspense where all is not as it seems.

Du Maurier, Daphne. (1938). Rebecca. New York: HarperCollins.