Book of The Month discussion

In this gripping and intensely atmospheric debut, disquiet descends on a small town after the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor, with all clues pointing to the reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind. Perfect for fans of All Good People Here and Where the Crawdads Sing

One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout’s initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor’s death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith’s own novel.

Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget.

As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge.

I have this book from the library!

I'm reading it with my book club so we're taking 3 weeks to read it! I'll probably finish it sometime next week, after Wednesday

our arranged stop points:
through 13 ch - pg 92
through 27 ch - pg 182
then finish

13 chapters / pg 92

(view spoiler)[ wow, I'm finding Elijah really unlikable! lol
although I don't think he did it. too obvious, right?
but then who? and why the doctor?

I don't think it was Nikita's religious father but it has to be someone in town, right? hmmmm

I wonder why the author chose to make up a town in Washington (it's Port Orchard, not Point) and why a made up tribe. . .?

I also wonder why the author chose to set the story in the 70, 80 and then 90's.
but so far I'm definitely liking it.
(hide spoiler)]

27 chapters / pg 182

(view spoiler)[ hmm. the story really seems to have turned.
so either Erin set him up - which is looking more likely

or Nakita did it?

I'm not sure why Erin would set him up, though? Would she have been mad about something? She really did seem to choose him specifically. . .

or could Elijah have really done it in order to get rid Erin because she was becoming too much?

I don't know, this took a unexpected turn! Her diary entries are so different than what I feel like Elijah was feeling or of what the reality really was. . . (hide spoiler)]