Book Review: Penance by Eliza Clark

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Penance by Eliza Clark

Synopsis.

Do you know what happened already? Did you know her? Did you see it on the internet? Did you listen to a podcast? Did the hosts make jokes? Did you see the pictures of the body? Did you look for them? It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrible night are now being published for the first time. That story is Penance, a dizzying feat of masterful storytelling, where Eliza Clark manoeuvres us through accounts from the inhabitants of this small seaside town. Placing us in the capable hands of journalist Alec Z. Carelli, Clark allows him to construct what he claims is the ‘definitive account’ of the murder – and what led up to it. Built on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves, the result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil. The only question is: how much of it is true?

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The Review.

PENANCE Eliza Clark I am as surprised by my rating for PENANCE as you are. Trust me, I thought I was going to love it, but ended up with tepid feelings and a middle-of-the-road rating. In PENANCE, Clark explores the dark side and sensationalism of true crime and the exploitation of victims in the process. PENANCE is a stunner for sure. The writing is explicit, the happenings are devastating. I was initially moved by the message. But got bogged down in the details. The conversation was worth having, however at times I felt we were having different conversations and talking about things I was overall disinterested in. PENANCE serves as a microscope and at times you’re not sure if you are the ant under it or looking through it. Either way, if you read PENANCE, you’ll never listen to true crime podcasts the same or ever again. The next true crime documentary you watch will be tainted with perspective. I am appreciative of that. PENANCE is dark and unemotional. To be dark and disturbing, however, is not enough alone. And I felt all the extraneous details washed out the story and moved the target. I gave PENANCE three stars and thought it was worth reading but wish it could have been more. Maybe next time. Thanks to Netgalley and Harper for the advanced copy! PENANCE…⭐️⭐️⭐️